Inspiration
I work in a workshop environment and most of the software I've seen just stores data. I wanted to build something that actually helps the owner make decisions. The idea came when I noticed how much time workshop managers spend just checking on things manually.
What it does
Siyaya AI is a workshop ERP — you can sell products, track inventory, manage customers, create job cards, and manage your finances. The AI part is what makes it different. You can chat with it and it knows your business numbers. There's a mechanic AI that gives you diagnoses when you type in symptoms. And an inventory AI that tells you what to reorder.
How we built it
I built the entire frontend as a single HTML file with vanilla JavaScript — no React, no frameworks. Everything stores in the browser's localStorage. The backend is a simple Node.js server that proxies OpenAI API calls so the API key stays hidden. I used Codex throughout to help me write and debug the modules.
Challenges we ran into
The hardest part was making the AI work offline. I ended up building a fallback system — when there's no API key, the server generates mock responses using the actual business data. Also had to deal with browser security, localStorage limits, and getting the Kanban drag-and-drop to work properly.
Accomplishments we're proud of
- The whole frontend is one file — no build step, no dependencies
- AI that knows your business data in real-time
- Works fully offline
- The AI Mechanic gives actual diagnoses with confidence levels and parts lists
What we learned
AI is much more useful when it has context about the user's data, not just generic answers. And single-file apps can be surprisingly powerful.
What's next
Multi-language support, WhatsApp integration, and payment gateway for EcoCash.
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