Facilitating a Seamless Backend Transition From LevelUp to Paytronix

Ann’s in-store and online ordering applications were created using LevelUp (a customer engagement and mobile payment platform) as the backend. However, LevelUp was being discontinued, so our client needed to transition its existing user data and ordering system to Paytronix (a cloud-based customer experience management platform for restaurants and convenience stores).

Here are the top 6 challenges faced while implementing this transition.

1. Store Information:

Paytronix, the newer platform, failed to provide detailed store-related information compared to the older tool’s backend. To maintain consistency with the user experience, regardless of the transition, we had to find a way to ensure users continued to receive the same amount and quality of detailed information.

2. User Experience:

A crucial challenge was ensuring that all features on Paytronix functioned precisely as they did with LevelUp, especially the in-store and online ordering systems, which primarily accounted for the user experience (for employees and customers).

3. Credit Card Management:

Adding a credit card to a wallet and auto-recharge were important payment features included with LevelUp. Therefore, we had to find ways to replicate them with Paytronix. 

4. Customizing Orders:

LevelUp offered ample options to customize an order by allowing customers to choose from different toppings like Tapioca, Pudding, Nata Jelly, Red Beans, and more. This same functionality was complex to include with Paytronix.

5. Paytronix Migration:

One of the biggest challenges was understanding Paytronix's operational landscape. To migrate successfully, we needed to understand the different Paytronix APIs and code bases. Only then could we match the behavior of features/functionalities offered by LevelUp.

6. Time-Constraints:

As LevelUp was getting discontinued by a particular date, adhering to a strict timeline was imperative.

Ann’s in-store and mobile apps are operated via the same backend platform, LevelUp. Therefore, not switching would have caused significant disruptions with our client’s services, tainted their brand’s reputation, and incurred substantial monetary losses.

Here’s how we approached the switch to Paytronix.

We commenced with ‘Sprint Zero,’ a planning phase, before beginning active development. In this phase, we allotted two programmers to work on the same code (AKA pair programming) to gain clarity on the app’s original code, structure, and how it functioned.

The programmers also reviewed different Paytronix APIs to help ease this transition. This approach helped us maneuver migration challenges.

After a thorough analysis, we decided on a two-part solution and proposed working parallelly on both to meet the deadline.

Phase 1: Firstly, we integrated the Paytronix online ordering website within the app to keep the online ordering experience intact.

If developing the native application proves challenging and time-consuming, our client could deploy this solution to avoid downtime and disruptions.

Phase 2: We parallelly created a replica of the app leveraging the Paytronix API for in-store and online ordering. This approach was more straightforward but required more development time.

Using Paytronix, we created features like:

• User Onboarding (account creation)
• Authentication
• Online Payment
• Restaurant Listing
• Order Customization
• Menu Categorization
• Calculating & Redeeming Loyalty Points
• Adding Tips
• Tracking Orders via GPS

The timely backend switch to Paytronix prevented service downtime and sales reductions. Ann’s Boba Tea continued to offer its services as it had earlier without causing any inconvenience to its customers or compromising its sales or reputation.