Development of a Digital Platform for connecting consumers and entrepreneurs in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48017/dj.v11i3.4138Keywords:
Empreendedorismo, Microempreendedor Individial, Plataformas digitais, Intermediação de serviços, Desenvolvimento RegionalAbstract
This article presents the development of AproxiMEI, a digital platform to connect consumers and local service providers in the coal region of Rio Grande do Sul. The general objective was to create an accessible solution, free and without financial intermediation, with catalog viewing and direct contracting via WhatsApp. The methodology is based on the Product Development Process (PDP) model, with a qualitative approach and case study. The development includes prototyping in Figma, implementation with React, Spring Boot and PostgreSQL, and validation with 12 volunteer users, who evaluate the usability through direct observation and electronic questionnaire. The results indicate high quality: 100% of participants will understand the flow of the site, 91.7% affirm that they would use the platform on a daily basis and 83.3% will consider the visual elements clear and the style pleasant. Identified that the search for providers still occurs through fragmented channels, such as Google (45.5%), WhatsApp and Facebook (18.2% each), validating the relevance of the proposal. The authenticated validation system via WhatsApp is innovative to increase reliability. It is concluded that AproxiMEI addresses the intended objectives, offering an equitable and viable alternative for local microentrepreneurs, addressing challenges such as financial sustainability and expansion of the user base demanding future jobs.
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