Case study · MkatabaHQ

ShopXray

A digital daftari for shop owners who still run on paper.

Role
UI/UX Designer
Company
MkatabaHQ
Platform
Web app
  1. An open paper daftari. The left page lists 18 January's visits (Amina, hair, 45,000; Neema, manicure, 15,000; Zawadi, colour, 60,000; Rehema, cut, 20,000) and three expenses, ending with Mapato (income) 140,000 and Salio (balance) 114,000. The right page tracks January's stock.

    The problem

    The day lives in a paper notebook.

    At closing, the owner reconciles the cash by hand. When it doesn't add up, they chase their staff for answers.

  2. A daftari page: Daftari jipya. Jina la duka: ___. Namba ya simu: ___ (New daftari. Shop name. Phone number.)
    ShopXray's Create Your Account form, asking for a shop name, full name, phone number and email, beside a shop owner smiling at a tablet

    Onboarding

    A blank page becomes a shop.

    Getting a shop set up and ready to record its first day.

  3. The same daftari, with its four visit lines highlightedVisit #05: pedicure, wash and set, gel nails and one more, totalling TZS 45,000Visit #04: pedicure, wash and set, gel nails and one more, totalling TZS 45,000Visit #03: pedicure, wash and set, and coconut oil, totalling TZS 30,000Joan Khalid's visit: full body massage, tips and gel, and a manicure, totalling TZS 105,000

    The goal

    A digital daftari that feels as easy as the paper one.

    Expenses are recorded as they happen, and cash is reconciled in real time. Closing the day just means confirming that the cash in hand matches the daftari.

  4. ShopXray's Today page with the day's revenue and its open visits, each listing services and a total

    Open day

    Every visit, as it happens.

    Recording the day's activity, including drop-offs and collections, as it happens.

  5. A daftari page headed Matumizi (expenses): hair supplies 12,000, tea for staff 6,000, car fuel 8,000ShopXray's Record Expense form: a 10,000 bodaboda ride, partly paid with 5,000, with suggested tags

    Expenses

    Matumizi becomes a form.

    Logging daily expenses in a few taps.

  6. A daftari page: Mapato (income) 140,000, Salio (balance) 114,000, and Droo (the cash drawer) 104,000, followed by two question marksThe closed day's summary for Friday, Jan 12: visits, revenue expected and collected, a 200,000 cash deficit, expenses, and TZS 15,230,000 net recorded

    Closed day

    Salio becomes the closed day.

    Confirming the cash in hand against the daftari before closing.

What I learned

Don't replace the habit. Replace the arithmetic.

Owners didn't want a new way to run their shop. They wanted the notebook to add itself up.

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Contact information

Location

Nairobi, Kenya