DBC: Site Build - What To Expect

About This Overview: Building your DB Commerce site is a collaborative process. While your internal team will configure and assemble the site, DemandBridge Professional Services is here to guide you step-by-step. This document outlines the standard build workflow, key roles, and how we support your team from initial planning through go-live.

What to expect — and how DemandBridge guides your team through your site build

  • Prepared by: DemandBridge Professional Services
  • Target: Client / Distributor Internal Site Building Team

Prerequisites & Technical Readiness

Before official build training begins, DemandBridge provisions and secures your platform environment:

  1. Environment Setup & Configuration: We establish your dedicated DB Commerce environment and core backend settings.
  2. Security & Certificates: We install and verify all required SSL certificates and security protocols to ensure your domain is safe and accessible.
  3. Training Kickoff Call: Once technical provisioning is complete, we host a kickoff meeting with your build team to align on expectations, review templates, and prepare you for your hands-on training sessions. This call marks the formal start of the 5-Phase Guided Build.

How This Works: 5-Phase Guided Build

Pre-Build: Environment Readiness

  • What Happens: System provisioning, domain configuration, and SSL certificate installation.
  • Your Role (Builder): Provide domain details and technical contact if applicable.
  • DemandBridge Role (Guide): Set up environment, install SSL certificates, and schedule training kickoff.
  • Key Milestone: Environment Ready & SSL Verified

Step 1: Discovery & Training Kickoff

  • What Happens: Formal kickoff meeting to review site scope, catalog structure, user roles, and template rules.
  • Your Role (Builder): Attend kickoff call, assign internal project leads, and review asset templates.
  • DemandBridge Role (Guide): Conduct kickoff call, guide site architecture planning, and deliver data collection templates.
  • Key Milestone: Training Kickoff Complete & Asset Checklist Issued

Step 2: Asset Gathering & Intake

  • What Happens: Collecting and formatting all product spreadsheets, user lists, branding guidelines, and print artwork.
  • Your Role (Builder): Gather, format, and upload 100% of required assets prior to build work.
  • DemandBridge Role (Guide): Audit submitted assets for format compatibility, validate bulk import files, and approve asset package.
  • Key Milestone: 100% Asset Handover Sign-Off

Step 3: Site Configuration & Build (Guided)

  • What Happens: Admin training and hands-on assembly of products, dynamic Chili templates, user permissions, and styling.
  • Your Role (Builder): Attend training sessions, build site content, and configure catalogs and users.
  • DemandBridge Role (Guide): Deliver hands-on admin training, host weekly check-in calls, and provide technical guidance.
  • Key Milestone: Build Complete & Internal Verification

Step 4: Testing & Quality Assurance (UAT)

  • What Happens: Testing end-to-end purchasing, user login permissions, order routing, and template rules.
  • Your Role (Builder): Place test orders across user roles, verify pricing/artwork, and document edge cases.
  • DemandBridge Role (Guide): Audit platform configuration against best practices and assist with complex workflow fixes.
  • Key Milestone: Formal UAT Sign-Off

Step 5: Go-Live & Handoff

  • What Happens: Final site activation, issuing user credentials, launching to end users, and transitioning to routine management.
  • Your Role (Builder): Activate user accounts, announce launch to customers, and assume site administration.
  • DemandBridge Role (Guide): Perform pre-launch technical check, assist with DNS cutover, and transition to Support/Helpdesk.
  • Key Milestone: Live Site & Admin Empowerment

⏱️ Onboarding Tip: The foundation of an efficient build is complete asset preparation in Phase 2. Gathering 100% of your item data, artwork, and user lists before starting Phase 3 prevents rework and keeps your timeline on schedule.

Item Setup Breakdown

During the build, DemandBridge will train your team on how to set up and maintain the core item types in DB Commerce:

  • Simple Items: Standard, non-configurable products ordered as-is. These could be Inventory or Print on Demand items.
    • Requires: SKUs, pricing, descriptions, product images.
  • PROMO Items: Variant items with selectable attributes like sizes, colors, location name-drops, or quantity price breaks.
    • Requires: Option matrices, upcharge rules, variant images.
  • Chili Items: Products customized live on-screen by the end user, such as business cards or personalized signage.
    • Requires: Layered artwork PDFs/InDesign files, editable field rules, brand asset rules.

DemandBridge Support & Guidance

To ensure your team becomes fully self-sufficient, we provide:

  • Guided Work Sessions: Co-working calls to walk through complex configurations together.
  • Knowledge Base Documentation: Step-by-step HelpScout guides, video tutorials, and CSV import templates.
  • Configuration Audit: A pre-launch review by a DemandBridge specialist to ensure settings follow best practices.

Building Additional Sites

DemandBridge's guided support covers your initial site build as part of onboarding. Keep this guide as a reference for your internal team. The same phases, asset requirements, and item setup steps apply to every site you build going forward.

💡 Need Help With a Future Site? For any additional sites after your initial build, your team can build them independently using this guide and the HelpScout Knowledge Base, or submit a new Professional Services request to have DemandBridge build the site for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who builds the DB Commerce site in a guided onboarding?

A: Your internal team configures and assembles the site, while DemandBridge Professional Services guides you step-by-step from initial planning through go-live.

Q: What happens before build training begins?

A: DemandBridge sets up your dedicated DB Commerce environment and core backend settings, installs and verifies all required SSL certificates and security protocols, and then hosts the Training Kickoff Call with your build team.

Q: What do we need to provide before the build starts?

A: Domain details and a technical contact, if applicable. DemandBridge sets up the environment, installs SSL certificates, and schedules the training kickoff. The milestone is Environment Ready & SSL Verified.

Q: When does the 5-Phase Guided Build officially start?

A: The Training Kickoff Call marks the formal start of the 5-Phase Guided Build. It happens once technical provisioning is complete.

Q: What are the phases of a guided build?

A: After Pre-Build Environment Readiness: Discovery & Training Kickoff, Asset Gathering & Intake, Site Configuration & Build (Guided), Testing & Quality Assurance (UAT), and Go-Live & Handoff.

Q: What does our team do in Discovery & Training Kickoff?

A: Attend the kickoff call, assign internal project leads, and review asset templates. DemandBridge conducts the call, guides site architecture planning, and delivers data collection templates. The milestone is Training Kickoff Complete & Asset Checklist Issued.

Q: What happens to the assets we submit?

A: DemandBridge audits submitted assets for format compatibility, validates bulk import files, and approves the asset package. The milestone is 100% Asset Handover Sign-Off.

Q: Should we start building before all assets are ready?

A: No. Gather, format, and upload 100% of required assets prior to build work. Doing so before starting Phase 3 prevents rework and keeps your timeline on schedule.

Q: What support do we get during the build itself?

A: Hands-on admin training, weekly check-in calls, and technical guidance.

Q: What does our team do during UAT?

A: Place test orders across user roles, verify pricing/artwork, and document edge cases. DemandBridge audits platform configuration against best practices and assists with complex workflow fixes.

Q: Who handles go-live tasks?

A: Your team activates user accounts, announces the launch to customers, and assumes site administration. DemandBridge performs a pre-launch technical check, assists with DNS cutover, and transitions you to Support/Helpdesk.

Q: What do we need for Simple Items?

A: SKUs, pricing, descriptions, and product images.

Q: What do we need for PROMO Items?

A: Option matrices, upcharge rules, and variant images.

Q: What do we need for Chili Items?

A: Layered artwork PDFs/InDesign files, editable field rules, and brand asset rules.

Q: Will DemandBridge help us build additional sites after our first one?

A: Guided support covers your initial site build as part of onboarding. For future sites, your team can build independently using this guide, or submit a new Professional Services request to have DemandBridge build it for you.

Q: What resources does DemandBridge provide to make us self-sufficient?

A: Guided Work Sessions, Knowledge Base Documentation (step-by-step HelpScout guides, video tutorials, and CSV import templates), and a pre-launch Configuration Audit.

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