Project Plan: Local Market Price Tracker
- Project Overview
Name: Local Market Price Tracker Objective: Develop a system that tracks and displays real-time or regularly updated market prices for key commodities (e.g., maize, rice, sugar, fish) across different regions. Target Users: Farmers, traders, market analysts, and the general public. Key Channels: SMS, WhatsApp bot, and Web application. Data Source: Crowdsourced and verified user submissions.
Key Features
Regional price listings for commodities.
Crowd submission of prices with verification.
Admin panel for managing submissions.
SMS interface for offline users.
WhatsApp bot for chatbot interaction.
Web app with a dashboard and analytics.
Timeline (Gantt-style Milestones) Phase Description Duration Requirement Analysis Define features, roles, and data flow 1 week Design UI/UX for web, chatbot flows, SMS command structure 1 week Backend Development API, database, admin panel 2 weeks Frontend & Bot Dev Web app, WhatsApp integration 2 weeks SMS Integration Integrate SMS gateway and keyword logic 1 week Testing & QA Validate all flows and data accuracy 1 week Deployment & Feedback Go live + pilot testing in one region 1 week Expansion Roll out to more regions + optimize Ongoing
Tools & Technologies
Frontend: React / HTML-CSS / Bootstrap
Backend: Node.js or Django / Flask
Database: PostgreSQL or MongoDB
Bot: Twilio WhatsApp API / Dialogflow
SMS: Africa’s Talking / Twilio SMS API
Hosting: AWS / DigitalOcean / Heroku
📄 Software Requirements Specification (SRS)
- Introduction 1.1 Purpose
To design and implement a system that enables users to view, submit, and retrieve market prices of key agricultural and consumer goods across different regions. 1.2 Scope
The system supports:
Display of commodity prices by region
Crowdsourced data submissions
Multi-platform access (SMS, WhatsApp, Web)
Role-based access for admins and users
1.3 Definitions
Commodity: Item being priced (e.g., maize)
Crowdsourced Data: User-submitted price information
Verified Price: Admin-approved or majority-voted data
System Features 2.1 View Prices
View latest commodity prices by selecting region and item.
Filter by date, location, and commodity type.
2.2 Submit Price
Users can submit price data for a specific commodity and region.
Include optional photo evidence or market name.
2.3 Admin Panel
View and approve submitted prices.
Manage users and moderate submissions.
2.4 SMS Interface
Users send SMS in format:
PRICE <commodity> <price> <region>
or request: GET <commodity> <region>
2.5 WhatsApp Bot
Respond to keyword inputs like:
“Prices in Dodoma”
“Submit maize 1200 Morogoro”
2.6 Web Dashboard
Interactive UI to view prices on charts, maps.
Data export and statistics for admins.
Non-Functional Requirements
Scalability: Capable of handling thousands of users daily.
Reliability: System should have >99% uptime.
Security: Authenticated admin access, data validation.
Performance: Query response in under 2 seconds.
Usability: Simple interfaces for low-tech users.
System Architecture
3-tier Architecture:
Presentation (Web, Bot, SMS) Logic (APIs) Data (Database)Constraints
Limited or unreliable internet access in rural areas.
SMS and WhatsApp cost handling.
Language localization (e.g., Swahili)
Assumptions
Users have basic literacy or access to mobile phones.
Admins available to validate price data.
Pricing updates are frequent but not necessarily real-time.
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