Introducing “Quickord”: developed as an internal project by the team at Flarmio, Quickord aimed at digitalizing the ordering process, with a particular focus on the catering industry. The idea was born during the pandemic of COVID-19, when the need for digital solutions became more clear. Initially the project set out to simplify and improve ordering, making it more efficient and user-friendly. However, as we examined the market more closely, it became obvious that the initial idea could be taken a step further. The goal shifted from merely improving the ordering process to developing a single platform addressed to several diverse businesses offering a comprehensive solution for managing all aspects of business operations, such as inventory & financial management, statistics, staff management etc. In addition, hardware would be supplied in the form of self-ordering kiosks, giving customers the power to order and pay by themselves.

The aim was to create a holistic digital solution that would:

• Streamline business operations, providing an intuitive interface for managing orders, tracking inventory, and optimizing staff workflow.
• Enhance customer experience and elevate customer satisfaction by introducing features that ensure a convenient and efficient ordering process..
• Ensure regulatory compliance -in accordance with Greek law-, adhering to new regulations that require businesses to interconnect with the designated platform of the Public Revenue Authorities.
• Facilitate financial statistics by offering real-time insights into revenue reporting, expenses, and overall financial health.
• Optimize staff management, covering aspects like scheduling, performance tracking, and communication.
• Eliminate waiting times by automating a number of processes for both staff and customers.

Developing such comprehensive software presented considerable challenges from both project management and technical perspective.

• The aim to cater the needs and operational processes of various businesses, including coffee shops, pet shops, beach establishments, and more into a single platform required detailed planning and coordination from a project management standpoint.
• The development of a product catalog/menu that could meet the specific requirements of such diverse businesses, while maintaining a cohesive and user-friendly interface was no easy task in terms of design.
• Due to market demands Quickord faced a tight timeframe. Ensuring timely delivery without compromising quality was imperative.
• Cross-platform compatibility: to maintain a consistent user experience and compatibility across different operating systems -Android, iOS, and web platforms- posed a technical challenge.
• Since the project was developed for the Greek market, adherence to government regulations was essential. The connection of the business and its technological infrastructure with the new service of the e-Books myDATA of AADE was an ongoing challenge.

We had to work quickly and effectively, in order to address both the technical and business aspects of the project.

• Agile software development: allowed for adaptive planning. A timely delivery was achieved through efficient task prioritization and continuous adjustment. By implementing agile principles of collaboration, flexibility and iterative development ({{Our_agile_development_approach}}), we succeeded in creating a full-scale project that met the needs of various businesses.
• User-centered design: implementing a design specified to user requirements created a highly usable product, balancing simplicity with functionality.
• Cross-platform native runtime: CapacitorJS dramatically sped up the development process by enabling us to target multiple platforms with a single codebase and ensured a consistent user experience.
• Collaboration with experts: to achieve legal compliance we approached a certified company and integrated their system seamlessly into our app.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Utilizing CI/CD pipelines ensured that new code changes were rapidly tested, integrated, and deployed, facilitating a smooth development process and reducing time-to-market.
• Cloud infrastructure: Leveraging cloud services such as AWS or Azure provided scalable and reliable infrastructure, optimizing performance and enabling seamless scalability as the project grows.
• Data-driven decision-making: Incorporating analytics and data-driven insights allowed us to make informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle, optimizing performance and user engagement.

Core features & System components:

• Order taking: A JavaScript-based application enables staff to place orders, update statuses, edit orders, and access detailed information about each table. Orders are stored in a MongoDB database for data integrity and accessibility.
• Order status tracking: Changes in order status are immediately updated for staff, customers, and the kitchen.
• Dynamic stock tracking: Integrates supplier invoices by scanning them for real-time updates on inventory. Quickord allows for total stock assignment and usage tracking, providing accurate and up-to-date data on stock levels.
• Digital catalog: Categorized products for a well-organized menu structure, interactive product display, detailed descriptions, and pricing information.
• Product customization: Customization options for certain products, including toppings or product size, covering various scenarios like single-choice, multiple-choice, and multiple-choice with amounts, along with additional information such as allergens, etc.
• QR Code ordering: Customers can place orders independently and pay online, improving overall efficiency.
• Financial reports: Automated revenue calculation based on total monetary income from placed orders and expense tracking through supplier invoices, providing an overview of the business's financial health. Detailed charts and graphs are incorporated.
• Statistics: Identifies popular tables or zones and rush hours, determining product popularity according to customer preferences.
• Staff management: Monitors staff activity, shifts, and statuses, tracks income of each staff member, and receives notifications for orders delivered on time.
• Self-ordering kiosk: Integrates digital catalog/menu for customer order placement and automated billing process.
• Interface with MyData E-books of AADE: Seamlessly integrated into Quickord, fulfilling businesses’ tax obligations by incorporating e-invoicing and transmission of invoices to the AADE platform.

We have crafted a platform that guarantees a comprehensive business management solution and a powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool that:

• streamlines the ordering process
• eliminates waiting times with automated operations
• increases sales by offering an enhanced customer experience and product quality
• improves operational efficiency, leaving time for staff to redirect focus to critical tasks
• optimizes inventory control, reducing costs related to overstocking or stockouts