What to Prepare Before Hiring a Shopify Developer

Your manufacturing business needs custom Shopify development work. Maybe you need a product configurator, ERP integration, or custom B2B checkout fields. You know you need a developer, but jumping straight into hiring without preparation wastes time and money.

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This guide shows what to prepare before you start interviewing Shopify developers. The right preparation helps you find qualified developers faster, communicate requirements clearly, and avoid costly mistakes.

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Why Preparation Matters

Manufacturing and B2B businesses face unique Shopify development needs. You're not building a simple retail store. You need ERP connections, complex pricing logic, custom workflows, and technical integrations.

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Without clear preparation, you'll encounter scope creep (2 weeks becomes 2 months), wrong developer hires (theme customizer when you needed backend specialist), budget overruns, timeline delays waiting on credentials, and integration failures with your existing systems.

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Document Your Current State

Catalog Your Systems and Workflows

List every system touching your e-commerce operations: ERP (SAP, NetSuite, Business Central, Acumatica, Odoo), CRM, inventory/warehouse management, PIM, payment processors, shipping platforms, accounting software.

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For each system, document:

• System name, version, and what data lives there
• Current integrations and API availability
• Access requirements for integration

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Map your critical workflows. How do orders actually flow from placement to fulfillment? Where does product data originate and how does it reach Shopify? How do new B2B customers get onboarded and assigned pricing tiers?

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Example order workflow:

1. Customer places order (phone/EDI/website)
2. Order enters [system]
3. Sales rep reviews, credit team approves
4. Warehouse receives, creates shipping label
5. Tracking sent, invoice created

Developers need to understand your current process to replicate or improve it. Skip this step and they'll build what they think you need, not what you actually need.

Identify Your Pain Points

Document what's broken or inefficient:

• Manual data entry between systems
• Inventory discrepancies (Shopify shows in-stock, ERP shows backordered)
• Delayed order sync (hours or days to reach ERP)
• Pricing errors (wholesale customers see retail prices)
• No customer self-service for order status
• Product data inconsistency across systems

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For each pain point, note business impact (lost sales, labor hours, customer complaints), frequency, and current workarounds.

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Example: "Inventory counts inaccurate. Impact: Oversell 5-10 items monthly causing customer service issues. Workaround: Sales manually checks ERP before approving large orders."

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Pain points become requirements. Clear documentation helps developers prioritize solutions.

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Define Your Project Requirements

Prioritize Ruthlessly

Not everything needs version 1.

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Must have (project fails without these):

• Real-time inventory sync between ERP and Shopify
• Customer-specific pricing for wholesale accounts
• Order export to ERP with line item details
• Net 30 payment terms for approved customers

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Should have (important but can wait):

• Automated customer approval workflow
• Order approval for purchases over $10,000
• Reorder functionality

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Nice to have (useful but not critical):

• Advanced analytics dashboard
• Custom product recommendations
• Sales rep mobile app

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Clear prioritization prevents scope creep and keeps projects on time and budget.

Write User Stories

Format: "As a [user type], I need to [action], so that [benefit]."

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Examples:

• "As a wholesale customer, I need to see my negotiated pricing when logged in, so I can place orders without calling for quotes."
• "As a warehouse manager, I need Shopify orders in our ERP automatically, so we avoid manual data entry."
• "As a sales rep, I need to approve high-value orders, so we can verify purchases and prevent fraud."

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User stories give developers context about not just what to build, but why it matters.

Document Data Requirements

Specify what syncs between systems:

• Product sync (ERP to Shopify): SKU, name, description, category, pricing tiers, inventory by location, images, specifications, availability status
• Order sync (Shopify to ERP): Order numbers, customer account, line items, addresses, payment/shipping method, order notes, PO numbers, tax details
• Customer sync: Name, company, contact info, account number, addresses, pricing tier, payment terms, credit limit, resale certificate
• Sync frequency: Inventory (real-time/15 min), Products (daily/on-demand), Orders (real-time), Customers (daily/on-demand)

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Data mapping clarity prevents integration project failures.

Prepare Access and Credentials

Have these ready before developer starts:

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Shopify: Collaborator account or dev store, API credentials, theme access

ERP: API keys, sandbox/test environment (never production first), documentation links, VPN if needed

Third-party services: Payment gateway credentials, shipping API access

Security: Temporary credentials with minimum permissions, test environments first, document IP whitelisting needs

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Waiting on credentials delays projects. Day-one readiness keeps developers productive.

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Set Budget and Timeline Expectations

Understand Developer Experience Levels

Developer rates and capabilities vary based on experience and specialization:

• Junior developers: Theme customization, basic features, straightforward implementations
• Mid-level developers: Custom apps, integrations, more complex features and logic
• Senior developers: System architecture, complex integrations, performance optimization, technical leadership
• Shopify Plus Partner agencies: Full-service teams with specialists across design, development, strategy, and project management

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Fixed-price vs. hourly: Fixed-price works for well-defined scope where requirements are clear. Hourly billing better for exploratory work, evolving requirements, or ongoing support relationships.

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Clear requirements and thorough documentation reduce developer time significantly. Well-prepared projects move faster because developers spend less time asking questions and clarifying scope.

Realistic Timeline Estimates

• Simple (1-3 weeks): Theme customization, app configuration, CSV imports
• Medium (1-3 months): Product configurator, single ERP integration, custom pricing, order workflows
• Complex (3-6 months): Multi-system integration, headless implementation, advanced product builder

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Plan for ongoing costs: Monthly maintenance and updates, new feature development, emergency support, Shopify app subscriptions, and infrastructure costs (servers, APIs, third-party services).

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Prepare Your Team

Assign Key Roles

Decision makers: Identify who approves features, budget, technical architecture, design, timeline changes, and go-live.

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Technical point of contact: This person answers technical questions, provides ERP access, tests integrations, coordinates with IT, reviews code. Ideal: IT manager, operations manager with tech background, or technical product manager.

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Testing team: Assign who tests order flow, product data, customer features, and admin/backend functionality.

Developers waiting days for approvals or technical answers derail timelines. Clear roles keep projects moving.

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Research Developer Options

Developer vs. Agency

Individual Developer:

• Pros: Lower cost, direct communication, specialized expertise
• Cons: Single point of failure, limited availability
• Best for: Well-defined projects, ongoing maintenance, specific needs

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Shopify Partner Agency:

• Pros: Team of specialists, project management, broader capabilities, backup
• Cons: Higher cost, communication layers
• Best for: Large projects, complex integrations, tight deadlines

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See Shopify Developer vs Shopify Agency: What B2B Manufacturers Need for detailed comparison.

Verify Shopify Expertise

Ask:

• How many Shopify projects completed?
• Built [specific feature] before?
• Shopify Partner status? (Check directory)
• Experience with [your ERP]?
• References from B2B/manufacturing clients?
• Shopify Plus experience? (if applicable)

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Red flags:

• "I can learn Shopify during your project"
• No portfolio or case studies
• Unfamiliar with Shopify API
• Can't explain theme customization vs. custom app development

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For B2B manufacturers, prioritize: ERP integration experience, B2B/wholesale knowledge, API/backend skills (not just design), specific ERP experience.

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Shopify Plus considerations: Ask about Shopify Scripts, Shopify Functions, B2B features, Flow automation, multi-currency/storefront capabilities.

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Key Interview Questions

Technical capability:

1. "Have you integrated Shopify with [our ERP]?" (Ask for examples and approach)
2. "How would you handle customer-specific pricing for 500+ wholesale accounts?" (Listen for scale considerations)
3. "How do you handle data sync errors?" (Error logging, retry logic, validation)
4. "What's your testing process?" (Staging, test data, QA procedures)

Process and communication:

5. "How do you handle scope changes?" (Change process, documentation, budget impacts)
6. "What's your communication cadence?" (Daily updates, weekly calls, response times)
7. "How do you document code?" (Comments, technical docs, training materials)
8. "What if you become unavailable?" (Backup developers, knowledge transfer)

Post-launch:

9. "What support after launch?" (Warranty, bug fixes, maintenance)
10. "How do you handle Shopify updates?" (Monitoring, proactive updates)
11. "Can you train our team?" (Sessions, documentation, videos)

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Create Your Project Brief

Compile preparation into a single document:

1. Project Overview: Business, project goal, success metrics
2. Current State: Systems in use, workflows, pain points
3. Requirements: Must-have/should-have/nice-to-have features with user stories, out-of-scope items
4. Technical Details: Data sync requirements, API endpoints, performance benchmarks, security needs
5. Logistics: Budget range, timeline, team structure, decision makers, testing plan
6. Success Criteria: Acceptance criteria, performance benchmarks, launch requirements

This brief becomes your RFP. Developers provide accurate quotes because they understand full scope.

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Common Preparation Mistakes

1. Vague requirements: Don't say "we need ERP integration." Say "two-way sync between Acumatica and Shopify: products/inventory sync every 15 min, orders real-time, customers nightly."
2. No access plan: Have credentials ready before kickoff, not "when developer needs it" followed by 3-day delays.
3. Unrealistic timelines: Ask "Is 2 months realistic given requirements?" not "We need this in 2 weeks" for complex work.
4. No technical contact: Same-day technical responses keep projects moving. Don't make developers wait days for non-technical PMs to track down IT.
5. Assuming developer knows your business: Document product options, business rules, pricing logic, dependencies. Don't just say "build a configurator."
6. No testing plan: Stage, test plan, assigned testers, UAT scheduled before go-live. Never test in production first.

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Preparation Checklist

Business Documentation:

• [ ] Systems cataloged with versions
• [ ] Workflows mapped
• [ ] Pain points prioritized
• [ ] Features separated (must/should/nice-to-have)
• [ ] User stories written

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Technical Documentation:

• [ ] Data sync requirements documented
• [ ] API access gathered
• [ ] Integration points identified
• [ ] Security requirements defined

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Project Logistics:

• [ ] Budget established
• [ ] Timeline set
• [ ] Decision makers identified
• [ ] Technical contact assigned
• [ ] Testing plan created

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Access Preparation:

• [ ] Shopify access ready
• [ ] ERP sandbox accessible
• [ ] API credentials prepared
• [ ] Documentation links collected

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Team Readiness:

• [ ] Stakeholders briefed
• [ ] Testers assigned
• [ ] Communication plan established
• [ ] Post-launch support planned

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Developer Research:

• [ ] Project brief compiled
• [ ] Interview questions prepared
• [ ] Developer/agency shortlist created
• [ ] Reference check questions ready

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Conclusion: Preparation Prevents Problems

Manufacturers and B2B businesses can't afford failed Shopify projects. Operations depend on reliable systems, accurate data, and efficient workflows.

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Proper preparation reduces development time and cost, attracts better developers (good developers want prepared clients), prevents scope creep, accelerates launch, and improves results.

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The time invested in preparation (typically 1-2 weeks for thorough documentation) pays off in faster development, lower costs, and better outcomes.

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Start with current state documentation. Map workflows. Identify pain points. Write clear requirements. Prepare access. Then you're ready to find the right developer and launch successfully.