Business Process Management SaaS Development | London Case Study

Custom Business Process Management SaaS Development for a London-Based UK Business

Project Overview

We developed a custom Business Process Management and Operations Dashboard SaaS for a London-based UK business that needed a centralized platform to manage operational processes, teams, tasks, workflows, performance data, and business activities from a single application.

The client was relying on a combination of spreadsheets, emails, manual status updates, and disconnected tools to manage day-to-day operations. As the organization grew, it became increasingly difficult for management to understand what was happening across different departments, track operational tasks, identify bottlenecks, and maintain consistent business processes.

We designed and developed a custom Business Process Management SaaS platform that brings operational workflows, task management, team activities, reporting, analytics, permissions, and business data into one centralized system.

The platform was developed using a modern full-stack architecture with React.js, TypeScript, Node.js, Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Redis, REST APIs, Docker, Nginx, and cloud infrastructure.

Rather than building a static operations dashboard, we developed a SaaS architecture capable of supporting multiple users, structured workflows, role-based access, real-time operational information, and future expansion into additional business processes.

The core concept was:

Centralize business processes → structure operational data → monitor execution → identify bottlenecks → improve decision-making.

 

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The Business Challenge

The London-based client was managing several operational processes across different teams.

Although the individual processes were manageable, the overall operation had become increasingly difficult to coordinate.

Information was distributed across:

• Spreadsheets

• Emails

• Internal documents

• Separate task lists

• Manual reports

• Team communication

• Different operational systems

Management therefore had limited real-time visibility into the overall state of business operations.

For example, a manager might know that a task had been assigned but not immediately know:

• Whether it had actually started

• Who was currently responsible

• Whether it was overdue

• What stage it was in

• Whether another team was blocking it

• How many similar tasks were currently open

• Which processes were consuming the most time

The client needed a centralized system that could convert operational activity into structured, visible, and actionable information.

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The Core Problems

The existing operational environment created several challenges.

Fragmented Information

Business information was spread across multiple tools and files.

Manual Status Tracking

Employees had to manually update task and process statuses.

Limited Operational Visibility

Management lacked a centralized real-time view of business activities.

Difficult Reporting

Generating operational reports required collecting information from different sources.

Process Bottlenecks

It was difficult to identify exactly where a process was slowing down.

Inconsistent Workflows

Different employees could follow slightly different procedures for similar tasks.

Limited Scalability

The existing approach became increasingly difficult to manage as the organization and workload grew.

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Project Objectives

The objective was to develop a centralized Business Process Management SaaS platform that could provide both operational control and management visibility.

The system was designed to:

1. Centralize business processes.

2. Create structured workflows.

3. Manage operational tasks.

4. Assign responsibilities to team members.

5. Track task and process status.

6. Provide management dashboards.

7. Monitor operational performance.

8. Identify overdue activities.

9. Support multiple users and roles.

10. Maintain historical activity records.

11. Provide configurable business workflows.

12. Expose APIs for integrations.

13. Provide a scalable SaaS architecture.

14. Support future modules without rebuilding the platform.

The ultimate objective was to transform operational data into a centralized management system.

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The Solution

We designed and developed a custom Business Process Management and Operations Dashboard SaaS.

The platform combines process management, task management, operational analytics, user management, reporting, and workflow tracking.

A simplified architecture is:

Users
  ↓
React.js SaaS Dashboard
  ↓
Node.js API Layer
  ↓
Business Logic
  ↓
FastAPI Services
  ↓
PostgreSQL
  ↓
Redis
  ↓
External APIs / Integrations

The application was designed as a modular SaaS platform rather than a single-purpose dashboard.

This makes it possible to introduce additional operational modules over time.

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Why Custom SaaS Development Was Used

The client's processes were specific to its operational model.

A generic project-management platform would have introduced limitations around:

• Workflow structure

• Business rules

• Data relationships

• User roles

• Reporting

• Process states

• Custom integrations

• Dashboard requirements

• Future functionality

Custom development allowed us to design the application around the client's actual business processes.

The platform therefore provides control over both the user experience and underlying business logic.

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SaaS Architecture

The platform was designed with a modular architecture.

The major components include:

Authentication
     ↓
Organizations / Users
     ↓
Processes
     ↓
Workflows
     ↓
Tasks
     ↓
Assignments
     ↓
Activity Tracking
     ↓
Analytics
     ↓
Reports

Each module communicates through controlled APIs.

This separation makes the application easier to maintain and expand.

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Multi-User SaaS Foundation

Because the platform is SaaS-oriented, the application was designed around multiple users and organizational access.

Users can have different permissions depending on their role.

Potential roles include:

• Administrator

• Operations Manager

• Team Manager

• Team Member

• Viewer

The permission model determines what each user can view, create, edit, approve, or manage.

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Role-Based Access Control

Role-Based Access Control was implemented to separate operational responsibilities.

For example:

Administrator

Can manage:

• Users

• Roles

• Organization settings

• Processes

• System configuration

Operations Manager

Can manage:

• Processes

• Workflows

• Tasks

• Team assignments

• Operational reports

Team Member

Can manage:

• Assigned tasks

• Process activities

• Status updates

• Comments

• Required information

Viewer

Can view permitted dashboards and reports without modifying operational data.

This creates a controlled operational environment.

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Business Process Management

The core of the platform is the ability to define and manage business processes.

A process can contain:

• Process name

• Description

• Owner

• Department

• Status

• Priority

• Workflow stages

• Tasks

• Dependencies

• Deadlines

• Participants

• Activity history

A typical process can be represented as:

Process Created
      ↓
Assigned
      ↓
In Progress
      ↓
Review
      ↓
Approval
      ↓
Completed

This provides a consistent lifecycle for operational activities.

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Workflow Management

The platform allows business processes to be represented as structured workflows.

For example:

New Request
    ↓
Initial Review
    ↓
Information Required?
   ↙        ↘
 YES        NO
 ↓           ↓
Request      Processing
Information   ↓
 ↓          Approval
Review        ↓
  └────────→ Completion

Workflow states provide greater visibility than simple task lists.

Management can see not only what tasks exist, but where those tasks currently sit within the overall business process.

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Task Management

Tasks are associated with business processes and assigned to responsible users.

Each task can contain:

• Title

• Description

• Assignee

• Priority

• Status

• Due date

• Process

• Department

• Comments

• Attachments

• Activity history

Task statuses can include:

• Not Started

• In Progress

• Waiting

• Under Review

• Completed

• Cancelled

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Task Assignment

Managers can assign tasks to specific team members.

The system maintains the relationship between:

Process → Workflow → Task → User

This allows management to understand exactly who is responsible for each operational activity.

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Task Dependencies

Some business activities cannot begin until another task is completed.

For example:

Document Review
      ↓
Approval
      ↓
Processing
      ↓
Final Review

The system can represent these dependencies so that downstream activities are not treated as independently completed when their prerequisites are still outstanding.

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Priority Management

Tasks can be categorized by priority.

For example:

• Low

• Medium

• High

• Critical

Priority information can be surfaced directly within the operations dashboard.

This helps managers identify work that requires immediate attention.

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Operations Dashboard

The primary management interface is the Operations Dashboard.

The dashboard provides a centralized overview of business activity.

It can display:

• Active processes

• Open tasks

• Completed tasks

• Overdue tasks

• High-priority tasks

• Team activity

• Process performance

• Workflow status

• Recent activity

• Operational trends

Instead of reviewing multiple spreadsheets or reports, managers can access the information through a single interface.

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KPI Dashboard

The dashboard architecture supports operational KPIs.

Examples include:

• Open processes

• Completed processes

• Pending tasks

• Overdue tasks

• Average completion time

• Process throughput

• Team workload

• Tasks by priority

• Tasks by status

• Process bottlenecks

The actual KPIs can be configured according to the business requirements.

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Real-Time Operational Visibility

One of the key objectives was to make operational information easier to understand.

For example:

ACTIVE PROCESSES
42

OPEN TASKS
186

OVERDUE
17

COMPLETED THIS WEEK
94

HIGH PRIORITY
12

The dashboard can provide managers with an immediate operational snapshot.

This is more useful than waiting for manually prepared reports.

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Process Performance Analytics

The platform can collect process-level information that can later be used for operational analysis.

For example:

Process
   ↓
Start Time
   ↓
Stage 1
   ↓
Stage 2
   ↓
Stage 3
   ↓
Completion

By storing timestamps and activity information, the system can identify where processes are spending the most time.

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Bottleneck Identification

Operational bottlenecks can occur when a specific workflow stage consistently takes longer than expected.

For example:

Request
  ↓
Review       1 day
  ↓
Approval     5 days  ← Bottleneck
  ↓
Processing   1 day
  ↓
Complete

The dashboard can surface this information so management can investigate the underlying process.

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Activity Timeline

Each process and task can maintain an activity history.

An activity timeline may contain events such as:

• Process created

• Task assigned

• Status changed

• User updated task

• Comment added

• Approval submitted

• Process completed

This creates an operational audit trail.

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Notifications

The application architecture supports notification functionality for important events.

Potential notifications include:

• New task assigned

• Task approaching deadline

• Task overdue

• Process requiring approval

• Workflow status changed

• Mention in comment

• Escalated process

Notifications can be delivered through supported application or external communication channels.

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Search and Filtering

As the number of operational records grows, search becomes important.

The platform can support filtering by:

• Process

• Task

• User

• Department

• Status

• Priority

• Date

• Workflow stage

This makes large volumes of operational information easier to navigate.

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PostgreSQL Database Architecture

PostgreSQL was selected as the primary database.

The platform contains interconnected entities such as:

• Organizations

• Users

• Roles

• Processes

• Workflow stages

• Tasks

• Assignments

• Comments

• Activities

• Notifications

• Reports

A relational database is appropriate for these structured relationships.

A simplified data model is:

Organization
     ↓
   Users
     ↓
  Processes
     ↓
  Workflows
     ↓
    Tasks
     ↓
Activities / Comments

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Redis

Redis was used as a high-speed caching and processing layer.

Potential uses include:

• Session management

• Frequently accessed dashboard data

• Temporary application state

• Rate limiting

• Background job coordination

• Notification processing

Redis reduces unnecessary database operations for frequently accessed information.

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Node.js Backend

Node.js was used for application-level backend services.

Responsibilities include:

• REST API endpoints

• Authentication

• User management

• Process management

• Task management

• Business logic

• Dashboard data

• Notifications

• External integrations

The API layer provides the connection between the React frontend and backend services.

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FastAPI Services

Python and FastAPI were used for specialized backend services where Python was beneficial.

Potential responsibilities include:

• Analytics processing

• Data transformation

• Reporting

• Specialized business services

• Integration services

• Future AI modules

Separating these services allows the platform to expand into AI-powered operational functionality later.

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React.js Frontend

The SaaS dashboard was developed using React.js and TypeScript.

The component-based frontend architecture supports reusable interfaces such as:

• Dashboard cards

• Tables

• Task panels

• Workflow boards

• Process views

• User management

• Analytics charts

• Forms

• Modals

• Notifications

TypeScript adds stronger typing to the application and helps maintain predictable frontend data models.

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Operations Management Interface

The application was designed around different operational views.

Executive View

Provides high-level business KPIs and operational summaries.

Manager View

Provides process, team, task, and performance information.

Team View

Shows assigned work and active processes.

Process View

Provides detailed information about a specific business process.

This allows the same platform to support different levels of operational responsibility.

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API-First Architecture

The platform was designed around REST APIs.

This provides the ability to connect external applications and services later.

Potential integrations include:

• CRM systems

• ERP platforms

• Accounting systems

• HR platforms

• Email services

• Communication platforms

• Business intelligence tools

• Customer portals

The API architecture therefore prevents the SaaS platform from becoming an isolated application.

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Webhooks

Webhooks can be used to receive external events.

For example:

External System
      ↓
Webhook
      ↓
SaaS API
      ↓
Process / Task
      ↓
Dashboard

This provides a foundation for integrating operational events from external systems.

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Authentication

The application includes secure authentication architecture for SaaS users.

Authentication controls access to the platform while authorization determines what individual users can do.

The authentication layer can support:

• User registration

• Login

• Session management

• Password security

• Role assignment

• Access control

• Logout

• Account management

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Audit Trail

Operational systems benefit from traceability.

The platform therefore maintains activity records for important changes.

Examples include:

• Who created a process

• Who changed its status

• Who assigned a task

• Who completed a task

• When a status changed

• When an approval occurred

This provides a historical record of operational activity.

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Data Validation

The backend validates incoming application data before writing it to the database.

Validation can cover:

• Required fields

• Data types

• User permissions

• Process states

• Task assignments

• Date formats

• API payloads

This helps maintain database integrity.

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Error Handling

The platform was designed to handle common application failures.

Potential errors include:

• Invalid requests

• Unauthorized access

• Missing records

• Database errors

• API failures

• Duplicate operations

• Integration failures

The backend returns controlled responses rather than exposing internal application details.

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Docker Deployment

Docker was used to create consistent application environments.

The deployment architecture can contain separate services for:

• React frontend

• Node.js API

• FastAPI services

• PostgreSQL

• Redis

• Supporting services

Containerization simplifies deployment and service management.

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Nginx Infrastructure

Nginx was configured as part of the production infrastructure.

A simplified deployment architecture is:

Internet
   ↓
Nginx
   ↓
React Application
   ↓
Node.js API
   ↓
FastAPI Services
   ↓
PostgreSQL / Redis

Nginx provides reverse-proxy functionality and helps route traffic to the appropriate internal services.

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Cloud Server Architecture

The SaaS platform was designed for deployment on a Linux-based cloud server environment.

The infrastructure includes:

• Linux

• Docker

• Nginx

• SSL/HTTPS

• Application containers

• PostgreSQL

• Redis

• Firewall and server security

This provides a foundation for production SaaS deployment.

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Security Considerations

Because the platform stores business operational information, security was considered throughout the architecture.

Key areas include:

• Authentication

• Role-based access control

• API authorization

• Secure database access

• HTTPS

• Input validation

• Server security

• Restricted internal services

• Audit logging

• Controlled external integrations

The platform is designed so users only access the organizational data and functionality permitted by their roles.

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Multi-Tenant SaaS Architecture

The architecture can support a multi-tenant SaaS model where multiple organizations use the same application while maintaining logical data separation.

A simplified model is:

SaaS Platform
      ↓
┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│ Company A│ Company B│ Company C│
└──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘
      ↓
Tenant-Aware Data Access

Tenant isolation is particularly important when converting a custom business application into a broader SaaS product.

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Scalability

The architecture was designed so different components can scale independently.

For example:

Frontend
   ↓
API Layer
   ↓
Business Services
   ↓
Database
   +
Redis

As demand increases, individual application services can be optimized or scaled without requiring a complete architectural rewrite.

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Reporting

The platform can generate operational reports based on stored process and task data.

Potential reports include:

• Task completion

• Overdue tasks

• Process performance

• Team workload

• Process volume

• Completion trends

• Operational activity

Reports can be filtered by date, team, process, and status.

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Business Process Example

A typical internal process could look like:

New Business Request
        ↓
Operations Review
        ↓
Manager Approval
        ↓
Task Assignment
        ↓
Team Processing
        ↓
Quality Review
        ↓
Completed

Each stage can contain its own tasks, responsible users, deadlines, and activity history.

The dashboard provides visibility across the entire process.

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Development Process

Phase 1 — Business Process Discovery

We first mapped the client's operational processes.

We identified:

• Existing workflows

• Departments

• User roles

• Task types

• Process states

• Approval points

• Reporting requirements

This prevented the application from becoming a generic project-management system.

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Phase 2 — SaaS Architecture

We designed the application around modular services and a tenant-aware data architecture.

Core modules were defined before development began.

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Phase 3 — Database Design

PostgreSQL schemas were designed for:

• Users

• Organizations

• Processes

• Workflows

• Tasks

• Activities

• Notifications

• Reports

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Phase 4 — Backend Development

Node.js and FastAPI services were developed for API communication and application logic.

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Phase 5 — Frontend Development

React.js and TypeScript were used to create the operations dashboard and management interfaces.

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Phase 6 — Workflow Implementation

The client's operational processes were converted into structured digital workflows.

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Phase 7 — Analytics

Operational metrics were introduced using process, task, and activity data.

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Phase 8 — Infrastructure

Docker, Nginx, PostgreSQL, Redis, Linux, and cloud infrastructure were configured for deployment.

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Phase 9 — Testing

The system was tested across different operational scenarios.

Testing included:

• User authentication

• Role permissions

• Process creation

• Task assignment

• Workflow transitions

• Due dates

• Status changes

• Dashboard calculations

• Search and filtering

• API validation

• Database operations

• Multi-user activity

• Error handling

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Key Technical Challenges

Challenge 1 — Converting Real Business Processes into Software

The client's workflows were not simple task lists.

Different activities had dependencies, responsibilities, approvals, and states.

We therefore modeled the processes as structured workflows rather than simply creating a task-management application.

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Challenge 2 — Providing Useful Management Visibility

A dashboard can easily become a collection of numbers without providing meaningful operational insight.

We therefore connected dashboard metrics to actual process and task data.

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Challenge 3 — Supporting Multiple User Roles

Different employees require different levels of access.

The role and permission architecture therefore had to be integrated into the application from the beginning.

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Challenge 4 — Maintaining Historical Information

Managers may need to understand not only the current status of a process but also how it reached that state.

The activity and audit architecture therefore records important operational events.

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Challenge 5 — SaaS Scalability

The system needed to provide a foundation that could eventually support more organizations, users, processes, and integrations.

The architecture was therefore designed around modular services and tenant-aware data structures.

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Business Impact

The custom Business Process Management SaaS provides a centralized operational environment for the client.

The platform can help businesses:

• Centralize operational processes

• Reduce spreadsheet dependency

• Standardize workflows

• Improve task visibility

• Track team responsibilities

• Monitor overdue work

• Identify operational bottlenecks

• Improve management reporting

• Maintain operational history

• Create a scalable SaaS foundation

The central transformation was:

Scattered operational information → centralized business process management system.

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Why This Is More Than an Operations Dashboard

A conventional dashboard primarily displays information.

This platform combines:

Process Management

•  

Workflow Management

•  

Task Management

•  

Team Management

•  

Operational Analytics

•  

Role-Based Access

•  

API Integrations

This means the application does not simply tell management what is happening.

It provides the infrastructure through which operational work is organized and managed.

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Custom Software vs Generic Project Management Tools

Generic project-management platforms are designed to serve a broad range of businesses.

Custom business process management software can instead be designed around a company's specific operating model.

Custom development provides control over:

• Process states

• Workflow logic

• Approval rules

• User roles

• Database structure

• Dashboard metrics

• Integrations

• Reporting

• Business rules

• SaaS architecture

For businesses with specialized operational processes, this can make custom software a more flexible option.

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Future Expansion

The architecture can be extended with additional capabilities.

Potential future features include:

• AI-powered process recommendations

• AI operations assistant

• Automated task prioritization

• Predictive bottleneck detection

• AI-generated reports

• Workflow automation

• Email automation

• CRM integration

• ERP integration

• Advanced analytics

• Business intelligence

• Mobile application

• Automated approvals

• Document management

• AI document processing

• Customer portals

• Advanced multi-tenant SaaS features

The platform therefore provides a foundation for evolving from traditional business process management into AI-powered operations management.

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Technology Stack

Frontend

• React.js

• TypeScript

• JavaScript

• CSS

Backend

• Node.js

• Python

• FastAPI

• REST APIs

Database

• PostgreSQL

• Redis

Infrastructure

• Docker

• Nginx

• Linux

• Cloud Server

• SSL/HTTPS

Architecture

• Modular SaaS Architecture

• Multi-Tenant Data Model

• REST APIs

• Webhooks

• Role-Based Access Control

• Authentication

• Audit Logging

• Business Rules

• Workflow Management

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