Project idea
- Kalahari New Hope NGO, experiencing rapid growth, sought to streamline their financial management and distribute responsibilities more effectively. Their existing system hindered progress, lacking the capacity to easily share financial data with department leaders and maintain transparency across geographically dispersed branches. This sparked the idea for a bespoke accounting software solution tailored to their specific needs.
- The NGO aimed to empower senior department leaders with greater financial control and oversight, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability. By transitioning to a fully digital platform, they envisioned eliminating manual processes, reducing errors, and improving efficiency. This shift would also provide real-time financial data, enabling faster decision-making and more accurate forecasting.
- Ultimately, the project aimed to create a centralized, user-friendly system that facilitated collaboration and communication across all levels of the organization. This digital transformation would not only support Kalahari New Hope’s immediate scaling needs but also lay a solid foundation for future growth and sustainability.
Project challenges
- Developing an accounting software for Kalahari New Hope NGO presented unique challenges. One significant hurdle was the delayed receipt of bank statements due to the organization’s high volume of financial activity. This required building flexibility into the system to accommodate late data entry without compromising accuracy or reporting timelines.
- Balancing the need for a lightweight, high-performance application with worldwide accessibility presented a technical challenge. As the software was deployed on-premise at the NGO’s location, optimisation for local network performance was crucial. Simultaneously, ensuring seamless remote access for stakeholders across the globe demanded careful consideration of bandwidth limitations and potential latency issues.
- Perhaps the most significant obstacle was the limited internet connectivity at the NGO’s campsite in Namibia. This necessitated offline functionality, enabling data entry and basic reporting even without an internet connection. Synchronisation capabilities were essential to ensure data integrity once connectivity was restored, allowing for seamless updates and collaboration with remote teams.
Results
- The project successfully delivered a tailored accounting software solution that met Kalahari New Hope NGO’s specific needs and facilitated efficient financial management across all departments. By streamlining processes and improving data accessibility, the software empowered staff and leadership with enhanced financial control and transparency.
- The implementation of the software resulted in significant time savings, reduced errors, and improved accuracy in financial reporting. This allowed for more effective budgeting, forecasting, and decision-making, ultimately contributing to the NGO’s operational efficiency and sustainability.
- Moreover, the project fostered a stronger sense of collaboration and communication across the organization, connecting teams and individuals through a centralised platform. This improved coordination and data sharing ultimately supported Kalahari New Hope’s mission and facilitated its continued growth.
Business challenges
- To overcome these challenges, Kalahari New Hope NGO sought to implement a centralized accounting system that would provide a comprehensive view of finances across all branches. This system aimed to enhance transparency by providing real-time access to financial data and enabling efficient tracking of income and expenses.
- The NGO also aimed to empower department leaders with greater financial control by enabling them to manage their budgets, track spending, and generate reports. This delegation of responsibility sought to improve accountability and efficiency in financial management.
- Furthermore, the project aimed to streamline financial processes, such as expense approvals and reimbursements, to ensure a consistent and efficient workflow. This would facilitate better communication and collaboration between departments and improve the overall management of volunteer teams.
Project essentials
Integration Expertise
A unified platform to manage all financial data, ensuring transparency and accessibility for authorised users across the organisation.
User-Friendly Interface
An intuitive design that simplifies complex financial tasks and enables easy navigation for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
Offline Functionality
The ability to operate effectively with limited or no internet connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted access and data entry in remote locations.
Development in detail
- The development process began with understanding Kalahari New Hope’s needs through interviews and workshops.
- Next, the team prioritised an intuitive user interface for users with varying technical skills.
- Rigorous testing ensured data integrity and optimal performance under different conditions.
- Comprehensive training empowered staff to confidently use the software and maximize its benefits.
Technology stack used
PHP
PHP is a server-side scripting language used for creating dynamic web pages, widely used in web development, and known for its flexibility and database compatibility.
79%
of all websites use PHP
50%
faster performance in web applications
HTML
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the standard markup language used to create web pages, forming the backbone of most websites and applications by structuring content and elements.
100k+
websites rely on HTML as their foundational markup language.
90%
of websites use HTML in combination with other technologies like CSS and JavaScript.
CSS
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a style sheet language used to control the presentation of web pages, including layouts, colors, fonts, and responsiveness, enhancing user experience.
100k+
websites use CSS to style their web pages.
80%
faster development time when using CSS frameworks like Tailwind CSS or Bootstrap.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a high-level, versatile programming language used for creating dynamic and interactive web content, such as animations, form validation, and real-time updates.
95k
websites rely on JavaScript for dynamic web functionality.
75%
of developers use JavaScript for both frontend and backend development, thanks to frameworks like Node.js.
jQuery
jQuery is a fast, lightweight JavaScript library designed to simplify HTML DOM manipulation, event handling, and animation.
60k
stars on GitHub for Vite.
30x
faster hot module replacement (HMR) compared to traditional bundlers.
Vue
Vue.js is a progressive JavaScript framework used for building user interfaces and single-page applications, known for its simplicity and ease of integration.
200k+
developers use Vue.js globally.
30%
faster development due to Vue’s simple and flexible framework structure.
MariaDB
MariaDB is a fork of MySQL, designed to maintain compatibility with MySQL while offering additional features and performance improvements for web and enterprise applications.
12k
GitHub stars for MariaDB.
30%
faster query execution in MariaDB compared to MySQL in certain workloads.
Laravel
Laravel is a popular PHP web framework known for its elegant syntax, built-in tools for routing, authentication, and caching, and its ability to streamline web application development.
1.4M
websites worldwide use Laravel
30%
faster development speed with Laravel
GIT
Git is a distributed version control system that enables developers to track changes in their codebase, collaborate on projects, and manage code efficiently.
45k
stars on GitHub for Git.
80%
of software projects worldwide use Git for version control.
Docker
Docker is a platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside lightweight, isolated containers, simplifying software delivery and scaling.
65k
GitHub stars for Docker.
50%
faster deployment with Docker containers compared to traditional virtual machines.
npm
npm (Node Package Manager) is the default package manager for Node.js, used for managing JavaScript dependencies and libraries in web and mobile applications.
180k
GitHub stars for npm.
50%
faster dependency management with npm’s package registry for JavaScript projects.
Composer
Composer is a dependency management tool for PHP that allows developers to declare the libraries their project depends on and automatically installs and updates them.
25k
GitHub stars for Composer.
40%
faster dependency management in PHP projects using Composer’s automatic updates and installations.
Traefik
Traefik is a modern HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer that makes it easy to deploy and manage microservices and dynamic containerized applications.
42k
stars on GitHub for Traefik.
30%
better load balancing efficiency with Traefik in containerized environments.
Bank Statement Parsing
Bank statement parsing is a process that extracts and organizes financial data from bank statements, typically used for reconciliation and financial analysis.
1.5k
GitHub stars for bank statement parsing tools.
30%
improvement in financial data extraction efficiency with automated bank statement parsing solutions.
Results obtained
Improved Transparency
The software provides a clear and accessible overview of financial data, fostering trust and accountability across all levels of the organization.
Enhanced Efficiency
Streamlined workflows and automated processes save time and reduce errors, allowing staff to focus on strategic initiatives.
Increased Collaboration
The centralised platform facilitates communication and data sharing, promoting teamwork and informed decision-making.
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