Hyperlocal Delivery & Logistics Platform

The platform shall connect local vendors, customers, and delivery riders in a three-sided marketplace. The platform shall include a customer-facing mobile application. The platform shall include a vendor-facing web dashboard. The platform shall include a rider-facing mobile application. The platform shall include an administrative backend for platform management. The platform shall provide core functionalities including user onboarding, product discovery, order placement, payment processing, live delivery tracking, and a ratings/review system. The platform shall provide backend logistics including rider allocation, route optimization, and commission management. The platform shall explicitly exclude physical warehouse management or inventory ownership. The platform shall explicitly exclude international shipping and logistics. The platform shall explicitly exclude in-depth vendor-side Point of Sale (POS) or ERP integration. The platform shall provide its own inventory management tools for vendors. The platform shall explicitly exclude the manufacturing or production of goods.

The platform shall be a self-contained, cloud-native system. The system shall be designed using a microservices architecture. The system shall be hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The system shall interface with external systems, including payment gateways, mapping services, and notification services. The system shall provide a distinct mobile interface for Customers. The system shall provide a distinct web interface for Vendors. The system shall provide a distinct mobile interface for Riders. The system shall provide a distinct web interface for Administrators.

The system shall enforce permissions based on a defined User Permissions Matrix. A Customer user role shall be able to create, read, and update their own profile and addresses. A Customer user role shall be able to read vendor and product data. A Customer user role shall be able to create and read their own orders. A Customer user role shall be able to create ratings and reviews. A Vendor user role shall be able to create, read, and update their own store profile, products, and inventory. A Vendor user role shall be able to read and update orders assigned to them. A Vendor user role shall be able to read ratings and reviews for their store. A Rider user role shall be able to create, read, and update their own profile. A Rider user role shall be able to read assigned delivery tasks. A Rider user role shall be able to update the status of assigned deliveries. A Rider user role shall be able to read ratings and reviews for their performance. An Administrator user role shall have full Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD) access on all system data.

The system shall be deployed on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The system shall be initially deployed in the `ap-south-1` (Mumbai) region. The system deployment shall be configured across multiple Availability Zones for high availability. The project shall maintain separate Development, Staging, and Production environments. Client devices (mobile phones, computers) shall have a stable internet connection to use the platform. All server-side software dependencies shall be managed via Docker containers. Server-side containers shall be orchestrated by Kubernetes, specifically AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS).

The system shall adhere to the technology stack mandated in Section 6.2 of the SRS. The platform shall comply with local regulations, including requirements for vendor licensing (e.g., FSSAI, drug licenses). The platform shall comply with all applicable data privacy laws. The platform shall support Cash on Delivery (COD) as a payment method.

The platform's functionality shall be critically dependent on the availability and correctness of APIs from third-party payment gateways. The platform's functionality shall be critically dependent on the availability and correctness of APIs from third-party mapping services. The platform's functionality shall be critically dependent on the availability and correctness of APIs from third-party SMS and push notification providers.

The system shall allow a new Customer to register using a mobile number. The system shall verify the Customer's mobile number via a One-Time Password (OTP). The system shall allow a new Vendor to initiate registration by providing business name, address, contact info, and uploading required license documents. A new Vendor account's status shall be set to `pending_verification` until an administrator approves it. The system shall allow a new Rider to initiate registration by providing personal details, driver's license, vehicle registration, and bank details. A new Rider account's status shall be set to `pending_verification` until an administrator approves it. The system shall display a clear error message if a user attempts to register with an already existing mobile number or email. The API response for a registration submission shall be less than 500ms. Enhancement Justification: Fills GAP-001 by defining critical onboarding, vetting, and verification processes essential for platform trust and safety.

The system shall allow a registered user to log in with their mobile number and an OTP. The system shall send an OTP to the user's registered mobile number upon a login request. The system shall issue a JSON Web Token (JWT) access token and a refresh token upon successful OTP validation. The system shall display an error message for an invalid OTP entry. The system shall temporarily lock an account after multiple failed OTP attempts. The login process, from OTP request to token issuance, shall complete within 3 seconds.

The system shall allow a logged-in Customer to manage their name, email, and multiple delivery addresses. The system shall allow a logged-in Vendor to manage their store profile, including name, address, contact details, and business hours. The system shall allow a logged-in Rider to manage their personal contact information, vehicle details, and bank account for payouts.

The customer application shall display a list of vendors based on the customer's current GPS location. The customer application shall provide a search bar to allow searching for specific stores or items. The system shall allow customers to filter search results by category, cuisine, rating, and price range. Search results shall be returned in under 500ms.

Each product listing shall display a stock status of 'Available,' 'Limited Stock,' or 'Out of Stock'. The system shall prevent customers from adding 'Out of Stock' items to their cart. Enhancement Justification: As per CONT-001, 'real-time' is replaced with a more manageable status indicator to manage customer expectations and reduce operational overhead for vendors.

The system shall allow customers to add items to the cart, remove items from the cart, and update item quantities. The cart shall display a subtotal, applicable taxes, delivery fees, and a final total amount. The system shall provide a text field for customers to add special instructions for the vendor. The system shall provide a separate text field for customers to add special instructions for the rider.

The platform shall support Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a payment method. The platform shall support Credit/Debit Cards as a payment method. The platform shall support Cash on Delivery (COD) as a payment method. The system shall allow an administrator to set a maximum order value limit for COD orders. A successful online payment shall move the associated order to the `pending` state for vendor acceptance. Enhancement Justification: The addition of a COD limit (CONT-002) is a necessary risk mitigation feature for the platform and riders.

The customer's order screen shall display a map after an order is picked up by a rider. The map shall show the rider's current position, which shall update every 5-10 seconds. The map shall display the pickup location (vendor) and the delivery location (customer). The latency for location updates from the rider's device to the customer's application shall be under 2 seconds.

The system shall prompt the customer to leave a rating after an order is marked as `delivered`. The rating system shall allow separate ratings (e.g., 1-5 stars) for the vendor/products and the rider. The rating system shall allow customers to provide optional text reviews for both the vendor and the rider. The system shall calculate and display average ratings on vendor profiles. The system shall calculate average ratings for riders, which shall be visible to administrators. Enhancement Justification: Fills GAP-003 by adding a crucial feedback system to build trust, measure quality, and inform platform administration.

The vendor dashboard shall display new incoming orders with details including items, customer info, and special instructions. The vendor dashboard shall provide clear 'Accept' and 'Reject' actions for each new order. Vendors shall accept or reject an order within a configurable time limit, with a default of 5 minutes. If no action is taken by the vendor within the time limit, the system shall automatically reject the order. The system shall notify the customer when an order is automatically rejected. Enhancement Justification: This addition (CONT-003) enforces a service level agreement on vendors, which is critical to meeting the platform's fast delivery promise.

The system shall provide an interface for vendors to add, edit, and delete products and categories. For each product, the system shall allow vendors to set the name, description, price, and an image. The system shall allow vendors to update the stock status of an item to 'Available' or 'Out of Stock'. Enhancement Justification: This change (CONT-001) provides a simpler, more practical mechanism for inventory management than a strictly 'real-time' system.

The system shall allow vendors to define their daily business hours. The system shall prevent customers from placing orders outside a vendor's defined business hours. The vendor dashboard shall provide a master switch to immediately take the store offline or bring it back online. Enhancement Justification: Fills GAP-005, giving vendors crucial control over their operations to prevent orders from being placed when they cannot be fulfilled.

The rider application shall have a toggle to set the rider's status to 'Online' or 'Offline'. The system shall only assign new delivery tasks to riders with an 'Online' status. When a new task is offered, the rider application shall display the vendor's name/address, the customer's address, the estimated distance, and the earnings for the delivery. The rider shall have the option to 'Accept' or 'Reject' the task within a set time limit. Enhancement Justification: The availability status (GAP-005) is a core requirement for the logistics and allocation engine.

The rider application shall provide integrated map navigation to both the pickup and drop-off locations. The rider application shall allow the rider to update the order status with single-tap actions for: `Arrived at Store`, `Picked Up`, `Arrived at Destination`, and `Delivered`. Each rider-initiated status update shall trigger a real-time notification to the customer.

For prepaid orders, the system shall allow the rider to complete the delivery by taking a photo of the delivered item at the doorstep as Proof of Delivery (POD). The system shall be configurable to require the rider to enter a 4-digit OTP displayed on the customer's application as POD. The captured POD, whether a photo or OTP confirmation, shall be stored against the order record.

For COD orders, the rider application shall clearly display the exact amount of cash to be collected from the customer. The rider application shall maintain a running total of 'cash-in-hand' from completed COD orders. The rider application shall provide instructions for the cash remittance process. The rider application shall provide a dedicated 'Earnings' section showing a breakdown of earnings per delivery, tips, and total earnings over daily and weekly periods. Enhancement Justification: These features (CONT-002) are critical for financial transparency, rider trust, and operational integrity of the COD process.

The system shall allow customers to cancel an order within a configurable time window after placement for a full refund. The system shall be configurable to incur a fee for cancellations made after a rider has been assigned. The system shall allow vendors to cancel an order after acceptance in exceptional cases. Vendor-initiated cancellations shall be tracked as a negative performance metric for the vendor. The system shall have logic to process full or partial refunds back to the original payment source for cancelled or returned orders. Enhancement Justification: Fills GAP-002 by formalizing the handling of exceptions in the order process, which is critical for operational stability and customer satisfaction.

The system shall initiate the rider allocation process when a vendor marks an order as `Ready for Pickup`. The allocation algorithm shall consider factors including rider proximity to the vendor, current load, and performance rating. The system shall suggest an optimized route for the delivery. If the first assigned rider rejects the task or their acceptance timer expires, the system shall automatically re-assign the task to the next best rider.

Administrators shall have a dashboard to view, search, and manage all users (customers, vendors, riders). Administrator actions shall include approving new registrations, suspending accounts, and deactivating accounts. Administrators shall be able to define operational zones using geofencing tools (e.g., drawing polygons on a map). The system shall prevent orders from being placed for delivery outside these defined operational zones.

The system shall provide an in-app chat feature between the customer and the assigned rider for an active order. The system shall provide an in-app chat feature between the customer and the vendor for an active order. The system shall provide a dedicated helpdesk/support module for all users to raise support tickets. Administrators shall have an interface to view, manage, and respond to all support tickets. Enhancement Justification: Fills GAP-004 by adding vital communication and support channels for smooth operations and issue resolution.

The User Interface (UI) for all applications shall be clean, intuitive, and responsive. The UI shall follow modern design principles and provide a consistent user experience across the platform. The Vendor and Admin web dashboards shall be responsive and functional on all modern web browsers and screen sizes, from desktop monitors to tablets. All user-facing interfaces shall strive for compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. A consistent branding and theme (colors, fonts, logos) shall be applied across all applications.

The customer and rider mobile applications shall require access to the device's GPS for location-based services. The rider application shall require access to the device's camera to capture Proof of Delivery photos. The vendor application shall require camera access to allow vendors to upload product images.

The platform shall integrate with a third-party payment gateway via server-side SDKs to process UPI and card payments securely. The platform shall use external mapping APIs for displaying maps, geocoding addresses, calculating distances, and generating optimized routes. The platform shall integrate with Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for sending push notifications to Android and iOS devices. The platform shall integrate with a transactional SMS service (e.g., Twilio) for sending OTPs and critical alerts.

All communication between clients and the backend shall occur over HTTPS/TLS 1.2 or higher. Real-time communication for tracking and chat shall use the Secure WebSocket (WSS) protocol. The standard data format for all API requests and responses shall be JSON.

The 95th percentile (P95) latency for all critical APIs shall be under 200ms. Core web pages on the Admin and Vendor dashboards shall achieve a Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of under 2.5 seconds. The time from an order being marked `Ready for Pickup` to a rider being assigned shall be under 30 seconds. The latency for broadcasting rider location updates to the customer application shall be under 2 seconds.

The primary PostgreSQL database (AWS RDS) shall have automated daily snapshots with point-in-time recovery enabled. Database backups shall be retained for a minimum of 30 days. The production environment shall be deployed in a Multi-AZ configuration on AWS. The system shall automatically failover to a standby replica in another Availability Zone in case of an AZ failure. Microservices shall implement circuit breaker patterns to handle temporary unavailability of external services gracefully.

User authentication shall be managed by AWS Cognito, handling sign-up/sign-in flows and OTP verification. The system shall use short-lived JWT access tokens and long-lived refresh tokens for session management. The system shall implement a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) model. Permissions shall be enforced at the API Gateway level and within each microservice. All data in transit shall be encrypted using HTTPS/TLS 1.2 or higher. All data at rest stored in AWS RDS, ElastiCache, and S3 shall be encrypted using AWS Key Management Service (KMS). The platform shall adhere to OWASP Top 10 security practices. The platform shall be PCI-DSS compliant by ensuring sensitive card data is never stored on platform servers.

The platform services shall maintain an uptime of 99.9%. Planned maintenance windows shall be scheduled during off-peak hours (e.g., 2 AM - 4 AM local time). Users shall be notified in advance of planned maintenance windows. In the event of a partial system failure, core functionality (e.g., order placement) shall remain operational through graceful degradation.

The system shall be designed to support an initial load of 10,000 concurrent users. All microservices shall be containerized and deployed on Kubernetes with Horizontal Pod Autoscalers (HPA) configured to scale based on CPU/memory load. The EKS cluster shall use the Cluster Autoscaler to add or remove nodes as needed. The primary database shall use read replicas to scale read-heavy workloads.

All backend services shall maintain a minimum of 80% unit and integration test coverage. All APIs shall be documented using the OpenAPI specification. The microservices architecture shall enforce a clean separation of concerns, allowing for independent development, testing, and deployment of services.

The system shall be designed using a Microservices Architecture pattern. Services shall communicate asynchronously via a message bus (AWS SQS/SNS). Services shall expose APIs through a central API Gateway.

Mobile applications shall be developed using React Native v0.7+. Web dashboards shall be developed using React.js v18+ with Vite. Client-side state management shall use Redux Toolkit and React Query. The backend framework shall be Node.js v18+ with the NestJS Framework. API design shall utilize REST and WebSockets (via Socket.IO). The primary database shall be Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL v15+ with the PostGIS extension. Caching shall be implemented using Amazon ElastiCache for Redis. Search functionality shall be powered by Amazon OpenSearch Service. File storage shall use Amazon S3. The cloud provider shall be Amazon Web Services (AWS). Container orchestration shall be managed by Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service). The API Gateway shall be Amazon API Gateway. The CI/CD pipeline shall be implemented using GitHub Actions. Asynchronous messaging shall use Amazon SQS & SNS. Infrastructure as Code shall be managed with Terraform.

The admin dashboard shall provide detailed reports on sales, delivery performance, vendor performance, and rider performance. The vendor dashboard shall provide reports on their own sales, top-selling items, and order history. The rider application shall provide a history of completed deliveries and detailed earnings statements.

The system shall use Prometheus to scrape and store time-series metrics from all microservices and infrastructure components. All application and system logs shall be centralized in AWS CloudWatch Logs. All logs shall be in a structured JSON format to facilitate querying. The system shall implement OpenTelemetry across all services to enable distributed tracing of requests. The system shall use Grafana to create dashboards for visualizing key system health and business metrics. The system shall use Prometheus Alertmanager to send real-time alerts to designated channels for critical issues.

A Hyperlocal Delivery & Logistics Platform is to be built, designed to connect local shops, restaurants, pharmacies, and service providers with customers in their immediate area, leveraging a network of on-demand delivery riders. The primary objective is to establish a <<$Change>> fast delivery service, with typical delivery times ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours <<$Change>> that empowers small businesses to reach customers more rapidly and provides delivery riders with a consistent source of income. The platform must be accessible across both web and mobile interfaces, be GPS-driven for location-based services, and accommodate a diverse range of delivery types including groceries, food orders, medicines, parcels, and documents. Enhancement Justification: The original target of "15-minute delivery" for a broad hyperlocal platform encompassing various product types (groceries, food, medicines, parcels, documents) and varying logistical conditions was deemed unrealistic and unsustainable. This change adjusts the lower bound of the delivery window to a more achievable "30 minutes" while still emphasizing speed. This revised expectation accounts for vendor preparation time, rider allocation, travel distance, and potential traffic, ensuring a more reliable and consistent service offering without compromising the core value proposition of rapid local delivery. **Customer-Facing Features:** Customers will have the ability to browse nearby stores, view real-time stock availability for products, place orders seamlessly, and track their deliveries live on an interactive map. Payment options will be comprehensive, supporting UPI, credit/debit cards, and cash on delivery (COD). **Vendor-Facing Features:** Local vendors will be provided with a dedicated dashboard. This dashboard will enable them to efficiently manage their inventory, accept or reject incoming orders, and update product prices in real-time. **Rider-Facing Features:** Delivery riders will utilize a dedicated mobile application. This app will display crucial information such as pickup locations, drop-off locations, estimated delivery distance, expected earnings per delivery, and integrated navigation assistance. Riders will also be able to update the status of deliveries (e.g., picked up, on the way, delivered) and upload proof of delivery, such as a photo or signature. **Backend & Administrative Features:** The backend infrastructure will incorporate robust order management systems, advanced route optimization algorithms to enhance delivery efficiency, sophisticated rider allocation algorithms for optimal assignment, and comprehensive commission tracking. Administrators will have access to a powerful dashboard to manage users (customers, vendors, riders), define and manage service areas, and generate detailed reports on sales, delivery times, and overall platform performance. **Optional/Advanced Features:** The platform is designed to be extensible with optional features including: * Scheduled deliveries, allowing customers to pre-book delivery slots. * Handling of bulk orders for larger businesses or specific customer needs. * Customer loyalty programs to encourage repeat business. * AI-based demand prediction capabilities to strategically position riders and optimize resource allocation based on anticipated order volumes. **Technology Stack & Infrastructure:** The proposed technology stack includes: * **Mobile Applications:** React Native for cross-platform development, ensuring a consistent experience for both customer and rider apps. * **Vendor/Admin Dashboard:** React.js for a responsive and dynamic web interface. * **Backend:** Node.js or Django, offering flexibility and scalability for API development and business logic. * **Database:** PostgreSQL or MongoDB, providing options for relational or NoSQL data storage based on specific data modeling needs. * **Hosting:** Scalable cloud infrastructure such as AWS, ensuring high availability, performance, and elasticity. * **Security:** Implementation of proper data encryption, OTP-based order verification for enhanced security, and secure payment processing gateways to protect financial transactions. **Strategic Impact:** This platform is envisioned to empower local Indian markets, enabling them to effectively compete with larger e-commerce brands. It aims to significantly improve delivery efficiency, strengthen community-based commerce by fostering local business growth, and create flexible and reliable earning opportunities for delivery partners.

The Hyperlocal Delivery & Logistics Platform aims to connect local businesses (shops, restaurants, pharmacies, service providers) with customers in their immediate vicinity using on-demand riders. The core objective is to provide fast delivery, typically within 30 minutes to 2 hours, supporting various product types like groceries, food, medicines, parcels, and documents. **Key Features:** * **Customer App/Web:** Customers can browse nearby stores, view real-time stock, place orders, and track deliveries live. Payments are supported via UPI, cards, and cash on delivery. * **Vendor Dashboard:** Vendors can manage inventory, accept/reject orders, and update prices. * **Rider Mobile App:** Riders receive pickup/drop-off details, distance, earnings, navigation, and can update delivery status and upload proof of delivery. * **Backend & Admin Panel:** Includes order management, route optimization, rider allocation, commission tracking. Admins manage users, vendors, riders, service areas, and generate reports on sales, delivery times, and performance. * **Optional Features:** Scheduled deliveries, bulk order handling, loyalty programs, and AI-based demand prediction for efficient rider positioning. **Technology Stack:** * **Mobile Apps:** React Native * **Web Dashboards (Vendor/Admin):** React.js * **Backend:** Node.js or Django * **Database:** PostgreSQL/MongoDB * **Hosting:** Scalable cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS) * **Security:** Data encryption, OTP verification, and secure payment processing. The platform's strategic goal is to empower local Indian markets, improve delivery efficiency, strengthen community-based commerce, and create flexible earning opportunities for delivery partners.