2. Order Validation

The function validated order details to ensure:

• Correct product IDs and availability.
• Payment confirmation.
• Accurate customer information.

Implementation:

• Integrated with an external payment gateway API to confirm payments.
• Queried the Azure SQL database to validate product availability.

3. Sending Notifications

Upon successful validation, the function triggered notifications:

• Order Confirmation Emails: Sent to customers using SendGrid API.
• Logistics Notifications: Notified shipping teams about the order.

Code Example (SendGrid Integration for Email):

public static async Task SendConfirmationEmail(string customerEmail, string orderId)

{

    var apiKey = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("SendGridApiKey");

    var client = new SendGridClient(apiKey);

    var message = new SendGridMessage

    {

        From = new EmailAddress("orders@retailclient.com", "Retail Client"),

        Subject = $"Order Confirmation - {orderId}",

        HtmlContent = "<strong>Your order has been confirmed!</strong>"

    };

    message.AddTo(customerEmail);

    await client.SendEmailAsync(message);

}

4. Inventory Updates

Azure Functions updated the inventory in real-time by:

• Subtracting purchased quantities from stock levels.
• Sending alerts for low-stock items via another function.

Code Example (Inventory Update):

public static async Task UpdateInventory(string productId, int quantitySold)

{

    string connectionString = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("SqlConnection");

    using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString))

    {

        await conn.OpenAsync();

        var command = new SqlCommand(

            "UPDATE Inventory SET Quantity = Quantity - @quantity WHERE ProductID = @productId", conn);

        command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@quantity", quantitySold);

        command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@productId", productId);

        await command.ExecuteNonQueryAsync();

    }

}

5. Scalability and Cost Efficiency

Scaling: Azure Functions automatically scaled to handle traffic spikes, such as during Black Friday sales. For example:

• During low traffic, only a few instances ran, minimizing costs.
• During peak traffic, the function scaled to process thousands of orders simultaneously.

Cost Efficiency: The pay-as-you-go model ensured the client only paid for execution time, avoiding unnecessary infrastructure costs.

Business Impact

1. Automated Order Processing

By leveraging Azure Functions, the client automated 95% of their order processing tasks, reducing manual effort and processing time.

2. Real-Time Notifications

Customers received instant order confirmations, improving customer satisfaction. Similarly, logistics teams were notified immediately, ensuring faster order fulfillment.

3. Improved Scalability

The system handled traffic spikes effortlessly during promotional events, maintaining performance and reliability.

4. Cost Savings

Compared to the previous setup with dedicated infrastructure, the serverless architecture reduced operational costs by 40%.

5. Enhanced Reporting

The data processed by Azure Functions was pushed to a Power BI dashboard, providing the client with real-time insights into sales, inventory, and customer behavior.