Cloud Architecture

Building a Serverless Dropshipping Platform

Inspiration

We imagined a future where E-Commerce meets Social Media, and Tiktok would be the perfect platform by having both TikTok Shop and TikTok Live, a streaming platform that has many Tiktokers streaming content live to millions of people every day and a virtual marketplace all on the same platform.

Our journey began with a vision to build a revolutionary dropshipping platform that would enable TikTok creators to easily transition into retailers. We were inspired by the rapid rise of social commerce as well as the creative potential of TikTok content creators. The fear of over-purchasing products and not being able to sell them was always an issue with dropshipping. This is where TikTok Commerce comes in.

TikTok Commerce addresses the issues that both drop shippers and suppliers face by integrating the TikTok Application. TikTok Commerce allows Tiktokers to sell products by representing suppliers through affiliates, enabling cross-collaboration selling in which Tiktokers can live stream and sell complementary goods from different sellers, enabling a whole new way of how sales work. You start to wonder what's stopping TikTokers? Shipping and logistics are handled directly by the suppliers, relieving Tiktokers of the burden and allowing them to focus on what they do best: creating content for the audience. Suppliers no longer need to worry about marketing and sales because TikTokers are promoting and selling their products in unique ways.

The best part? TikTok can take a cut of every sale made through TikTok Commerce, creating a new stream of revenue for the company. Let's imagine a new way of Dropshipping via Tiktok.

Learning

As we embarked on this project, we realized that creating a seamless and scalable platform would require not only a powerful front end but also a robust backend infrastructure. This is where we delved into the world of AWS and Terraform, two technologies that would play a pivotal role in our project.

The Tech Stack

Our front end was built using Next.js and React, taking full advantage of Vercel's hosting capabilities to ensure a fast and reliable user experience.

On the backend, we leveraged the serverless architecture of AWS Lambda functions. AWS offered us a highly scalable and cost-effective solution, ideal for an application that could potentially experience rapid growth.

The Challenges

1. Terraform Provisioning

One of the initial challenges was setting up the AWS infrastructure using Terraform. While Terraform is a powerful tool for infrastructure as code, it can be quite complex. We learned that careful planning and module structuring are key to managing a scalable and organized infrastructure.

2. IAM Policies and Permissions

Configuring the correct IAM policies and permissions for AWS services was another hurdle. We faced issues with policies related to DynamoDB, S3, and Lambda. Each service required specific permissions, and debugging permission-related errors was a learning curve.

3. Interconnecting Services

Ensuring smooth communication between different AWS services and integrating them with our front end was a challenge. We used API Gateway to manage endpoints and AWS Lambda for serverless functions.

4. Time constraint

As our team only started development on 4th September 2023 due to time constraints and everyone's hectic schedules, we had to prioritize features to create this Minimal Viable Product (MVP) to proof our concept of TikTok Commerce. Also, we had to simplify processes such as provisioning the infrastructure with automation via Github Actions, which cut down development time.

The Triumph

Despite the challenges, our project began to take shape. The front end was sleek and user-friendly, thanks to Next.js and React. On the backend, AWS Lambda functions efficiently handled requests and data processing.

Our infrastructure was fully provisioned using Terraform, and we learned to manage IAM policies effectively. Debugging permission issues became less daunting as we became more proficient.

Conclusion

In the end, our journey to build a serverless dropshipping platform taught us valuable lessons in infrastructure as code, serverless architecture, and collaboration. We discovered the power of AWS and Terraform to create a scalable and reliable backend. Vercel ensured our front end was lightning-fast and accessible.

The project is a testament to the potential of technology to transform ideas into reality. As we continue to refine and expand our platform, we look forward to seeing how TikTok creators and retailers will embrace this innovative solution, bringing their products to the world in creative and exciting ways.

About Us

Aloysius Ng is a Final year Information Systems student from Singapore Management University, specializing in Digitalization & Cloud Solutions and Business Analytics with a strong background in multiple programming languages, including Python, Go, Java, and JavaScript. Proven experience includes a software engineering internship at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, where skills in AWS, Terraform, Kubernetes, and Spinnaker were honed. Accomplished product management intern at SpeQtral, with notable contributions in market research, SWOT analysis, and process automation. Adept at Robotic Process Automation and scripting during an internship at Central Provident Fund and Grab respectively. Holds certifications in Oracle (Java), Terraform, and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate.

Brandon Christopher is a Final Year Student at Singapore Management University, majoring in Business Analytics and Digitalization & Cloud Solutions, garnering multiple academic awards from both internal and external competitions. Holds a Diploma in IT from Temasek Polytechnic with significant distinctions. Work experience includes software engineering roles at JPMorgan Chase, full-stack software engineering positions at PwC NTUC, product analysis at Wise and data analysis at SeaMoney. Developed notable projects like "StudyAT", a personalized study room web app, and "Smart Checkout", illustrating Polyglot Persistence in a distributed system. Active in co-curricular activities, serving as an EXCO Member of SMU Ambassadorial Corps.

Chua Yu Hao is a Year 4 Computer Science student at Nanyang Technological University with a passion for problem solving and a curiosity for emerging technologies. Throughout his internship experiences, he has gathered skills in various areas. Specifically, Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible and Helm charts through his internship at DSTA, and also other development frameworks such as Springboot, ReactJS, ElasticSearch through his internship at JPMorgan Chase. Having a strong motivation for learning, he actively participates in hackathons to continuously learn and hone his software skillsets.

Cleve Huang is a Final Year Information Systems student from the National University of Singapore. Noteworthy experiences include being a Summer Analyst and Code For Good 2022 Champion at JPMorgan Chase, where he developed a smart mobile app and excelled in a major event. Solely developed a mobile application for PSA International, and demonstrated proficiency in numerous hackathons, creating mobile and web apps. Held leadership roles at NUS and organised large-scale events. Skilled in a wide range of frontend and backend development tools, from NativeScript to Spring Boot.

Gregory Ong is a Final Year Computer Science student at Nanyang Technological University. He is passionate about back-end development and AI-related projects. Proud to be a 'JPM Code for Good' winner and have interned at both an AI startup, where he worked on computer vision, and at JPMorgan, where he contributed to a full-stack in-house tool project. He is driven by a thirst for knowledge and a love for technology. Have experience working with cloud services like docker and AWS services.