building a parts catalog and ordering system

[jdawg]

I need a parts catalog and ordering system like AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, or NAPA have.

Is osCommerce robust enough to handle the scope of such a project?

Here some of my requirements:

1. Search by part name.
2. Search by part number.
3. Be able to have a list of parts such as a radiator, alternator,
brake pads, etc and be able to click on radiator, etc and then
go through a list that asks my year, make, and model of
vehicle, and then shows all radiators, etc that are available for
my specific vehicle.
4. Order parts online.
5. Track orders.
6. Edit, delete parts in the catalog


This seems to me to be quite a large project, and I don't know if osCommerce is designed for such a thing. Basically all

If not, does anybody know of some software that would encompass all of the above mentioned requirements. It doesn't have to be OpenSource, I could hire it out to be done.

Thanks for your help!

Jdawg

[stevel]

Out of the box, osCommerce can't do #3. However, there is at least one "configure a PC" contribution on the osc web site, and I'd think you could adapt this to your purposes. Everything else you ask for osc can do.

[jdawg]

Thanks Stevel!

How hard is it to change the looks of osCommerce, so that it blends more with an existing website? I assume it uses themes. Are they very adaptable?

Thanks!

Jdawg

[stevel]

No, osCommerce doesn't use themes. It's very difficult to change the look-and-feel. There are add-ons that provide themes, but you had better like the version of osCommerce you start with, as upgrading to a new version means hunting down all the changes you made and reapplying them.

This is the weakest area of osCommerce in my opinion.

On the other hand, it can accomodate many site designs, if for example you have a top panel or a side panel, you can integrate those into osc without too much effort. But changing the look of the actual store part itself is truly painful. This is why almost every osc store looks alike.

[jdawg]

Thanks for your help thus far, Stevel! Would you recommend a certain Payment Gateway, such as Authorize.net or PayPal, etc?

I was looking at the osCommerce website, and specifically was looking at the community made contributions sections. I would greatly appreciate it, if you could briefly explain in layman terms, which of these contributions, (if any that I would need) for a parts catalog and ordering system, like AutoZone.

I assume I would need to add Credit, Payment, Shipping Modules. Are those not built into osCommerce or are these just more robust add-ons. Do these add-ons such as Authorize.net or Paypal charge an upfront fee for their services, or do they take a percentage of each sell, or not at all?

Sorry for all the questions. I feel like this is stuff I should be able to glean from the osCommerce site, but I will admit, I get lost easily in the mumbo jumbo.

I am starting to think that the scope of this project is beyond me, so I may end up hiring it out.

Thanks for your help!

Jdawg

[stevel]

I have not used any of the payment processors, so can't comment. Also, I can't spell out exactly what you would need. I am simply pointing you in a direction I think will be helpful. I suggest spending some time browsing the osc community forums and look to see what other people have done and tried.

I will warn you that if you are "a layman", then you will likely have a difficult time with osCommerce, as it is not designed for easy customization.

osComerce includes payment and shipping modules, and a basic credit card module plus some (I forget exactly which) payment modules. You can add more.

[magnusbullet]

I recently found and open source shopping cart at
http://www.comersus.com
I have not installed the cart yet, hope to in a few days to check it out.