Stock System Development Timeline

April 2024 - April 2025

Meeting
Decision/Milestone
Payment/Budget
APR 2024
April 15th
Initial Stock System Meeting
Breakfast meeting followed by session at Hire Plants
Meeting to overview the stock system with Aaron, Phil, Tim, Mark, and Lucia. This kickoff meeting established the foundation for the stock system project.
JUN 2024
Mid-June
Stock System Tech Audit
Technical evaluation and GitHub access setup
Stock System Technical Audit initiated, including managing GitHub access for developers Haiping and later Chen. This marks the beginning of the technical assessment phase.
JUL 2024
Early July
Plant Walls Decision
Cancellation of plant walls hire
Decision made to cancel the hire of the plant walls; collection arranged for end of month. This operational change impacted the project scope.
Mid-July
System Issues Identified
Major technical hurdles discovered
Significant hurdles identified with the existing stock system including Azure deployment/access issues and code complexity. Discussions held with original architect Erik Sundermann (via email/later calls). First consideration of rebuilding rather than salvaging the system.
Late July
Integration Planning Meeting
Recap of stock system discussions
Meeting held to recap stock system discussions, focusing on integration possibilities and improvements needed (data migration, tagging system updates, code/pricing simplification).
AUG 2024
Early August
Picking App Proof of Concept
Development of new app prototype
Proof of Concept for a new Picking App developed and shared using Retool for feedback. This represents the first tangible step toward a new solution.
Late August
BatchLink Configuration Meeting
Meeting with Erik Sundermann about system access
Meeting with Erik Sundermann to discuss BatchLink access and configuration. Plant walls refund processed. Concerns about existing system viability solidified, leading to a stronger recommendation to rebuild and integrate with the main Hire Plants application.
SEP 2024
Early September
Design & Planning Meeting
System rebuild planning and budget discussion
Design/planning meeting for the new system/rebuild. Internal process flowcharts and stock system workflows shared. Budget discussion (~$200k estimate), including prerequisite backend/frontend app updates (~$33k + ~$15k). Agreement to proceed with backend updates first. August invoice sent.
Mid-September
Architecture Discussion
Follow-up catch-up meeting
Further stock system catch-up meeting held to discuss architecture and process details. This meeting refined the technical approach for the rebuild.
OCT 2024
Early October
Stock App Demo
Demonstration and progress discussion
Stock app demo and discussion held. September invoice ($25k cap) sent. Updates provided: backend work ongoing, frontend requires interim fix due to vulnerability. Budget impact of necessary updates discussed.
Late October
September Invoice Payment
Financial milestone
September invoice paid, representing the first major payment milestone in the project.
NOV 2024
Early November
October Invoices Sent
Financial update and testing access request
October invoices sent (Support $20,911; Stock App $48,834). Update on costs: Backend updates $32.7k (near estimate), Frontend updates $13.2k (ready for testing). Testing access requested for Lucia. Request for estimate for work currently in motion.
Late November
Payment Arrangements
Discussion about cashflow constraints
Invoice payment arrangements discussed due to cashflow constraints, requiring financial adjustments to the project timeline.
DEC 2024
Early December
Pre-Holiday Progress Check
Meeting before Mark's holiday leave
Progress check meeting held ahead of Mark's holiday leave (Dec 13 - Jan 20). Estimated 3 months development remaining post-Christmas (~$90-100k cost). Discount offered for early payment of Nov/Dec invoices. ~$200k budget (less support costs) reaffirmed.
JAN 2025
Late January
New Year Kick-off Meeting
Project restart after holiday period
Mark returns from leave. Kick-off meeting held to discuss progress since December, testing needs for completed updates, and next steps for the project.
MAR 2025
Mid-March
Financial Follow-up
Discussion about unbilled work
Tim follows up regarding some unbilled work from 2023 (email date likely typo, context implies 2025), addressing financial loose ends.
Late March
Development Progress Review
Breakfast meeting with demo
Mark contacts Tim & Phil regarding progress, notes a $30k payment, and queries handling of extra work on backend fixes post-testing/go-live. Meeting held (breakfast + demo) to review development progress, costs, and plan next steps. Tim provides a rundown of costs.