Project

Project Overview

Our client was a platform provider specializing in energy company switches, assisting customers who wanted to change their energy suppliers. While they had an existing system in place, the switch requests were manually processed in batches, taking up to 48 hours to complete.

The Challenge

• Manual Processing Delays: Customers experienced long wait times (up to two days) for their switch requests to be finalized.
• Limited Integration: Existing systems did not offer direct, real-time integrations with energy providers' APIs.
• Scalability Concerns: Handling spikes in switching requests was cumbersome and prone to errors, given the manual nature of the process.

Our Approach

• Discovery & Analysis: We assessed the current batching process and identified key bottlenecks preventing real-time processing.
• Proposed Automation & Integration: We recommended automating the end-to-end switch workflow and integrating directly with energy provider APIs, where available.
• Iterative Delivery: The system’s core processing backbone was developed first, with energy company API integrations added incrementally. This allowed for validation and improvements after each successful integration.

The Solution

• Event-Driven Architecture:
  • Utilized AWS SNS (Simple Notification Service) and SQS (Simple Queue Service) to facilitate asynchronous message passing.
  • Each switch request was validated, routed, and processed in real time, removing the need for slow batch operations.
• .NET-Based Services:
  • Wrote core validation and routing logic in .NET, ensuring maintainable, high-performance code.
  • Deployed services to AWS ECS (Elastic Container Service), using RDS for data persistence and robust transaction handling.
• Real-Time API Integrations:
  • Integrated directly with multiple energy provider APIs, automating submissions and handling provider responses promptly.
  • Iterations allowed for continuous improvement after each successful integration.

The Results

• Drastic Reduction in Processing Time: Switch requests now process in seconds instead of up to 48 hours.
• Improved Customer Experience: The near-instant switching capability significantly boosted customer satisfaction.
• Scalability & Efficiency: Asynchronous architecture scales smoothly with fluctuating demand, minimizing manual intervention.
• Successful Rollout & Adoption: Incremental integration minimized risks, ensuring each API was fully tested before going live.

Technologies & Tools Used

• .NET for core services and validation logic
• ReactJS for the frontend
• AWS ECS for container orchestration and deployment
• AWS SNS & SQS for asynchronous event processing
• AWS RDS for database management
• Energy Provider APIs for real-time switch request handling