Around Me
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Implemented
COVID-19

An app that allows small local businesses that do or do not have website/ e-commerce to advertise their services and changes, in context of COVID-19, on their business operations to local Neighbors.

As main users, we will have citizens and Local business owners/representatives

The main use cases we propose are:

  • Local businesses can sign up through a platform and fill in their information, like: Updated opening hours/delivery hours, contact information, location, list of services they deliver, changes to their business operations in effect right now and series of small posts/tweets
  • Citizens can easily find and consult the information above in their immediate neighborhood / current location. They should be able to filter by services and even quickly find who is open or delivering right now or for a certain time. They can then contact the local business or head there.

The main challenges we are assuming that we going to face with are:

  • Getting the local businesses to sign up;
  • Information can be outdated fast;
  • Validating the information given (avoid fake businesses and misinformation
  • It needs to be easy for businesses to use.
Changed the category to
COVID-19
Changed the status to
Working on it
expected delivery in Q2 2020

This project has been selected by the COVID-19 Community Response Program!

Great News!

Isn't there a danger of trying to re-invent Google Maps? I routinely update information on places I visit and most get approved quickly, it has all the facilities to show contacts, opening times and photos. I also use it all the time. Or perhaps consider integrating with the Places API?

2016-08-25 18-41-23
Lúcio Ferrão

Hi Neil, integrating with the places API seems a great idea to check if the places are indeed open. Do you want to help?

Merged this idea with 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 16:42:14 by João Martins)

The Idea:

With the current requests all over the world for people to stay at home in quarantine, it's been really hard times for small businesses like small grocery stores and small restaurants (and others) that generally have a big impact on the local community and financially on the country as well. With strict orders to stay at home, it's really hard to connect people to those small businesses and that's where our idea comes in to fill the gap. 

Most of those (not to say all) small businesses don’t have an online business and don’t have the resources to create one (like big players do) what we offer is a tool where they can add their products and their customers can make online orders of their products to either be picked up on the store or to be delivered at home by the local business.


Highlights of this idea:


 - No revenue is expected from the idea creators, all the money from the products is for the local business and no extra costs are associated with the orders, it's up to the local business to offer the delivery, but that's very much enforced, the goal is to help the community! (that's why this is better than Uber eats and Glovo and others) No extra costs!

 - For the small businesses to make the most out of this tool, they should define several delivery slots during the day (lunchtime/dinner time), prepare all the orders and delivery all of them in one shot (or two, if the small business can make it all at the same time)

Features - MVP

 - The user can register and search for local businesses around

 - The user can make an order and follow it's status

 - The user can use a chat to contact the local business to clarify any questions

 - The user can rate the experience

 - The local business can register and create all the portfolio of products and its stock 

  - Import via excel is also an option

 - For the small business to access the application they must provide a proof that they own that business.

 - The local business can manage all the requests and will have a view of all the delivery points in a map

 - The local business must also define the geographic delivery range

 - PWA is an option to enhance the experience 


Important remarks:


 - The delivery is made by the company itself, not by us. Even though they can subcontract other vendors to do this service.

 - The company has to register itself with valid enterprise VAT.

 - There’s no fee during the quarantine period.

 - The payments are made via MB-Way (in PT) or bank transfer, preferably in advance to avoid “kids playing around”. The proof must be uploaded in the request.

 - The invoice is delivered by the local business


The team:


We are 5 OutSystems Technical Success Managers + 1 Customer Success Manager available to work on the idea



This comment was:
- originally posted on idea 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 by João Martins)
- merged to idea 'Around Me' on 08 Apr 2020 15:53:43 by Francisco Menezes
Changed the category to
COVID-19


This comment was:
- originally posted on idea 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 by João Martins)
- merged to idea 'Around Me' on 08 Apr 2020 15:53:43 by Francisco Menezes

Good idea.  +1




This comment was:
- originally posted on idea 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 by João Martins)
- merged to idea 'Around Me' on 08 Apr 2020 15:53:43 by Francisco Menezes

This is best we can give back to small businesses. My vote goes for it.



This comment was:
- originally posted on idea 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 by João Martins)
- merged to idea 'Around Me' on 08 Apr 2020 15:53:43 by Francisco Menezes

Good ideia.



This comment was:
- originally posted on idea 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 by João Martins)
- merged to idea 'Around Me' on 08 Apr 2020 15:53:43 by Francisco Menezes

Similar idea to https://www.outsystems.com/ideas/8462/around-me



This comment was:
- originally posted on idea 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 by João Martins)
- merged to idea 'Around Me' on 08 Apr 2020 15:53:43 by Francisco Menezes

Hi João,


Do you want to join efforts with the around me team?


You are very welcome!


Kindest Regards,

Olga



This comment was:
- originally posted on idea 'COVID-19 | Application to support small businesses in crisis' (created on 25 Mar 2020 by João Martins)
- merged to idea 'Around Me' on 08 Apr 2020 15:53:43 by Francisco Menezes

At some point these require central authority like municipality to do the governance, and make sure fraudulent activities are not encouraged.

Challenge: Validating the information given (avoid fake businesses and misinformation) 

App can get a mandatory information from Local business owners/representatives to tag their Business registered number or any valid Govt ID for authentication during Sign up. 

This will minimize the risk of fake business registered in app during sign up.

Thank you for the suggestions Aushta_ET.

Changed the status to
Implemented
on 29 Apr 2020

It's live - check it out here! Congrats to the team :)

Congratulation!!!

My small feedback: First time load on the browser just keeps on loading without any PlaceCard. Once I supply the search criteria then it triggers and pouplates the places. 

Thank you Swatantra Kumar,


KR,

Olga