How to Build a Smart Lunch Order Coordinator for Teams

Simple Summary

A smart, efficient lunch order coordinator for teams that streamlines group meal planning and ordering, saving time and reducing hassle for busy professionals.

Product Requirements Document (PRD)

Goals:

• Streamline the process of coordinating team lunches
• Reduce time spent on meal planning and order collection
• Enhance team collaboration and satisfaction

Target Audience:

• Office managers
• Team leaders
• Employees in medium to large companies

Key Features:

1. User registration and profile management
2. Restaurant and menu browsing
3. Group order creation and management
4. Automated order collection and reminders
5. Integration with popular food delivery services
6. Payment splitting and tracking
7. Dietary preference and restriction management
8. Order history and analytics

User Requirements:

• Intuitive, user-friendly interface
• Quick order placement and modification
• Real-time updates on group orders
• Secure payment processing
• Customizable notification settings
• Cross-platform compatibility (web and mobile)

User Flows

1. Create Group Order:

   • User logs in
   • Selects "Create Group Order"
   • Chooses restaurant and sets order deadline
   • Invites team members
   • Shares order link

2. Join and Place Individual Order:

   • User receives invitation
   • Clicks link to join group order
   • Browses menu and selects items
   • Adds any special instructions
   • Confirms individual order

3. Finalize and Submit Group Order:

   • Group admin reviews all individual orders
   • Makes any necessary adjustments
   • Confirms final order details
   • Submits order to restaurant or delivery service
   • Manages payment collection from team members

Technical Specifications

• Frontend: React with Redux for state management
• Backend: Node.js with Express.js
• Database: MongoDB for flexible schema design
• Authentication: JWT for secure user authentication
• API: RESTful API design
• Payment Processing: Stripe API integration
• Notifications: Firebase Cloud Messaging
• Hosting: AWS Elastic Beanstalk
• Version Control: Git with GitHub
• Testing: Jest for unit and integration tests
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions

API Endpoints

• POST /api/auth/register
• POST /api/auth/login
• GET /api/restaurants
• GET /api/restaurants/:id/menu
• POST /api/orders/group
• GET /api/orders/group/:id
• POST /api/orders/individual
• PUT /api/orders/individual/:id
• POST /api/payments
• GET /api/users/preferences

Database Schema

Users:

• _id: ObjectId
• email: String
• password: String (hashed)
• name: String
• dietaryPreferences: Array
• paymentInfo: Object

Restaurants:

• _id: ObjectId
• name: String
• cuisine: String
• menu: Array of MenuItems

GroupOrders:

• _id: ObjectId
• creatorId: ObjectId (ref: Users)
• restaurantId: ObjectId (ref: Restaurants)
• deadline: Date
• status: String
• individualOrders: Array of ObjectId (ref: IndividualOrders)

IndividualOrders:

• _id: ObjectId
• userId: ObjectId (ref: Users)
• groupOrderId: ObjectId (ref: GroupOrders)
• items: Array of OrderItems
• specialInstructions: String
• status: String

File Structure

Implementation Plan

1. Project Setup (1-2 days)

   • Initialize React project
   • Set up Node.js backend
   • Configure MongoDB connection
   • Set up Git repository

2. User Authentication (3-4 days)

   • Implement registration and login endpoints
   • Create frontend forms and state management
   • Set up JWT authentication

3. Restaurant and Menu Management (4-5 days)

   • Create restaurant and menu database schemas
   • Implement API endpoints for fetching data
   • Build frontend components for browsing and selection

4. Group Order Functionality (5-7 days)

   • Implement group order creation and management
   • Develop individual order placement within groups
   • Create real-time updates using WebSockets

5. Payment Integration (3-4 days)

   • Set up Stripe API integration
   • Implement payment splitting logic
   • Create secure payment forms and processing

6. Notification System (2-3 days)

   • Set up Firebase Cloud Messaging
   • Implement notification triggers for order updates
   • Create notification preferences in user profiles

7. Testing and Refinement (4-5 days)

   • Write and run unit tests
   • Perform integration testing
   • User acceptance testing and bug fixes

8. Deployment and Launch (2-3 days)

   • Set up AWS Elastic Beanstalk environment
   • Configure CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions
   • Perform final testing in production environment

Total estimated time: 4-6 weeks

Deployment Strategy

1. Set up staging and production environments on AWS Elastic Beanstalk
2. Configure environment variables for sensitive information
3. Set up MongoDB Atlas for database management
4. Implement automated deployments using GitHub Actions
5. Use AWS CloudFront for content delivery and caching
6. Set up AWS CloudWatch for monitoring and logging
7. Implement database backups and disaster recovery plan
8. Use AWS Route 53 for domain management and DNS
9. Obtain SSL certificate for secure HTTPS connections
10. Perform load testing before full production launch

Design Rationale

The Smart Lunch Order Coordinator is designed with a focus on user experience and efficiency. React was chosen for the frontend due to its component-based architecture, which allows for reusable UI elements and efficient rendering. Node.js and Express provide a robust and scalable backend solution. MongoDB was selected for its flexibility in handling varying order structures and easy scalability.

The app's architecture emphasizes real-time updates and notifications to keep all team members informed about order status. Integration with popular food delivery services expands the range of available restaurants and simplifies the ordering process. The payment splitting feature addresses a common pain point in group orders, making the app more attractive to potential users.

Security is a top priority, with JWT authentication and secure payment processing through Stripe. The deployment strategy using AWS services ensures high availability and scalability as the user base grows. Overall, this design aims to create a seamless, user-friendly experience that saves time and reduces stress in coordinating team lunches.