Enterprise WordPress Multisite Framework

The Challenge

Our partner agency faced a significant undertaking: modernizing their client’s complex, internal intranet. The key challenges impacting the agency’s delivery and the client’s operations were:

• Inconsistent UX: Disparate departmental sections lacked unified branding and navigation across the extensive WordPress multisite network.
• Technical Debt: Reliance on older coding practices hindered performance, stability, and the ability to implement modern features.
• Inefficient Workflows: Content management was cumbersome for the 10,000+ global users and internal content teams responsible for updates.
• Scalability & Maintenance: The existing structure was difficult to scale and maintain efficiently across numerous sites.

The objective was clear: Develop a unified, scalable, high-performance foundational WordPress theme framework to provide a consistent, reliable, and easily managed platform for the entire organization.

Our Role & Collaboration

Our partner agency engaged RUZO studio, with Ruben serving as the Lead Senior Developer and technical architect for this demanding, multi-year initiative. Our contribution involved:

• Technical Architecture & Lead Development: Designing and implementing the master theme framework and component library from the ground up.
• Seamless Agency Integration: Working closely and primarily with the partner agency’s project manager, acting as their core technical resource and problem-solver.
• Targeted Client Interaction: Engaging directly with client technical stakeholders when needed to ensure precise alignment on implementation details.
• Technical Oversight & Mentorship: Providing technical guidance and code review for other developers involved in specific parts of the framework, ensuring adherence to best practices and project standards.
• Proactive Technical Strategy: Offering critical technical insights throughout the project lifecycle to anticipate challenges and ensure a robust final product.

Solution & Process

We delivered a sophisticated, future-ready solution by focusing on quality and best practices. The core architecture involved crafting a modular and extensible custom WordPress theme using modern PHP, specifically engineered to operate effectively within the client’s complex WordPress multisite environment.

To empower content creators, we developed an extensive library of custom, reusable flexible content blocks with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). These blocks precisely matched the client’s comprehensive design system, resulting in an intuitive content management experience for non-technical users across diverse content types like articles, events, and multimedia.

Throughout development, we emphasized clean, maintainable code and implemented robust performance optimizations, including efficient database queries and caching strategies suitable for enterprise scale. The project execution followed a structured workflow adhering to defined milestones, ensuring predictable delivery for the agency, and later phases saw the integration of React-based components for specific dynamic user interface needs.

Technologies & Tools

• Backend: PHP, WordPress (Custom Theme Development, Multisite Configuration, Advanced Custom Fields - ACF), MySQL
• Frontend: JavaScript (ES6+), React (Specific Components), Webpack, HTML5, CSS3/SASS
• DevOps/Workflow: Git Version Control

Outcomes & Impact
(Value to Agency & Client Division)

The successful delivery of this foundational framework provided significant value:

• Reduced Overhead: Dramatically streamlined development time, deployment processes, and ongoing maintenance efforts for the agency and client across dozens of internal sites.
• Brand Consistency: Enforced unified branding and user experience across the global organization.
• Enhanced Performance: Delivered significant improvements in page load times and platform stability for thousands of employees.
• Empowered Editors: Simplified content management significantly through the intuitive custom ACF block system.
• Scalable Foundation: Established a robust, unified platform supporting the client’s digital transformation goals and ensuring long-term maintainability — a reliable outcome delivered through our partnership with the agency.