Smart Card Based Internal Payment Network
Problem Statement
The client for our project was a renowned government institution that provided training and research in Bangladesh. They own a spacious, multi-acre training center with multiple facilities and resources, including transport service, grocery shop, canteen, and coffee shop. However, most of these facilities and goods were sourced from third-party vendors. During COVID, the organization presented us with a brief; the key problem was that they could not keep track of their transactions with their vendors, i.e., there was no clear record of how much goods were taken and how much they should pay. Thus, they needed something that could help them track down the total number of goods taken from the vendors so that they could pay a fair amount.
Solution
We started crafting a plan to solve the problem with maximum efficiency. We received a timeline of 6 months by which we were supposed to be done creating a system through which their problems would be solved. The plan was to introduce a prepaid payment card-based system that would enable them to understand the daily transaction, which would later help them track down the amount of goods being taken from the vendors. We presented our solution, it was approved, NDA was signed and we freezed the SRS with the following Key features.
Features
User Enrollment
Lifecycle of Smart Cards
- Issued
- Personalized
- Printed
- Dispatched
- Delivered
- Reissue
- Mark Missing, Mark Inactive
Temporary Enrollments
- there are new trainees in each batch
- We want to minimize the number of smart card
Recharge Point
- Take Cash
- Recharge Card
Payment Points
- Punch Card
- Take Receipt
- Take goods
Detailed Purchase History
Transaction Handling & Syncing
- No Duplicate or Double Transaction
- Any payment point can be disconnected from the network, hence the offline Syncing
Recharge Transaction
Deposit Recharge to Bank
Payment Transaction
Vendor Settlement Transaction
Email notification.
Vendor Management
- Manage Vendor
- Manage Vendor Services & items
- Manage Vendor catalogs & Prices
- Activate & Deactivate payment points
- Operated From Central Server
Tech stacks
March 1, 2020
March 20, 2020
April 12, 2020
May 1, 2020
June 4, 2020
June 20, 2020
July 2, 2020
August 1, 2020
August 16, 2020
August 22, 2020
Project Timeline
March 1, 2020
Our team visited the client to collect data about their whole ecosystem and get an understanding of all their day-to-day transactions and activities.
March 20, 2020
We successfully designed and launched the Enrollment Module. We initiated a workshop to train individuals as enrollment operators. We also produced and delivered 2000 smart cards.
April 12, 2020
We received hardware and devices from China and began our integration of the hardware into the project.
May 1, 2020
We launched the Recharge Module and collaborated with an interior design company to renovate a room of the office into a Recharge Booth. Once the renovation was completed, we also started training for recharge operators.
June 4, 2020
Our Payment Module was finally released. We installed small wall-mounted payment kiosks with only single services (including Bus, Observatory Deck, Swimming Pool, etc.). These services were to be purchased by cards, and the first official payments took place then.
June 20, 2020
Due to COVID-19, the shipment of large kiosks coming from China had been stalled. We were yet to install machines at about 20 payment points. Thinking on our feet, we decided to kickstart at least 5 points with some custom-made kiosks. We started the manufacturing process by consulting an industrial designer. Soon, we started manufacturing with locally available hardware devices, having to utilize the very few operational workshops.
July 2, 2020
We installed kiosks on 5 more points (Clinic, Fruit Shop, General Store, Canteen & Coffee Shop). We were worried about how well they would operate, but things turned out for the better.
August 1, 2020
Shipments from China resumed, and our last batch of hardware finally reached us.
August 16, 2020
With the shipments arriving, we were finished installing kiosks on all the payment points.
August 22, 2020
We officially declared the software handover and transitioned into maintenance mode. We detected and corrected bugs and usability issues and also improved the UX for the next 6 months.
Success Story
The project was completed and went live in just six months, and the results look promising. We really made a difference with this inter-office transaction system using NFC cards and installed NFC readers at multiple points of sale. Now, transactions are faster and more efficient than ever. We've improved accountability, transparency, and trackability, which is super helpful for everyone involved. And it's incredibly convenient for users to handle their transactions within the company and with our trusted vendors. Furthermore, the payment system is limited to use within our compound, like a pseudo-payment system. But it works perfectly for our needs, providing a secure and hassle-free payment method. This project is truly one of our greatest accomplishments so far. We've successfully tackled a common problem in our everyday work environment. It gives us hope that with determination and the knowledge we've gained from experience, we can strive for even greater achievements in the future.
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