HarKaam — Progressive Web App Case Study

In Karachi and other Pakistani cities, homeowners struggle to find verified local service providers for plumbing, electrical work, AC repair, painting, and cleaning. Existing classifieds sites list providers with no verification, no real-time availability, no in-app payments, and no protection if the job goes wrong. Service providers on the other side depend entirely on word-of-mouth referrals, have no scheduling tool, and lose track of bookings. The challenge was to build a single PWA that solves both sides of the marketplace while working as a native-like installable app on Android and iOS.

HarKaam is a Progressive Web App built mobile-first with Next.js 16 and Prisma ORM. The app supports three user roles — Customer, Provider, and Admin — each with dedicated dashboards. Customers browse 50+ services across 10 categories, view verified provider profiles, and book appointments through a real-time lifecycle (Pending → Accepted → On The Way → Working → Completed). Providers receive bookings, manage availability, and chat with customers in-app. Admins verify provider documents, manage commission rates, and monitor the entire marketplace. JWT authentication with bcryptjs password hashing protects every role-based route.

Next.js 16 App Router with TypeScript powers the entire application. Prisma ORM abstracts the SQLite database with 18 models (Users, Bookings, Payments, Reviews, Messages, etc.). The PWA is configured with standalone mode, portrait lock, and installable on Android/iOS via manifest.webmanifest. shadcn/ui delivers consistent accessible UI components. JWT + bcryptjs handle authentication and role-based access control. The commission-based revenue model (10% configurable) makes the platform monetizable from day one. Bilingual Urdu + English support targets the local Pakistani market.