Revolutionizing commodity trade: ECOM's journey with LogiNet's "Cerise" project

In the dynamic world of international trade, ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Limited, a titan in the coffee, cocoa, and cotton industry, embarked on a transformative journey. Their mission? To streamline their operations and leap into the future with a cutting-edge mobile application. That's where LogiNet Systems came into play, bringing a blend of expertise and innovation to the table.

Founded in 1849, ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Limited has been a dominant force in soft commodity services, operating in over 40 countries and boasting an impressive annual income of approximately $4.4 billion. With a workforce of 10,000 global employees, ECOM's growth is nothing short of remarkable, showcasing a 6.9% one-year growth and an 11.8% growth over two years.

LogiNet, always at the forefront of tech solutions, was tasked with developing "Cerise," a robust mobile application tailored to ECOM's needs. The goal of this solution is to digitalize the coffee bean procurement and processing on the field, controlling and monitoring the process remotely. This project involved understanding specific industry requirements, adapting to different stakeholder visions, and dealing with logistical challenges.

Components: Mobile application for Wet Mill Managers in Rwanda (Android application development) + Administrative interface for Trade Managers in Switzerland and London (a web application)

The app, crafted in Kotlin for Android and operating on Zebra devices (Zebra tablets), is a masterpiece of technical prowess. It seamlessly connects to portable Zebra Bluetooth printers, ensuring smooth operations in the challenging environments of African wet mills, like those in Rwanda.

Cerise's capabilities are extensive. It supports offline functionality, crucial for remote operations, and syncs with a central API. The admin interface, designed in Vue.js, is a hub for trade managers and office staff in London, Switzerland, Vietnam, and the US. Our journey included weathering the challenges of integrating AccuWeather's API, ensuring the app provided crucial, location-specific weather data vital for coffee processing.

The Cerise project harnessed a diverse range of technologies to meet the intricate needs of ECOM. Kotlin was chosen for its robustness in mobile app development, while Vue.js was utilized to create a user-friendly admin interface. The selection of Android Enterprise-certified Zebra tablets and Bluetooth thermal printers underscored the importance of reliable and durable hardware in challenging environments. Cloud technologies like Docker, Hetzner Cloud, and Azure provided the backbone for dependable and scalable global operations.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Cerise project was understanding the intricacies of the coffee processing industry and adapting to diverse cultural and persona characteristics.

This journey involved a deep dive into industry specifics, grappling with the challenges of remote location operations, and bridging cultural differences to create a solution that resonates across continents.

Our voyage wasn't without its storms. We navigated language barriers, conducting workshops in English with diverse stakeholders. We also faced logistical hurdles, shipping test devices across borders and sourcing printing paper from different countries for testing.

Let’s have a look at the challenges in detail.

We had to understand the industrial terms and stages of coffee processing. We had to manage workshops in English with multiple parties in London, Vietnam, and Rwanda.

The initial design, brought by ECOM, required significant modifications to align with the complex processes and remote operations in regions like Africa, particularly Rwanda.

There was no web UI design so we created one based on the existing mobile application design. Elements and states were missing, and we faced scalability issues.

We needed a weather information service. We chose AccuWeather API, usable for commercial purposes, and provides accurate information about Rwanda’s weather.

We needed to align the design to support the free plan limitation and include weather indicators of AccuWeather instead of the original ones (since that didn’t cover all the states).

We were asked to recommend rugged tablet computers, industrial-grade devices. Here comes Zebra. We needed to understand how the printing SDK works. We had to implement bluetooth pairing and PDF print preview in the application.

Aligning to production operations in Azure, we recommended object storage for image files, highlighting our adaptability and foresight. End-to-end tests require the hardware, need to be transferred between team members.

We needed to find paper rolls, and purchase from Romania to be able to test since it’s not available in Hungary.

Small challenges like handling customs, importing the tablet, printer from the UK, and printing paper from Vietnam sent by the client. (Started from scratch by collaboration with the finance team to get our EORI.)

Our main contact left the company meanwhile. It was quite seamless even though the successors had different visions. The mixed visions resulted in a Change Request that was accepted by the customer. They appreciated the implementation and effort we put in so far.

Cerise is more than just an app; it's a revolution in commodity trade management. It enables wet mill managers to conduct transactions seamlessly, from purchasing coffee beans to monitoring moisture levels in coffee batches. The application also streamlines the creation of output lots and the transfer process to dry mills.

LogiNet Systems brought an array of services to the table, crucial for the holistic development of Cerise:

The technology stack was carefully chosen to support these services, with Kotlin for robust mobile application development, Vue.js for an efficient admin interface, and the integration of Android Enterprise solutions for reliable field operations.

The client needs to test the application on the field in Rwanda. Additional CRs need to be planned, estimated and delivered. We are facing the challenge to pass the security audit led by the US and Mexican security team of our client.

As we gear up for live operation, our journey with ECOM continues. We're currently working on Phase 2, further enhancing on-field operations and remote monitoring capabilities. Our collaboration, though challenged by the departure of a key contact, remained unshaken, proving the resilience and adaptability of both LogiNet and ECOM.

In conclusion, Cerise stands as a testament to LogiNet's commitment to delivering exceptional, tailored solutions that drive businesses forward. It's not just about developing an app; it's about creating a tool that reshapes how industries operate, bringing a historic company into the modern era of digital transformation. With ECOM, we're not just building software; we're cultivating a legacy of innovation and excellence.