Three versions of one platform.
How a small import company moved from spreadsheets to a system in production, and how I knew, each time, that it was time to rebuild.
01 · the problemSpreadsheets everywhere, and nobody knows which one is right.
02 · askBit gathers, I ask.
03 · connect
One system instead of many files.
askWhere does the time actually go?
[THE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED FIRST, AND WHAT THE ANSWERS SHOWED]
connectRails, Postgres and the APIs that already existed
Instead of writing everything, I joined proven pieces: a framework, a database, e-invoicing and external services.
measureHours, errors, time to change
[THE NUMBERS BEFORE AND AFTER]
Every version worked, until the company grew.v0 → v3
v0SpreadsheetsOrders, stock and documents in Excel files shared by the team.ended when: [WHAT BROKE]
v1React + FastAPIThe first real web platform: one database, the first automations.ended when: [WHAT BROKE]
v2Ruby on RailsPostgres, staging and production, backups, Cloudflare, API integrations.today: in production
v3What comes nextWarehouse and reorders, pricing analysis, a portal for clients.in progress
01 / the starting point
A family import company, run between Spain and Italy.
Athesis imports supplements for business clients. Orders, stock, suppliers, invoices and customers all pass through one place, and for a long time that place was a set of spreadsheets.
[WHAT A NORMAL WEEK LOOKED LIKE BEFORE: WHO DID WHAT, BY HAND, HOW OFTEN]
02 / the constraints
One person, a business that can't stop, Italian rules.
03 / decisions
What I chose, and what I left out.
choseLeave spreadsheets for a web appleft outA ready-made management software[WHY]
choseRebuild on Ruby on Railsleft outKeep growing React + FastAPI[WHY]
choseStaging and backups from day oneleft outDeploy straight to production[WHY]
04 / the system today
Many jobs, one system.
ClientsStock & reordersSuppliersPricingE-invoicing
Ruby on Rails + Postgresone source of truth
stagingproductiondaily backupscloudflareexternal APIs
05 / what changed
Before and after.
[X → Y]hours of manual work per week
[N]tools and files replaced
[X → Y]time to ship a change
06 / with hindsight
“[ONE HONEST LESSON: WHAT YOU WOULD DECIDE EARLIER, OR DIFFERENTLY.]”