CELLS · Non-Profit Cultural & Ecological Education · Bali, Indonesia
From a System Fighting the Mission to One That Finally Works For It.
Exclolab modernized CELLS' legacy platform — upgrading from Laravel 6 to Laravel 13, unifying three fragmented databases into one, and cutting query times by 95% — giving a Bali-based non-profit educational organization a system they can trust, use, and keep building on.
faster — query load time, from 10–15 seconds down to under 500ms (client confirmed)
Location
🇮🇩 Indonesia
Type of Work
Operations Platform
Faster query load — 10–15 sec → under 500ms
95%
Faster data entry workflow
300%
Delivery
6 months, 3 completed iterations — one platform the organization now trusts, with a 4th iteration already underway
CELLS — Platform Screenshot
Coming soon
The Situation Before
What the Client Came In With
"Our system is too slow and broken. We need it rebuilt — same features, just working properly."
CELLS is a Bali-based non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and ecological education — managing large datasets of animals, minerals, educational reports, and research. Built on Laravel 6 with shared hosting and three completely separate databases, the system had become a daily source of frustration. 10–15 second query times. Triple data entry (same information entered across 3 databases). A system so painful to use that it was undermining the educational mission it was meant to serve.
The Turning Point
What Exclolab Found
CELLS is a Bali-based non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and ecological education — managing large datasets of animals, minerals, educational reports, and research. Built on Laravel 6 with shared hosting and three completely separate databases, the system had become a daily source of frustration. 10–15 second query times. Triple data entry (same information entered across 3 databases). A system so painful to use that it was undermining the educational mission it was meant to serve.
The Approach
How Exclolab Worked
Discovery prioritized query optimization in iteration 1 for immediate, felt improvement — before the database unification and UI overhaul of iteration 2. We upgraded Laravel 6 → 10 → 13, unified the 3 fragmented databases into a single normalized schema, rebuilt the frontend with Livewire + Filament (role-appropriate interfaces for data inputters, evaluators, and educators), and migrated from shared hosting to a DigitalOcean VPS via Laravel Forge.
The Solution
What Was Built
Discovery prioritized query optimization in iteration 1 for immediate, felt improvement — before the database unification and UI overhaul of iteration 2. We upgraded Laravel 6 → 10 → 13, unified the 3 fragmented databases into a single normalized schema, rebuilt the frontend with Livewire + Filament (role-appropriate interfaces for data inputters, evaluators, and educators), and migrated from shared hosting to a DigitalOcean VPS via Laravel Forge.
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Backend | Laravel 13 (upgraded from 6 → 10 → 13) |
| Frontend / Reactivity | Laravel Livewire |
| Admin Panel | Filament UI |
| Database | MySQL (single unified schema) |
| Server Management | Laravel Forge |
| Hosting | DigitalOcean VPS |
| Infrastructure | Docker |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions |
The Results
What Changed
Faster query load — 10–15 sec → under 500ms
Faster data entry workflow
Cut in task completion time
CELLS now has a single database, a modern Laravel 13 platform, and role-appropriate interfaces that make daily data entry faster by 300%. Query times went from 10–15 seconds to under 500ms. Task completion time dropped 70%. A 4th iteration focused on automation, AI-driven reporting, and mobile optimization is currently in preparation.
Client Voice
In Their Own Words
We've been working with this inefficient system for years, and we know it's bad — but we had no idea how much smoother things could be until this revamp.
— CELLS Client, Pre-Engagement FeedbackWe finally feel like we have a modern, efficient system that works for us, not against us. Entering and retrieving data is now a seamless experience instead of a daily headache.
— CELLS Client, Post-Launch FeedbackFor the first time, we trust our data and don't have to fight with the system. Our team can focus on learning and education, not fixing avoidable mistakes.
— CELLS Client, Business Growth FeedbackTechnical Deep Dive
The Stack That Powered This
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Backend | Laravel 13 (upgraded from 6 → 10 → 13) |
| Frontend / Reactivity | Laravel Livewire |
| Admin Panel | Filament UI |
| Database | MySQL (single unified schema) |
| Server Management | Laravel Forge |
| Hosting | DigitalOcean VPS |
| Infrastructure | Docker |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions |
Engagement Timeline
How This Was Delivered
Iteration 1
Discovery, system audit, database & UI/UX assessment, query optimization prioritized for immediate impact
Iteration 2
Full-stack refactor: backend upgrade (Laravel 6→13), database unification, Livewire + Filament rebuild, infrastructure migration to DigitalOcean
Iteration 3
Documentation, team training, roles & permissions overhaul, post-launch review cycle
Iteration 4
Automation, AI-driven reporting, mobile optimization, external platform integration (in preparation)
Planned6 months, 3 completed iterations — one platform the organization now trusts, with a 4th iteration already underway.
Work with Exclolab
Your System Might Have the Same Root Cause
CELLS wasn't failing because of a lack of effort — the system underneath the team simply hadn't been built to support the work they were already doing. If parts of that sound familiar, the first conversation with Exclolab isn't a sales call. It's the same discovery process CELLS went through: mapping what's actually broken before recommending anything to fix it.