E-commerce

Tailored Online Training Store and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Drive Sedu Education’s Training Sales Growth

When the products for sale are training services rather than physical goods, it is crucial to understand the unique characteristics of service sales and design a highly integrated online store solution that supports both sales and service delivery processes. Through its collaboration with Tietotalo, Sedu Education Oy implemented a comprehensive solution tailored precisely to these needs: a fully customized and automated online training store that seamlessly supports Sedu’s business – serving both private and corporate customers.

Discover the Solution

Off-the-Shelf Online Store Platform vs. Custom Solution?

Organizations planning an online store often start by comparing ready-made platforms – and for good reason. It’s reasonable to assume that adopting an off-the-shelf solution will be cost-effective and straightforward. However, ready-made platforms also come with their own risks, which may limit the user experience, restrict integrations, or even complicate the sales process. This often happens when a standard platform is forced to fit existing sales and service delivery processes, rather than designing an online store from the ground up to meet unique requirements.

Sedu Education’s previous online store was built on the WooCommerce platform. While the platform was well-suited for selling physical goods, it proved challenging for selling actual training services. The solution did not support the sales and service delivery processes, which led to limited use and covered only a very small portion of the company’s training offerings.

Based on this experience, the decision was made to build a fully customized online store solution that supports Sedu Education’s processes from start to finish – with a technical architecture designed to scale for international sales. Sedu Education chose Tietotalo to design and implement the solution.

Key Design Focus Areas

The solution, designed through the multidisciplinary collaboration of Tietotalo and Sedu Education, was built on a strong foundation of both technical and business expertise. The design of the training store emphasised the following key elements:

  • Microsoft Dynamics at the Core: Customer and product data, pricing lists, permissions, and sales reporting directly in the CRM.
  • Customer Accounts: Ability to purchase training both as an authenticated user and without logging in.
  • Targeting: Tailored pricing and products for different customer groups – including Sedu students, owners, and Sedu Academy’s corporate clients.
  • Deep Integration: Minimizing manual work in sales and service delivery processes.
  • Cross-Selling: Intelligent product suggestions in the cart and account views.
  • Mobile-First: A mobile-first design approach ensuring a high-quality mobile user experience.

 

Kannettava tietokone, jonka ruudulla Sedu Educationin koulutusverkkokauppa

Development Process: Agile, Iterative, and Innovatively Integrated

The online store project was implemented using an agile development model. Weekly project meetings ensured transparency, quick responses to changing situations, and genuine dialogue between all parties. Iterative progress and close communication guaranteed that the solution evolved directly from the needs of both users and the business.

In the early stages of the project, a specification phase was carried out, producing a system map of the service, defining user journeys, and creating a technical implementation plan. From there, the work progressed through wireframing to user interface design. The actual application development advanced iteratively toward the final solution.

One of the main goals of the project was to develop an online store that minimises manual work. The project delivered seamless integrations with all key backend systems, including the training ERP, sales CRM, financial management, payment gateways, and authentication services. The result is a system that operates as an integral part of Sedu Education’s processes and genuinely supports the company’s growth objectives.

Key System Components of the Online Store:


  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales for CRM

  • Priimus – Training ERP

  • Pro Economica – Financial Management System

  • Svea & Paytrail – Payment Systems

  • Microsoft Entra ID – Authentication

  • Apsis One – Email Marketing Platform

  • Infoweb CMS – Content Management System


Collaboration with Tietotalo was smooth. Our contacts were easily accessible and responded quickly. The site required multiple system integrations, which were successfully implemented. The new training store meets our objectives, enables sales growth, and makes marketing easier. The solution is durable and flexible, allowing us to continue improving the customer experience and sales as needed. The project goals were achieved, and any additional requirements that arose along the way were handled effectively.

Joona Aro
CEO, Sedu Education Oy

The Road Ahead: Business Growth, International Expansion, and Intelligent Automation

Tietotalo and Sedu will continue working together to further develop the online store. Upcoming development steps include enabling international sales and taking automation to an even higher level.

One concrete next step is integration with the Moodle learning environment. The goal is to automatically create a user account for the learning platform when an online training purchase is made, ensuring that learning content is immediately available after the transaction.

Tietotalo Expertise Utilised in the Project

  • Service Design
  • Architecture Planning and Technical Implementation Specification
  • User Experience and User Interface Design (UX/UI)
  • System Integrations
  • Microsoft ASP.NET Application Development
  • Testing and Quality Assurance

Contact Us

Planning to Launch an Online Store for Training Services? We’ll gladly walk you through the options. Contact us today and let’s discuss your needs in detail!

Jarno Malaprade

Wim Pauwels