How Interlight enabled safe A/B testing on a 2 million SKU catalogue
Interlight used Vortex IQ StagingPro to safely A/B test changes across a 2 million SKU BigCommerce catalogue, saving 8 hours of manual work per sync and cutting costs by 20%.
The challenge: replicating production for testing and evaluation
Interlight is a trusted source for lighting products and replacement parts for both commercial and residential needs. With a robust online presence at interlightus.com, they serve as a go-to destination for energy-efficient and specialty lighting products.
As Interlight continues to grow, its leadership team, particularly Aaron Gray (COO/CTO), sought to enhance testing capabilities by replicating their BigCommerce production environment into a sandbox environment. This was especially important as Interlight began working with vendors looking to implement tools like VWO for A/B testing, which require a fully operational and populated staging store.
Their goals included:
- Evaluating vendor-proposed design and functionality changes.
- Testing new tools and apps in a safe, production-like environment.
- Running A/B tests without risking live storefront performance.
Scale and complexity
The scale of their catalogue, with around two million SKUs, introduced additional complexity to the process. Manual export-import approaches were quickly ruled out for being time-consuming and error-prone. Interlight needed a reliable, automated solution that could scale with their needs and support frequent testing cycles.
“StagingPro has significantly improved our ability to test and evaluate changes efficiently. It's a tool that's helped us streamline processes we used to spend hours on.”
Aaron Gray · COO/CTO, Interlight
The solution: implementing Vortex IQ StagingPro
Interlight adopted Vortex IQ's StagingPro platform to automate the replication of their BigCommerce production store into a staging environment. The platform's ability to move extensive data elements, including product catalogues, custom pages, store settings, and themes, meant Interlight's team could maintain a realistic test environment with minimal manual intervention.
Key benefits included:
- Bulk migration of catalogue and configuration data.
- Support for ongoing updates between staging and production.
- Elimination of redundant manual effort for environment setup.
The outcome: an efficient, scalable testing environment
With StagingPro, Interlight now operates a scalable sandbox that mirrors their live BigCommerce store. Where their internal vendor previously spent 5 to 8 hours on manual replication, StagingPro offers a scalable and time-saving alternative.
- Test site changes and third-party tools safely before deploying to production.
- Achieved significant time and cost savings by eliminating manual environment setup.
- Selectively migrate content and configuration with the Plus Plan.
- Manage theme files efficiently.
Looking ahead
Interlight continues to explore how StagingPro can play a central role in their digital operations. With a stable, production-like sandbox in place, they are well positioned to vet third-party apps and changes in a secure space, run meaningful A/B tests using platforms like VWO, and deliver a consistent, high-quality experience to their customers.
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