Lost and found inventory management system

A smart Lost and Found Inventory System that helps students securely report, and claim lost or found items with ease.

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Inspiration

A few months ago, I lost my student ID. Thankfully, someone found it and dropped it off at the university library. The library later posted it on their Instagram page, but since I’m not very active on social media, it took me a while to find out. By the time I retrieved my ID, I never got the chance to personally thank the kind person who found it. This made me realize that many students face similar issues with lost items and not everyone checks every social platform or bulletin board. That’s when the idea struck me: why not create a centralized, accessible system where people can report and track lost and found items in real time? And that’s how this project was born.

What it does

  1. Users to register, log in, and report lost or found items.
  2. Anyone to browse or search the inventory.
  3. Admins to verify, delete, and manage items and claims.

How we built it

  1. Frontend: Built using React, designed with a clean and responsive UI.
  2. Backend: Developed with Node.js and Express for API routing.
  3. Database: PostgreSQL used to store all item, user, and claim data.
  4. Authentication: Implemented JWT-based login system.
  5. File Uploads: Used Multer middleware to handle document uploads.

Challenges we ran into

  1. Ensuring that registered students data is safely stored and only accessible by the right users.
  2. Making the UI intuitive for both tech-savvy and non-technical users.
  3. Structuring the database for scalability and admin operations.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  1. Solving a real problem faced by students like myself.
  2. User-friendly interface that simplifies the whole process.
  3. End-to-end working system with all major CRUD functionality.
  4. Secure login and token-based access.

What we learned

  1. How to design and implement RESTful APIs for a real-world use case.
  2. User session handling with JWT.
  3. Managing file uploads securely and linking them to dynamic workflows.
  4. Building relational schema in PostgreSQL for real-time applications.
  5. Importance of user experience in designing workflows like claims and verifications.

What's next for Lost and found inventory management system

  1. 📱 Building a mobile app for faster access.
  2. 📌 Push/email notifications when a match is found or a claim is verified.
  3. 🔐 Two-step verification for claims to increase trust.
  4. 📊 Analytics dashboard for admins to see trends in lost/found items.
  5. 🌐 Integrating with university systems for auto-verification of student IDs.
  6. 🤗 Adding a "thank the finder" feature for anonymous gratitude.

References: MDN Web Docs, React Documentation, Chatgpt for rectifying errors.

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