Our team was tasked with:
- Developing an API to handle photo uploads from the mobile app to the backend system.
- Creating a control panel for managers to track deliveries, returns, and staff responsible for equipment.
- Delivering the entire solution within a tight, one-month deadline.
API Development
- Objective: The mobile application should be able to capture and upload photos documenting the condition of rented equipment before and after each rental period.
- Functionality: the API allowed the mobile app to send high-resolution images of equipment to the backend, ensuring clear and detailed photo documentation; each uploaded photo was tagged with metadata, including rental ID, time and date, equipment type, and the employee responsible for the inspection; the API was integrated with a secure cloud-based storage solution to safely archive all captured photos; the API performed checks to ensure that only valid, authorized users could upload images, reducing the risk of data errors or unauthorized access.
Manager Control Panel
- Objective: Provide managers with a tool to monitor equipment rentals, track deliveries and returns, and manage staff accountability.
- Key Features: the control panel offered a real-time overview of ongoing rentals, returns, and equipment locations, ensuring that managers had up-to-date information at all times; managers could view the before-and-after condition photos for each rental to verify the equipment's state at the lease's start and end; the system logged which employees were responsible for inspecting and delivering equipment, providing a clear audit trail for accountability; managers were alerted when new photos were uploaded or when discrepancies in the equipment condition required attention.
- Technology Stack: The control panel was built as a web-based application using React.js for the front end and Node.js for the back end, providing a fast and responsive user experience.
Challenges and Solutions
- Time Constraint: The project was completed within a one-month deadline, requiring efficient planning and execution. A modular development approach allowed the API, mobile app, and control panel to be developed simultaneously.
- Data Security: As photos of valuable equipment were uploaded and stored, ensuring secure transmission and storage was critical. We implemented end-to-end encryption and cloud-based storage solutions with robust security protocols.
- Integration with Existing Systems: The new system was integrated into AA Herkules's backend systems to ensure seamless data flow and reporting.
Outcome
The project was completed successfully within the one-month timeframe. The mobile application and control panel significantly improved operational efficiency for AA Herkules by digitizing the equipment condition reporting process. Managers now had real-time visibility into equipment conditions and staff performance, while employees benefited from an intuitive mobile tool to capture and document equipment statuses.
The solution reduced the likelihood of disputes over equipment condition, improved accountability among staff, and streamlined the workflow for both deliveries and returns, contributing to a more efficient and transparent rental process.
