Date of Defense

4-18-2023

Date of Graduation

4-2023

Department

Computer Science

First Advisor

Jason Johnson

Second Advisor

David Barnes

Abstract

Bert R. Hybels Inc. is a local flower distributor who delivers plant products to customers nationwide. As such, keeping their inventory system organized is crucial for their success. In the past, Hybels employees had to generate stock reports manually. This was not only time-consuming, but tedious and impractical. This was why a mobile application was developed to speed up this process. With this app, Hybels employees can simply take or select a picture and it will be automatically uploaded to their online inventory system. It also accounts for farmers and growers in remote locations where the internet might not be reachable. The application had a broad set of requirements that needed to be met. The app needed to interact with the inventory system correctly, take or upload pictures, account for user internet settings, and store everything locally for offline use. It also needed to be cross platform, have some sort of user authentication system, and be accessible to anyone, no matter their knowledge of the inventory system. The project followed an agile methodology, meaning the requirements changed constantly. Prompt communication between the client and the development team was key to making sure all those requirements were fulfilled, no matter what changed. The app was developed with React Native and worked by connecting together a series of screens and several back-end classes with multiple, robust functions. Upon startup, users were greeted with a login screen which provided user authentication. Then, a loading screen was implemented to perform all the heavy lifting involved in loading the whole inventory system into the app’s local storage. Users were also provided with a user settings screen where they could change their preferences regarding a default grower, their account information, and when to upload photos based on their current internet connectivity. When it came to actually uploading photos, users could use either the phone’s camera or its native gallery app. Then, the user could specify the grower, the item, and any related subcategories. The actual upload process is quick and designed to catch errors. In the event an upload is unsuccessful, or the user has opted to upload only when they are connected to the internet, an upload queue has been provided to allow users to store photos and upload them later with a convenient sync button. Many different testing methodologies were implemented to ensure the application had no major bugs. The completed application is efficient, intuitive, and meets all specified requirements. Given the client and the development team know each other personally, the development team will continue to assist the client in the app’s implementation and future development.

Comments

Co-authored with:

Edrick Tamayo

Nihal Asfal

Prashan Thapa

Christian Davis

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Restricted

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