Media Part.

Simplicity and convenience are, probably, the two major things technologies are supposed to bring to our life. Our customers wanted to attain a way to control their magazine distribution. The Magora’s team was tasked to develop a mobile client and a Web application. The Android app is meant for couriers to use, it should allow them to input information about the progress and completion of their tasks. The Web application, on the other hand, is created for Clients and Managers, so that they could track if the deliveries have been completed.

The Yii Framework was chosen to become the server-side operations. To implement the client-server communication we used the REST Protocol. In order to keep reports in a database and access them later we utilised OrmLite. The use of Google Maps allowed couriers to visualise their distribution points and build their optimal routes. The biggest bump in the road within the course of development was the fact that some older devices lacked the memory for effective functioning of the app. This issue typically occurred on two different occasions: when big amounts of delivery points had to be shown on a map and during generating and sending the photo reports. The “map” problem was solved with the help of the Google Maps Extensions by grouping the dots. To make room for the photo reports – pretty heavy files containing pictures and a text with coordinates, the app was meant to clear some memory or send a photo report to a client in a lower resolution, in case that wasn’t possible.

Media Part is a complex piece of software with specific functions for every party. The Android application for couriers is very simple to use and has only five buttons. Functionality of the app includes viewing a task list, building optimal routes and reporting features. This simplicity makes it extremely user-friendly and every courier should get comfortable with using it quickly. The web portal provides different abilities to three types of users: Clients, Managers and Admin. Any client can track and verify the status of their deliveries and also download a PDF report regarding their product distribution. Managers are able to upload and assign jobs for couriers, monitor their fulfilment and completion status. Admin has full access and can control the performance of the whole system.