PharmaStock Development Blog

This week was focused on finalizing project planning and getting everything ready for development. I completed the setup of the Jira board , finalized all sprints for the full length of the project, and added clear completion criteria for each sprint and task. This gives the team a clear roadmap from MVP through enhancement features. I also synced my local GitHub setup with the main project repository and verified that the branching structure is ready for feature development. With planning complete and source control aligned, the project is now fully prepared to move into active development next week.

 Toward the end of the week, I focused on my assigned sections of the design document , specifically use cases and user characteristics. This was about thinking through how PharmaStock will actually be used day to day instead of just listing features. I defined two main use cases: Managing medication inventory — adding medications, updating quantities, and keeping expiration data accurate. Responding to alerts and insights — reviewing low-stock and expiring medications and taking action before problems happen. Both use cases are written from the perspective of a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, since those are the people using the system the most. I also documented user characteristics to keep the project grounded. PharmaStock is designed for independent pharmacies , not large chains, so the users are usually working in small teams with limited time. That means the app needs to be straightforward, easy to read, and focused on surfacing important information quickly ins...

 This week was mostly about getting organized and aligned before jumping into code. Early on, I set up the project’s Google Drive so the team had a shared place to work, even though the full file structure wasn’t finalized yet. Once we had a better idea of what we needed, I reorganized the drive into clear folders for Assets , Documentation , and Archive to keep things clean and easy to navigate. I also started working in Figma on a UX Tile Frame to get a basic visual direction for PharmaStock. The goal wasn’t to design final screens, but to get everyone on the same page about layout, style, and overall feel. I finished a mockup, shared it with the team on Discord, and saved it to the team drive so it’s easy to reference later. Midweek, we had a team meeting to talk through what needed to be finished, who was responsible for what, and what we’d be tackling next week. That helped make sure expectations were clear and realistic. Overall, this week was less about building featur...

 Hi, my name is James Carter. I’m focused on building web-based applications and working toward becoming a full-stack developer after graduation. The inspiration for my capstone project, PharmaStock, comes from my experience working in facilities with poor inventory management procedures and software. I’ve wanted to build a better system for a while, and adapting that idea to the medical field made it a strong learning experience for my capstone. This blog will document my journey, the challenges I encounter, and the solutions I implement as I design and build the PharmaStock application.