Ordering and reservation systems
Do you need an ordering system that handles your real process, not just a cart?
I design ordering, reservation and registration systems around the way your business actually works. B2B pricing, repeat orders, schedules and capacities in one place.
Off-the-shelf e-commerce assumes an anonymous shopper making occasional one-off purchases. Business reality is usually different. Registered customers with individual prices order repeatedly from an extensive catalogue, a manager approves the order, delivery dates depend on stock, and the accountant needs an export in exactly the format their system expects. When such a process is forced into a consumer cart, the result is workarounds, spreadsheets and errors nobody tracks.
I have been building ordering and registration systems for 19 years, including mass participant registration with waves, groups and automatic capacity allocation, B2B portals with customer-specific pricing, and connections to stock and invoicing systems. The design starts from your process, not from what the nearest plugin happens to offer. If WooCommerce with adjustments is enough, I will say so openly. If your process needs its own rules, you get a system that reflects them exactly.
01
An ordering process shaped like your business
We first map how an order is created today and where time is lost. From that I design the data model: a catalogue with variants and packages, price groups per customer, minimum order quantities, approval steps and repeat orders from history. The ordering system then shows each user only what they may order, at their price. A manager sees their team's orders, the warehouse sees items to dispatch, and accounting receives data ready for invoicing without retyping.
- Price groups and individual prices
- Approvals and repeat orders
- Roles for sales, warehouse and accounting
02
Reservations and registrations with capacities
Reservation logic is where ready-made solutions often fail. Schedules, waves, groups, waiting lists and automatic capacity transfers need well-defined rules, otherwise the system behaves unpredictably at full occupancy. I have built registrations where hundreds of participants are automatically allocated to groups by fill level, pairs stay together and the system moves capacity between dates on its own. The same principle works for booking rooms, service slots or production capacity. The rules are always visible and verifiable, so you can trust them.
- Schedules, waves and groups
- Waiting lists and capacity transfers
- Automatic e-mails and reminders
03
Connections to stock, invoicing and reporting
An ordering system does not end at a submitted form. I connect it to stock so quantities update in both directions, and prepare exports and APIs for invoicing and for the reporting management actually reads. I understand the constraints of the accounting and stock systems businesses use, and design synchronisation that survives connection outages without losing data. The result is a process where one order travels through the system without manual retyping, and every department sees only its own part.
- Two-way stock synchronisation
- Exports and APIs for invoicing
- Reporting without manual retyping
04
Technology and ownership
A smaller process is often covered by WordPress with a custom plugin; a larger multi-user system I build on Laravel, where roles, permissions and data integrity are natural. In both cases you own the code and the data, and the solution is not tied to a third-party subscription that can raise its price or drop a feature. The system ships documented and can be taken over by another developer. If you later want changes, you will not need me for them.
- WordPress plugin or Laravel application
- Code and data in your ownership
- Documentation and easy takeover
05
Price and how we work
My rate is EUR 40 per hour including VAT. A bespoke ordering system typically ranges from 30 to 80 hours depending on roles, pricing rules and integrations; reservation logic without integrations can be smaller. You receive the process analysis, data model and estimate before work starts, and a larger system is split into stages where each ends with a working result. I recommend a full rewrite only when it is demonstrably cheaper or safer than improving what you have.
- Rate EUR 40 per hour including VAT
- System typically 30 to 80 hours
- Stages with a working result
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Common questions about ordering systems
How much does a custom ordering system cost?
At EUR 40 per hour including VAT, a bespoke system typically ranges from 30 to 80 hours depending on roles, pricing rules and integrations. You receive a precise estimate after analysing your process, before work begins.
How long does development take?
A smaller reservation system without integrations takes a few weeks. A more complex B2B solution with stock and invoicing is split into two to four week stages. The timeline also depends on approvals and input materials.
Is WordPress enough or do I need Laravel?
WordPress with a custom plugin covers processes handled by a small team without complex permissions. Laravel is my recommendation with multiple organisations, sensitive data and internal system connections. I always justify the recommendation with concrete reasons.
Can the system replace a classic e-shop?
For selling to end customers, WooCommerce with adjustments is enough. A custom ordering system makes sense when buyers, prices or approvals do not behave like a standard shop. Some projects combine both.
Can you take over an existing ordering system?
Yes. I first review the code, data, backups and security, then propose a sequence of fixes and extensions. A full rewrite is recommended only where it is demonstrably better value than continued repair.
Has your process outgrown e-mails and spreadsheets?
Send me a description of how you take orders today. I will propose the data model, scope and stages with a clear estimate.
Discuss the process