Diamond Trade Center

From Manual Listings to Global Connections: Revolutionizing Diamond Trade with Diamond Trade Centre

Executive Summary

The diamond trade industry, traditionally reliant on manual processes for inventory management and trade, faced significant challenges in scalability, real-time updates, and global reach. Diamond Trade Centre (DTC) was developed as a web-based platform to address these issues. It connects diamond buyers, sellers, and traders through a centralized, feature-rich platform, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and user experience.

This case study outlines the journey of building DTC, from identifying challenges to delivering a scalable solution that transformed the trading process for the diamond industry.

Background

About Diamond Trade Centre

DTC is a web platform designed to streamline the trading of certified and non-certified diamonds. It serves diamond traders, manufacturers, and jewelers worldwide, offering tools for inventory management, buyer-seller communication, and real-time updates.

The Challenges

Outdated User Flow and Pricing Mechanism:Previously, users could only order parcels that had been added by sellers, creating a static and limited experience. The challenge was to introduce a dynamic, market-driven pricing system. We developed a new process where parcel rates are calculated based on the current market price, allowing users to order parcels flexibly and according to market conditions.
Legacy Design and User Experience:The old design failed to captivate users and lacked a modern interface. We aimed to make the website visually appealing and intuitive. This required a complete overhaul of the design to create a more attractive and user-friendly experience, ultimately boosting user engagement.
Mobile Application Upgrade:The mobile application required the same level of transformation. We used Flutter for development, ensuring the mobile app mirrored the website’s new features and design, offering users a seamless experience across devices.
Custom Payment Gateway Implementation:A significant challenge was the gateway charges (approximately 2%) which were eating into the margins of transactions. We implemented a custom payment gatewaysolution that reduced the gateway fee by 2%, saving costs for the business and providing a more efficient payment solution.
Rapid Transition:This was an existing project, and we had to quickly familiarize ourselves with the entire system. Within 20 days,we thoroughly understood the existing architecture and then began making the necessary changes to both the website and mobile app.

Objectives

The goal was to create an online platform that would:

Centralize diamond inventory management.
Provide real-time updates for buyers and sellers.
Facilitate secure transactions with reduced gateway fees.
Improve communication between global traders.
Support scalability to accommodate future growth.

Approach

Solution Design

We proposed a robustMVC (Model-View-Controller) structured platform using.NETfor both the website and mobile app. The MVC architecture ensured clean separation of concerns, scalability, and maintainability, while providing a clear workflow for each part of the system.

For the front-end,we used:

HTMLfor structuring the web pages.
Bootstrapfor responsive and modern design.
jQueryfor dynamic, client-side interactions.

This combination ensured a fast, interactive, and user-friendly web application.

Technology Stack

Frontend:HTML, Bootstrap, jQuery for a modern and responsive user interface.
Backend:.NET Core with MVC architecturefor a reliable and scalable backend
Database:SQL Server for managing large datasets efficiently.
Payment Integration:Custom payment gateway to reduce transaction fees by 2%.

Implementation

Key Features Delivered

1. Landing Page

A visually engaging interface with easy navigation to diamond listings.
Search filters for certified/non-certified diamonds and price ranges.

2. Inventory Management

Sellers can upload and manage inventory in real-time using an intuitive e-locker feature.

3. Buyer Tools

Buyers can search, filter, and compare diamonds seamlessly.
Real-time notifications on price updates and new listings.

4. Custom Payment Gateway

The implementation of a custom payment gateway reduced transaction fees by 2%, providing a more cost-effective solution for both the business and its users.

5. Secure Payment Gateway

Support for multi-currency transactions to facilitate global trade.

6. Admin Dashboard

Tools to monitor user activities, manage listings, and generate reports.

Development Timeline

The project was completed in 16 weeks,including:

Requirements gathering (2 weeks).
Design and prototyping (4 weeks).
Development and testing (8 weeks).
Deployment and final adjustments (2 weeks).

Results and Impact

Increased Efficiency:Reduced transaction processing time by 55%.
Gateway Savings:Custom payment solution saved 2% in transaction fees.
Global Reach:Enabled connections between traders across 10+ countries within the first quarter.
Enhanced Transparency:Improved buyer confidence with real-time inventory updates.
Scalability:The platform is prepared to handle a growing user base and inventory size.

Lessons Learned

Importance of user feedback in feature refinement.
The need for detailed testing of payment systems to ensure security.
Early integration of scalability features helps accommodate future growth seamlessly.

Conclusion

Diamond Trade Centre has revolutionized diamond trading by automating inventory management, enabling global connections, and ensuring secure, transparent transactions. Using MVC architecture in .NET and front-end technologies like HTML, Bootstrap, and jQuery, the platform is scalable, maintainable, and offers a seamless user experience across both the website and mobile application. By integrating a custom payment gateway, the project has also enhanced profitability by reducing transaction fees, showcasing how digital transformation can redefine traditional industries.