Overview

I remember having a call with my mom back in August. She seemed really tired so I asked her what was wrong. She said running her restaurant was extremely exhausting, waking up at 5 AM to buy fish, meat, and groceries and then having to supervise staff as well as attending to customers' needs was too much for one person. I wanted to make things easier for her and thought about other women in similar businesses who struggle. Many are from poor backgrounds and don't know how to use technology. That's when I came up with Sahil.

What is Sahil?

Imagine you are in a big market where there are many shops. These shops need many things to run their business. They need tables, chairs, lights, and lots of other stuff. But getting these things can be very hard. They have to go to many different places to find what they need, and sometimes they can't find the right things at all. We are like a big, friendly robot that helps these shops find the things they need. We connect them with people who have these things, and we make sure they get delivered right to their doorstep. But that's not all. We also help these shops get noticed by more people. We give them a special badge that they can put on their shop, and this badge can be seen by anyone who has a computer/ a smartphone and even those who don't!

Project Links:

Technical Overview

Next.js
Hasura
Apollo-Client
DaisyUI + tailwindcss
Google Maps APIs
MTN Momo API

Core Features:

User Registration & Preferences

Users can register on Sahil through agent assistance or via the app.

Agent assisted registration

Establish physical locations, such as local shops or community centers, where agents can assist users with registration.

App-based registration

Develop a user-friendly app that employs intuitive visuals and minimal text to accommodate users with varying literacy levels.

Matching Business & Suppliers

Requirements:

Algorithm to match suppliers based on product availability and user specifications.
Priority for suppliers who can fulfill the entire order.
Two-step matching process: priority for full order, second priority for partial quantities.

Distribution & Delivery

Users can choose between pick-up locations and physical addresses for order delivery.

Pick-Up Locations

A predefined list of community pick-up locations.
Confirmation and notifications for selected pick-up locations.
Coordination with pick-up location agents.

Physical Addresses

User input for specific delivery addresses.
Address verification and validation.
A delivery time window selection and communication.

Goals

Enable businesses to easily connect with reliable suppliers, reducing procurement challenges and enhancing supply chain efficiency.
Enable small businesses to create an online footprint, amplifying their visibility and reach among potential customers. Utilize location mapping to connect with mapping services, deriving valuable insights from location-specific data.
Create a comprehensive business directory accessible to stakeholders, including local governments, investors, entrepreneurs, and customers. This directory will offer valuable data about industry growth, demographics, locations, and more, providing insights into economic trends and business activities.
Generate employment opportunities for agents, delivery personnel, and customer success management, contributing to local job creation.

Pangea

Pangea Cloud

The Sahil platform consists of the following:

Admin Dashboard
Agent Dashboard
Client Dashboard
Maps GraphQL Server
Payments GraphQL Server

In order to get these working consistently, we utilize the following Pangea services:

Vault

In Sahil, the Vault service would be used to securely store sensitive information such as cryptographic keys and API tokens. This would ensure that such information is kept safe and can be easily managed. For example, the keys required for secure communication between different parts of the Sahil system could be stored in Vault.

File scan

Sahil will use the File Scan service when interacting with files from unknown sources, such as when a business uploads a file to the platform. This service will scan the file for malicious content and assess the potential risk, ensuring the safety of Sahil's system and its users.

Secure Audit Log

The Secure Audit Log service will be used in Sahil to record events or actions in a tamper-proof manner. This will ensure accountability and transparency within the system and can be used to detect security breaches, unauthorized access, or other malicious activities. This can be particularly useful in tracking the actions of users and in auditing the operations of the Sahil platform.

It not only helps Sahil adhere to legal and regulatory requirements but also enhances the overall security posture by providing a complete and accurate record of all system events.

Future Plans

The culmination of our campaign will result in a fully functional, user-centric app that not only simplifies procurement but also generates employment and economic growth. Post-campaign, our plans entail refining Sahil based on user feedback and requirements.

We envision extending its capabilities to include

User Reviews and Ratings: Allow users to leave reviews and ratings for businesses, helping others make informed decisions and promoting a sense of community.
Multi-Language Support: Implement language options to cater to users from diverse linguistic backgrounds, enhancing accessibility and user experience.
Referral Program: Introduce a referral program where users can refer others to the platform and earn rewards or discounts.
Discounts and Coupons: Integrate a system for businesses to offer discounts, coupons, or promotional codes, incentivizing purchases.
Offline Access: Develop offline capabilities that allow users to access certain features even with limited or no internet connectivity.
Advanced analytics, expanding the supplier network, and implementing a rating system for supplier performance.
Collaboration with local businesses, agents, and delivery personnel will be instrumental in ensuring Sahil continually evolves to meet evolving needs.

Thanks to Hashnode for hosting such an incredible Hackathon.

Eman