Development of a Cross-Platform Mobile Marketplace App with Delphi

Description

Our team was contacted by a Nigeria-based startup that was building a mobile marketplace app for the African region. Initially, they planned to launch a solution in Nigeria and then expand it to other African countries. At that time, the technological development of the region was gaining momentum. However, the market still didn’t have a sufficient number of reliable digital solutions that could fully address the everyday needs of potential users. The launch of this application was expected to change the situation.

It was planned that this mobile marketplace would unite different sellers from Nigeria (and later from the entire region) and provide customers with a simple and fast way to buy different products directly from their smartphones.

When we received a request from this client, the team already had a backend part of their solution. However, they had problems with the frontend development. Initially, they wanted to build a native app for Android devices and chose Kotlin for it. Nevertheless, the development process required much more time and money than they expected. As a result, they needed to stop the development and start looking for an alternative option.

Client's pain points and concerns

After we started the project realization, we understood that the initial budget estimates were incorrect. We have completed the backend part but now we need professional help with frontend development.
We hired Kotlin developers to build the frontend part of our application but we had to freeze this work due to financial and time constraints.
We want to work with experts who will help us find the right approach to frontend development and will be able to finish the assigned tasks within strict timeframes.

Project Team size

2 developers
1 PM/BA

Solutions

We started our work with a deep analysis of the existing code base. The first task for us was to offer an approach to the frontend development that would allow us to reduce the time and money needed.

Based on the results of the conducted analysis, we offered to rewrite a frontend part in Delphi. Thanks to using Delphi, we could build a cross-platform solution which is always a more budget-friendly solution. Moreover, this approach to software development always helps to reduce the number of team members involved in the project realization and cut down costs.

After our developers joined the project, we noticed that all the development processes were quite hectic and poorly organized. To make sure that the solution would be built in accordance with the set deadlines, we helped the client adjust the processes to modern standards. When all the team members involved in the project got a clear vision of how the flow should be organized, it became much easier to coordinate the development.

When we analyzed the existing part of the software, we noticed some serious memory leaks which resulted in app crashes. That’s why we also had an important task to find the reasons for that and deal with that issue.

In the framework of our cooperation with the client’s team, we helped to build a cross-platform mobile application with the following features.

Product catalog. To get detailed information about a product, a user needs to tap it. The catalog includes comprehensive product pages with images, descriptions, pricing, and seller information.
Search. The application offers advanced search options with filters for price, sellers, ratings, product types, etc.
Online chat. A secure chat between buyers and sellers helps to facilitate the negotiation process.
Reviews. Customers have the possibility to leave reviews and ratings for products and sellers.
Wishlists. If a user is not ready to buy a product right at the moment, there is an option to add products to a wishlist for future reference.
Order management. It is possible to track orders in real time within the entire cycle from purchase to delivery. Moreover, the order history is saved on the account so that users can review all their past transactions.
Integration with a local bank system. This integration allows customers to pay quickly and safely for their orders using their bank accounts directly from the app.
Support of several language versions. Initially, the app had only an English version. During development, the team took into account the need to add new language versions in the future. As a result, it will be easy to add the necessary languages when entering new markets.

Migration:

From older version of Delphi to up-to-date version

From Delphi to C# (NET)

Data / database migration

Cloud migration / replatforming

Modernization:

Feature enhancement

UX/UI modernization

Software development:

Desktop

Web

Cloud

Mobile

In this project, we were responsible for the frontend development of a mobile app. It was a marketplace for the African region.

Technologies

Used in the project

FireMonkey
Delphi

Outcome

Our team helped the client to better organize the development process, save costs, and finish the project in the set timeframes.
We successfully solved the problem of memory leaks that negatively affected the performance of the solution.
All the assigned tasks, despite their complexity and the scope of work, were fulfilled in less than 4 months, which greatly demonstrates the high level of professionalism of our Delphi developers.
The first version of the app has been successfully delivered. Now, the client’s team is working on the expansion of its functionality based on the reviews received from users.

If you’re planning to develop a mobile app and want to ensure top-notch frontend design, contact us and book a free consultation. Our experts will evaluate your requirements and deliver the best solution, just like we did for a marketplace app tailored to the African region.