Freeterium

For many years, we worked on our own framework, built on the once-popular Kohana framework. We developed a management system called AbsoluteCMS, with which we created no fewer than 150 websites. Unfortunately, both the framework and the management system have become hopelessly outdated - both morally and technically. Since the end of 2023, we have been developing (or rather transferring our conceptual solutions) to the Laravel framework. In the first stage, we decided not to write a CMS from scratch but to extend an existing and quite interesting solution - the Bagisto/Webkul Ecommerce system for Laravel.

CMS Doxa

At present, Doxa allows creating packages with basic data types and managing them. Packages are created using an artisan command, and configuration is done in the configuration files. To retrieve data for the public part, so-called repositories are used, which have standard methods but also allow writing custom methods. Overall, the system is flexible and extendable. This is mainly due to Bagisto.

Two websites have already been built on Doxa, including this one. As in all previous projects, we use the main rule: the website should operate without programmer intervention - all management is handled by administrators, operators, and content managers.

In addition to Laravel, we use Vue and AlpineJS in our work.

Within a year, we plan to complete the basic version of Doxa and distribute it on a subscription basis with the principle: basic functionality - free, options - paid.

A few years ago, the large Georgian agricultural company Memoberry lamented the lack of a tool for accounting for the harvest of berry crops (in this case, blueberries). The only solution in the country, developed at the request of an NGO overseeing this agricultural sector, turned out to be so inconvenient that its use brought more drawbacks than benefits. Foreign solutions appeared cumbersome and, although they could generally be successfully adapted, they did not solve some of the tasks that would have been highly desirable to address.

In a short time, we developed a simple and effective system that not only automated the harvest accounting process but also tracked product purchases from small farms, and payroll accounting. Additionally, thanks to unique codes, our system allows you to track each berry package: where it was collected, when, what variety, in which sector, and identify the picker and receiver.

The system is based on QR codes.

The system allows printing labels with QR codes on a thermal printer (a Brother thermal printer was chosen). Each QR code is unique, so the product can be tracked, and most importantly, it cannot be processed twice (either by mistake or intentionally).

Forter is a tourist taxi service where customers can choose a car with a driver. The cars belong to the drivers, with whom a partnership agreement/offer has been concluded.
The system automatically calculates the cost of the trip. The booking process is fully automated: after the payment is made, the selected driver receives the order with the route and other details, including the client's contact information.
In addition to the taxi service, the system also includes a simple option for car tours–ready-made routes through cities and attractions.

The first version of the Sendmoney24 project was created in 2010 at the request of a British financial company. Since then, the project has been supplemented and improved, and in 2020, we developed a mobile application on the React Expo platform. Unfortunately, in 2023, the project was closed due to restrictions imposed on transfers involving clients from CIS countries, which made up a significant portion of the transfers.

For the development, the AbsoluteCMS management system based on the Kohana framework was used - our own development - which has been operational since 2008 and has over 150 websites built on it.

At the beginning of the project's development, the client set the main condition: after the main version was developed, the costs for maintaining the technical part of the system should be minimized, as the project was expected to operate without advertising for the first 3-4 years. Therefore, the main focus was on creating interfaces that allowed operators and system administrators to work independently with the system in full. From the very beginning until the project was closed in 2023, a single programmer handled the system's programming.

First of all, we created a transfer aggregator system that allows one setting transfer parameters from both ends for any country, any payment and money receiving methods, and even any currencies. The transfer aggregator system allows individual settings for any incoming or outgoing transfers, such as fixed or percentage commission, minimum and maximum amounts, document requirements, and other details. In fact, the transfer aggregators are the core of the system.

The company neither had its own cash acceptance points nor cash distribution points. In fact, the company performed intermediary functions. In the final version, more than 25 banks, instant transfer systems, and payment systems were connected to the system

The initial task in creating the project was as follows: in Georgia, there are numerous companies and private entrepreneurs offering tourism-related or similar services. In most cases, such companies lack the infrastructure to effectively attract clients: no online booking systems, payment options, organized advertising campaigns, and many don't even have their own website.

BORD was intended to provide all this infrastructure, ensure quality service representation, client consultation with service providers, booking, payment, and transfer of all tourism company information.

In addition, BORD was to become an attractive platform for tourists and the population in Georgia due to its wide range of offerings and the principle of "everything in one place."

Also considered was the possibility of exporting this product beyond Georgia as a national tourism aggregator in contrast to global tourism aggregators.

Project organization:

The database of geographical objects includes cities, towns, bodies of water, mountains, landmarks, and museums. Each geographical object has a description, gallery, and serves as a point for linking a tourist route or activity.

The tour builder allows creating a tourist route by linking objects in a sequence. We incorporated a variation functionality – ability to choose one of several tour components offered. For example, at the same location, there could be boat rides, kayaking, and jet skiing. Depending on settings, clients can choose one or more of the offered services. Moreover, in group tours, some participants can choose one service while others choose another. Another example is the ability to exclude a tour component: a tour includes wine tasting, but some group members are not interested in this component while still interested in the overall tour. For this part of the group, wine tasting can be excluded, and accordingly, they don't pay for it.

Another crucial point is transfer services. Most tourism companies are located outside major cities and lack the capability to organize transfers, except perhaps by offering to call a taxi. To address this issue, we utilized another project of ours, Forter, which includes a large database of drivers with their own vehicles, and integrated it with BORD. Now clients can choose transfer as an additional option. Distance calculation and, accordingly, the cost of transfer are automatically calculated taking into account vehicle capacity, type of vehicle, and the rate set by the vehicle owner.

The tour builder also allows specifying different prices and conditions for different age groups, up to prohibiting certain age groups from participating. Age groups can be set individually for each tour.

The pricing component of the tour or activity is organized flexibly in the tour builder. You can specify the cost per person, per group, or define a gradation of costs based on the number of participants, using either formulas or specific figures.

The booking system allows specifying the number of participants by age groups, selecting various tour components, choosing optional transfer, and making payments.