Digital transformation of a technology SME: architecture and agility for online sales in Ecuador

Abstract

The study described how the boom in e-commerce, accelerated by COVID-19, transformed consumer habits and required companies to migrate to digital channels. It identified that the absence of a virtual store limited the reach and competitiveness of a local technology firm, Cyber Link (Cantón La Maná), compared to rivals already positioned online. It contextualised the case in Ecuador, where the adoption of e-commerce was presented as a necessity to expand markets and sales, but revealed a gap in the technology sector. It contrasted traditional commerce—valuable for its sensory experience and personal interaction—with e-commerce—advantageous for its global accessibility, convenience, personalisation, and analytics. He outlined the components of e-commerce (platforms, payments, logistics, security and customer service) and characterised the roles of consumer and supplier. He evaluated client-side development frameworks (React, Angular, Vue) and concluded, based on criteria such as learning curve, scalability, experience and configuration, that React offered the best balance. On the server side, he presented Express/Node.js and Laravel as solid alternatives. He analysed relational databases (MySQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB), and recorded development and deployment tools (XAMPP, phpMyAdmin, Postman, Expo Go, Android emulator, cPanel, AWS Lightsail, and RDS). He compared agile methodologies, determined that Scrum provided clear cadence, roles, and metrics compared to Kanban's continuous flow, and recommended its adoption. He concluded that a virtual store for Cyber Link was technically feasible and strategically necessary to expand reach, optimise processes, and offer a modern experience, driving the digital transformation of the local technology sector.