Customer flow is Customize on the PDP, design in the studio, upload through the app proxy, then cart preview with artwork before checkout. Ops pull production files from Shopify Admin line-item properties or the file browser. Upload API is hosted on orcel.net. Studio v1 is live on the dev store; multi-side mockups and 3D preview are scoped for Studio v2.

The full build unifies online and in-store: POS tied to one catalog, real-time inventory sync, barcode and label infrastructure, staff workflows and admin console, on-site deployment and inventory digitization, POS hardware setup, and fully managed operations. Also included: inventory cleanup and structuring, logistics and shipping automation, catalog optimization, social shop setup (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), AI chat and social order processing, AI phone and voice order intake, social marketing, digital ad management, and managed hosting on dedicated infrastructure. The client wanted full ownership of a custom build from catalog to checkout to POS, without renting business logic from a marketplace of apps like Shopify or WooCommerce, which can cap wholesale workflows, B2B pricing, and deep POS integration behind plans and plugins, or suffer from theme and plugin updates breaking checkout overnight. This stack is theirs: one codebase, one database, deployed on dedicated infrastructure, with Orcel controlling when upgrades ship so nothing changes in production without a deliberate release.

Each monitor runs on a configurable heartbeat (for example every 60 seconds) with retry logic so brief blips do not spam the team. Operators get per-service uptime bars, ping and response-time charts, and a searchable incident log. We handle deployment on dedicated infrastructure, TLS, notification routing, and onboarding so clients can add monitors without touching server config.

Built as a production prototype on orcel.net: async batch scans across a curated universe, rule-based pattern overlays on daily charts, and a weighted 0-100 score with plain-language explanations. Runs on dedicated infrastructure with PM2 behind nginx at /stock_scanner/.

What you see live today is V1: discovery hub, cigar detail pages, critic and community scores, moderation queue, admin catalog tools, and Sign in with Shopify for members. Judge.me data is bridged in for now (import scripts and cached storefront aggregates) while the club keeps selling on Shopify.

Planned upgrades turn this into the system of record, not a sidecar. Replace Judge.me entirely with native, purchase-verified reviews and a single moderation pipeline. Bidirectional Shopify sync: product handles, specs, images, and inventory kept aligned via Admin API and webhooks instead of one-off imports. Embed ratings back into the Shopify theme (app blocks and PDP widgets) so scores, review counts, and purchase links feel native on privadacigarclub.com.

Further on the roadmap: community cigar intake and trusted-editor workflows, member cellar and wishlist, loyalty and review rewards tied to verified orders, retiring the legacy Express ratings service in favor of one Postgres database, automated critic-publication ingestion, and deeper account features (private tasting notes, redemption into store credit or discount codes). Phase 2+ scope is documented with the client; nothing here is a fixed schedule.

Two live funnels ship as one conversion system: the welcome path (systematic trading + floating voice lead capture) and the Pro-PLR welcome path (framework walkthrough, payout journey, testimonials, demo booking). Gated sections keep advertising-compliant copy off the page until lead capture fires; forms and the agent handle qualification without overexposing claims upfront. Use the buttons to open each funnel directly.

Beyond product UX, Orcel automated end-to-end VM provisioning and configured dedicated server infrastructure so the marketing funnel, strategies application, and administrative/dashboard workloads share one coherent footprint: clean isolation between public marketing and authenticated surfaces, predictable capacity for Stripe-backed workflows, and operations that scale without rebuilding hosting piecemeal.

VM virtualization runs on Proxmox. When a client completes setup-fee checkout, a Stripe webhook kicks off provisioning: clone a Windows template, size CPU and RAM by plan tier, run Ansible to create the user account, install NinjaTrader and remote-access tooling, and return credentials to the portal. Clients see their VM status, IP, and access details in the dashboard; admins get fleet controls (start, stop, restart) plus live CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network charts from the hypervisor.

Client billing ties to broker integrations through NinjaTrader 8. A custom NT8 bridge detects connected brokerage accounts (live, demo, and prop firm) and pushes balance snapshots to the portal API. Clients bind accounts to licenses; the backend computes TWAB (trailing weighted average balance) over each billing cycle and maps balance tiers to subscription units. Stripe handles recurring invoices while the admin surface keeps billing sync, provisioning state, and account compliance in one place.