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Sales Assistant Stock Checker While working at Amac, a Dutch Apple Premium Reseller, I identified an inefficiency in how employees checked stock levels for products like iPhones. During COVID-19, iPhone stock was extremely limited, and many customers called or quickly came in the store to check availability, and the process of manually reviewing each configuration was slow and frustrating for both staff and customers. There were multiple systems that could be used, and all of them had one or more drawbacks.

To address this, I created a stock-checking web tool that allowed employees to quickly view the availability of a series of iPhone models and configurations. Although the project began as a personal initiative to solve a problem I faced daily, it quickly spread across the company and is now used in multiple stores.

My Role - I handled everything from identifying the problem to designing, developing, and testing the solution. I also collaborated with my coworkers to ensure the tool met their needs and fit seamlessly into daily operations.

Technical Details

• Tech Stack: PHP for the backend, combined with a responsive web design for easy use on iPhone screens.
• Challenges: Without support from higher management, I had to find creative ways to fetch stock data. Initially, I reverse-engineered the company’s website by analyzing network logs and scraping the stock data. Later, I discovered a more efficient solution using JSON responses from XMLHttpRequests.
• Design: The tool was optimized for mobile devices, ensuring it fit perfectly on small screens and allowed employees to check stock quickly.

Impact

• The tool became a game-changer for Amac employees, significantly reducing the time spent on stock inquiries. It has been used daily across multiple stores for nearly two years, with approximately 50 active users and tens of thousands of searches performed.
• Time savings per request ranged from a few seconds to several minutes, creating a noticeable improvement in efficiency.
• The project directly led to my transition from a sales advisor to a software developer at Amac, marking the start of my career in tech.

Key Learnings

• Website Development: I improved my skills in designing responsive, user-friendly websites.
• Creative Problem-Solving: I learned to find solutions even without direct access to official resources.
• Initiative and Leadership: This project taught me the value of tackling problems head-on rather than waiting for someone else to fix them.
• Stakeholder Communication: Sharing the tool and demonstrating its value to coworkers and stores helped spread its adoption.

What Makes This Stand Out This project highlights my curiosity and drive to improve processes, even outside my official role. It showcases my ability to identify problems, create practical solutions, and make a lasting impact.