Platform Bid
A sophisticated Bubble.io development for the auction industry, providing auctioneers with mature tools to run online and live auctions at scale.
Overview
This is a Bubble.io development for the auction industry. It is multi-tenanted SaaS which provides auctioneers with a range of mature tools to help them run online and live auctions.
We chose a No Code platform because it gave us the opportunity to really concentrate on making sure the tools we created for auction management would be well thought out and intuitive to use.
Challenge
Building an auction platform is complex. Building it as a SaaS adds in an extra level of complexity. Auction platforms have to be precise, very scalable and resilient.
Building a Scalable and Resilient Model
The Reality
Auction platforms have to be precise, very scalable and resilient. But, and this is often under estimated, they have to come with a good set of tools.
Admin Matters
Auctioneers have a lot of admin to do to create and manage an auction. During setup, management tools are what matter. During and post-auction, reporting and invoicing are key.
Above all, reliability is key
Our Approach
Segregating Auctioneer Data
We built a self-identification model where the app identified the auctioneer website being used at any particular time and passed that to Bubble security model to display only the data that needs be displayed to the user.
Scalability & Resilience
We have built auction systems in the past using structured languages (such as Java), so we knew the challenges. The key with all apps and especially Bubble is to use the data model wisely and efficiently. Only call data when you need it, and don't repeatedly get data. Get it once and use it wisely.
Full Stack Experience
We had a list of features to think about outside the core app to make this work as a SaaS:
Providing a 14 day trial and full sign up process for auctioneers to use the platform
Using the full Stripe API to manage the subscription model, including trials and monthly recurring payments
Permission to manage product levels and features based upon subscription models
Integrating a DNS API to manage and automate the domain name process
Managing multiple domains on one app to give unique & custom domain names for auctioneers signing up to use the platform
Onboarding and offboarding accounts
Application Architecture
There were many complex challenges that needed to be overcome in building this app:
Creating a secure and segregated data model
Building an efficient and scalable database
Using database triggers to create an efficient bidding process and fast UX
Providing workflows where data was only used when needed
Taking into account the workload and work units consumed at scale
Providing upgrade paths and feature segregation by subscription level
Technology Stack
Platform
- Bubble.io No Code
- Multi-tenant architecture
- Custom workflows
Integrations
- Stripe API
- DNS API
- Custom domain routing
Features
- Real-time bidding
- Invoice generation
- Multi-level permissions
Client Review
"Wow that's amazing you've been so helpful, I am very grateful."
Gary Watkinson
Scottish Horse Auctions
Need Complex SaaS Development?
Platform Bid demonstrates our ability to build sophisticated, scalable multi-tenant applications using No Code platforms, delivering enterprise-grade features with rapid development cycles.