E-Commerce Operations Prototype

Overview

The local prototype brings catalog, stock, orders and pricing experiments into one interface for store operators and project reviewers. Synthetic records make the operational screens and pricing walkthrough repeatable; they do not represent real customers or sales.

Scope

Catalog and inventory screens support product viewing, creation, editing and deletion. Orders expose line items and fulfillment status; dashboard counts and total order value are computed from linked SQLite records.

The pricing sandbox previews a suggestion using demand, stock and competitor inputs. It neither changes the catalog price nor places an order. Some dashboard metrics, including conversion, coverage and pulse, remain placeholders.

Contribution

The documented demonstration work restored local UI/API startup by rebuilding a missing SQLite native binding, populated empty screens with linked synthetic records using a pre-seed backup and duplicate protection, and corrected catalog title, price and label contrast in light mode.

The overview records checks of SQLite integrity, foreign keys, matching order totals and zero new inserts on a second seed run, alongside the populated screens and a traceable pricing preview. These are prototype checks, not production-readiness claims.

Architecture

A React administration interface calls a local Express / Node.js API for CRUD and pricing rules. SQLite stores linked products, accounts and order items. FastAPI/Django alternatives and shared Python AI examples are separate from this running demo.

Pricing uses a transparent base rule—price × (1 + 0.2 × demand)—followed by stock and competitor adjustments. It is a rule-based sandbox, not a trained AI pricing engine; recommendations currently return the newest products, including zero-stock items.

Current boundaries

Secure authentication and authorization are not implemented: the sign-in interface bypasses API validation, stored passwords are plaintext and routes lack enforced authorization. Demo account APIs do not establish secure access.

Complete cart/checkout, payments and shipping integrations are absent. Total order value includes every order status and is not settled payment revenue. The prototype still needs secure sessions and roles, complete checkout, measured analytics and stock-aware recommendations before broader use.