Summary

A lightweight order management system to eliminate ~$5K/month in losses from missed purchase orders. Buildable within $50K and 4 months, compared to traditional ERP ($300K+).

ROI

Risks

Top risk is vendor refusal to adopt the system. Email/SMS fallback is included in P0. Internal order management works regardless of vendor adoption.

Decisions Needed

1. Include vendors as system users? (If yes: +$30K, +2 months)
2. Accept simplified dashboard filters if 3-month timeline is mandatory?

P0 Feature Spec

IA Structure

Technical Constraints

Vendors and Orders separated at DB level for future vendor portal extensibility.
Notification system depends on external API (SMS: Twilio or similar). Failure handling required.
Concurrent edit conflicts: optimistic locking.

Planner Timeline Opinion

4 months recommended for 3 P0 features. If forced to 3 months, dashboard filters must be simplified.

Key Users

Primary: Procurement officer (5-10 orders/day, most frequent user)
Secondary: Operations manager (status checks, 1-2 report views/week)

UX Principles

1. Usable immediately without training (CEO requirement).
2. New order creation is the most frequent action — reachable within 2 clicks from dashboard.
3. For field staff: prioritize clear status indicators over information density.

Key Flows (Design Priority)

1. New Order: Dashboard → [+New Order] → Vendor → Items → Confirm → Send
2. Order Status: Dashboard → Status list → Detail
3. Vendor Confirmation: (Vendor side) Alert link → Order details → Confirm button

User Journey

As-Is: Excel → Messenger → Verbal confirmation → Manual record
To-Be: System creation → Auto alert → System confirmation → Auto status update

Notes

Mobile support required (field usage). Left sidebar (desktop) / bottom tabs (mobile) navigation.

One-Liner

A lightweight order management system for SMB manufacturers still using spreadsheets and messaging apps.

Problem Solved

Beyond 10 vendors, spreadsheets can't keep up. Missed orders, pricing errors, and delivery delays pile up. Staff turnover breaks handoffs. This system handles order creation, vendor confirmation, and status tracking in one place.

3 Key Features

1. Create and send purchase orders in 1 click with automatic vendor alerts
2. Auto-remind vendors after 24 hours if unconfirmed
3. Full order status dashboard at a glance

Competitive Edge

ERP is too expensive ($300K+) and complex. This system focuses solely on the ordering process — under $50K, usable immediately without training.

Target Customer

SMB manufacturers with 10-50 vendors. 1-5 person procurement teams. Currently managing orders via spreadsheets + messaging apps.