Project Requirements for Multi-Vendor E-Commerce Dashboard

Overview

This project aims to develop a Multi-Vendor E-Commerce Dashboard that allows multiple vendors to sell their products on a unified platform. The system will include robust features for product management, order handling, and vendor-specific analytics.

The system will be developed using the following tech stack:

• Frontend: Next.js, Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Express.js
• Database: PostgreSQL
• ORM: Prisma

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Functional Requirements

User Roles and Authentication

1. User Roles:

   • Define roles such as Admin, Vendor, and Customer.
   • Role-based access control for different features.

2. Authentication:

   • Secure registration and login for all user roles.
   • Password reset functionality.
   • Vendors and customers have separate login portals.

Vendor Management

1. Vendor Dashboard:

   • Vendors can manage their profile, store details, and products.
   • View sales reports, earnings, and order statuses.

2. Product Management:

   • Vendors can add, update, and delete their products.
   • Products have attributes such as title, description, category, price, stock, and images.

3. Order Management:

   • Vendors can view and update order statuses.
   • Integration with delivery tracking systems (optional).

Product and Inventory Management

1. Product Categories:

   • Admins can create and manage product categories.
   • Vendors can assign categories to their products.

2. Inventory Tracking:

   • Automatic stock updates based on orders.
   • Alerts for low-stock products.

Customer Features

1. Product Browsing:

   • Customers can search and filter products by category, price, and ratings.
   • View detailed product descriptions and reviews.

2. Shopping Cart:

   • Add, update, and remove items from the cart.
   • Calculate totals, discounts, and shipping costs.

3. Order Placement:

   • Checkout process with shipping details and payment options.
   • Order history accessible to customers.

Admin Features

1. Vendor and Customer Management:

   • View, approve, or reject vendor registrations.
   • Manage customer accounts.

2. Platform Analytics:

   • Generate reports on overall sales, vendor performance, and customer activities.

3. Content Management:

   • Manage banners, promotional campaigns, and featured products.

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Non-Functional Requirements

1. Scalability:

   • Handle a growing number of vendors, products, and customers.

2. Security:

   • Use JWT for secure authentication.
   • Encrypt sensitive data such as passwords and payment details.

3. Performance:

   • Optimize API responses and database queries for high performance.

4. Accessibility:

   • Ensure the UI is accessible and responsive.

5. Reliability:

   • Implement error handling, logging, and failover mechanisms.

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Technical Requirements

Frontend

1. Use Next.js for server-side rendering and routing.
2. Build a responsive UI using Tailwind CSS.
3. Implement reusable components for products, orders, and dashboards.

Backend

1. Use Express.js for building RESTful APIs.
2. Set up secure routes for authentication and resource management.
3. Implement role-based access control (RBAC).

Database

1. Use PostgreSQL for data storage.
2. Define models for users, products, orders, and vendors using Prisma.
3. Implement database migrations for schema changes.

Deployment

1. Host the application on platforms like Vercel (Frontend) and Heroku or AWS (Backend).
2. Use environment variables to manage secrets like database credentials and JWT keys.

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API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /auth/register - Register a new user (Admin, Vendor, or Customer).
• POST /auth/login - Authenticate user and return JWT.
• POST /auth/forgot-password - Send a password reset link.
• POST /auth/reset-password - Reset user password.

Vendor Management

• GET /vendors - Fetch all registered vendors (Admin-only).
• GET /vendors/:id - Fetch details of a specific vendor.
• PUT /vendors/:id - Update vendor details.
• DELETE /vendors/:id - Delete a vendor (Soft delete).

Product Management

• GET /products - Fetch all products (Paginated).
• GET /products/:id - Fetch details of a specific product.
• POST /products - Add a new product (Vendor-only).
• PUT /products/:id - Update a product (Vendor-only).
• DELETE /products/:id - Delete a product (Vendor-only).

Order Management

• GET /orders - Fetch all orders (Admin-only).
• GET /orders/vendor - Fetch orders for the logged-in vendor.
• POST /orders - Place a new order (Customer-only).
• PUT /orders/:id - Update order status (Vendor-only).

Analytics

• GET /analytics/sales - Fetch overall sales analytics (Admin-only).
• GET /analytics/vendor - Fetch vendor-specific analytics (Vendor-only).

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Database Models

User

model User {
  id              Int       @id @default(autoincrement())
  email           String    @unique
  password        String
  role            String
  createdAt       DateTime  @default(now())
  updatedAt       DateTime  @updatedAt
  Vendor          Vendor?
  Customer        Customer?
}

Vendor

model Vendor {
  id              Int       @id @default(autoincrement())
  name            String
  contactInfo     String
  products        Product[]
  orders          Order[]
  userId          Int       @unique
  User            User      @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id])
}

Customer

model Customer {
  id              Int       @id @default(autoincrement())
  name            String
  orders          Order[]
  userId          Int       @unique
  User            User      @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id])
}

Product

model Product {
  id              Int       @id @default(autoincrement())
  title           String
  description     String
  category        String
  price           Float
  stock           Int
  images          String[]
  vendorId        Int
  Vendor          Vendor    @relation(fields: [vendorId], references: [id])
}

Order

model Order {
  id              Int       @id @default(autoincrement())
  status          String
  totalAmount     Float
  createdAt       DateTime  @default(now())
  customerId      Int
  vendorId        Int
  Customer        Customer  @relation(fields: [customerId], references: [id])
  Vendor          Vendor    @relation(fields: [vendorId], references: [id])
}

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Project Milestones

Phase 1: Planning and Design

• Define project requirements and technical stack.
• Create wireframes and database schema.

Phase 2: Backend Development

• Set up Express.js server and Prisma ORM.
• Implement authentication and role management.
• Develop APIs for product and order management.

Phase 3: Frontend Development

• Build reusable UI components with Next.js and Tailwind CSS.
• Integrate APIs for dynamic content.
• Implement responsive design.

Phase 4: Testing and Optimization

• Write unit and integration tests.
• Optimize API performance and database queries.

Phase 5: Deployment and Maintenance

• Deploy the application to production.
• Monitor for bugs and implement updates as needed.

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Future Enhancements

1. Introduce advanced analytics dashboards for vendors and admin.
2. Add support for promotional codes and discounts.
3. Integrate multiple payment gateways.
4. Develop a mobile app for customers and vendors.
5. Implement AI-based recommendations for customers.