Switzerland

CET (GMT +1:00)

Ghana

GMT

USA

PST(GMT -8:00)

Sri Lanka

IST (GMT +5:30)

India

IST (GMT +5:30)

Netherlands

CET (GMT+1:00)

USA

PST(GMT -8:00)

Germany

CET (GMT+1:00)

Mentors

 @Nayan Ambali

Overview & Objectives

Data Import Tool was a 2013 GSoC project; it is standalone web-app and used for importing bulk data like clients, groups, loan and saving accounts and transactions into the system. Code from this projected can be migrated to Mifos X platform to provide seamless integration.

Description

At present data import tool is standalone and one has to deploy it and connect it to Mifos X platform to use it for importing data. It will make the tool more readily available for all users to migrate the code from this project to Mifos X platform and give seamless integration.

Advantages of merging the code with platform:

1) Bulk upload API will always be in sync with platform APIs.

2) Easy of build UI for bulk upload inside Community-App.

3) Import will be much faster as we are eliminating one tier.

Apart from integration, we'll also be adding in additional import functionalities beyond clients, loans, and savings accounts:

4) And we will be adding other essential import options such as CoA, Code/Code Values, Offices and Data tables. 

Helpful Skills

Java (Spring/JPA/Jersey), SQL , JavaScript , Git

Impact

It has many impacts

1. This drastically reduces the time to set up of initial configuration/data of Mifos X for organization adopting this system as MIS.

2. For data entry operator, this feature can be used as bulk creation option (such as import bulk loans, import clients)

3. These templates can be used as offline store. And once user has internet connectivity can upload these templates with captured data.

Other Resources

GSOC 2013 - Data Import Tool

GSoC 2014 - Data Import/Export feature

Mentors

@Binny Gopinath Sreevas (Unlicensed)

Overview & Objectives

Workflows can be used for adding additional data/surveys for capturing data or adding checklist to a pre-defined workflows at certain points of the workflow (scope does not include adding custom workflows).

Description

In most of the cases MFI wants to capture additional data during certain workflows (example: during client closing, wants to conduct exit survey, capture PPI during loan creation) and this requirement can fulfilled by adding option to attach datatable/survey/question group to the pre-defined workflows as certain points (example: during loan creation, during approval time or during disbursement etc).

And same can be achieved by integrating workflow engine.  

Helpful Skills

 Java, SQL , JavaScript , Git

Impact

Helps organization to streamline their data capture process in the MIS and as well as in the field. And this leads toward more measurability of the MFI's impact in the field and more transparency.

Other Resources

Mentors

@Nayan Ambali(plus @Michael Vorburger, as needed)

Overview & Objectives

MFIs have requested the ability for both inbound and outbound SMS communication. This project will focus on Inbound SMS Integration, as part of client protection, client has right know about her/his account information at any time any where.

Description

In outbound SMS notification MFI decides when and what information need to be sent to client, but as part of client protection, client has complete rights to request for information about her/his account details(any time any where). Using inbound SMS client can query for her account details such loan amount, status of new loan application, outstanding loan amount.

Helpful Skills

 Java, SQL , JavaScript , Git

Impact

Transparency and client protection.

Other Resources

See SMS Integration and Outbound SMS

Mentors

@Sander van der Heyden 

Overview & Objectives

Microfinance institutions usually work with various external parties, such as funders or investors. Using the data that is available in MifosX we would like to offer those stakeholders a seperate portal showing accurate and high-level information about the institution that would otherwise be reported manually by the institution. This information helps them in their decision making processes, but also enables them to assess the broader impact they are having with their funding.

Description

To develop a portal that aggregates information from different Mifos X deployments and report on predefined social and operational metrics

Objectives:

• Implement back-end logic in MifosX required to make information available to the client impact portal

• Implement UI and back-end logic of the Client impact portal

Helpful Skills

 SQL, Java, Javascript, Git, Web Services

Impact

Funders and investors are vital for almost all MFI's, providing them with accurate information on the impact they are making with each of their MFI's is something they highly value and that enables them to assess whether they want to further support the MFI's moving forward to enable growth of the MFI.

Other Resources

Data Analytics & Client Insight - Are we making an impact? (Client Impact Portal demo)

Client Impact Portal POC - (mifos/password are login credentials)

Mentors

@Nayan Ambali

Overview & Objectives

Because of regulatory reasons or to do background check of a client (risk management), MFIs depend on credit bureaus. As part of it, MFI must submit client details to credit bureau and also need to pull client information from credit bureau before approving any new loans to a client.Mifos X can be integrated with a popular CBs in India and from other regions (based on the demand).

Description

This will be an optional module inside Mifos X, and this module can be turned on/off based on the institutes requirements. And will be flexible to configure with different CBs (may not be practical to integrate with all CBs).

The major functionality will be sending the data to CBs on regular intervals in the format CB expects. And option to pull the client’s information from CB whenever loan officer/branch manager/ user wants to view the information for a particular client.

Helpful Skills

 SQL, Java, Javascript, Git, Web Services, Big Data (Hadoop, Hive)

Impact

The credit report shows account information such as repayment record, defaults, type of loan, amount of loan, etc. of the customer. This information facilitates prudent decision-making when the credit underwriter processes the loan application. This help MFI to reduce the risk of bad loans and reduces the multiple lendings to same person from different MFIs.

Other Resources

Mentors

@James Dailey

Overview & Objectives

MFIs are interested in becoming a channel for clean energy products - such as solar home systems, water purifiers, or improved cookstoves. With international partners like barefoot power, dlight, or MicroEnergy Credits, or local partners like Grameen Greenway or HUL, MFIs need a way to take orders and hand off data to appropriate partners for order-fulfillment, warranty management, and after-sales service. Integrating a single customer view including their financing of specific clean energy products.

Description

1. Build a module that extends loan product definition to include specific physical product ordering - e.g. a clean energy loan associated with a specific solar product. Create a daily batch process to send data in JSON or XML to appropriate third party system (e.g. MEC Tracker). Extend this to include "down payments" on the product purchase - i.e. only partially financed.

2. Build a supplier ordering/invoice & financial reconciliation process and transfer funds directly to "Supplier Account" upon fulfillment of order.

3. Create reports on aging of orders, fulfillment timing, and geographic spread.

Helpful Skills

  SQL, Java, Javascript, Git, Web Services

Impact

MFIs become more capable of integrating with third party systems for management of deliveries, after-sales service, and carbon tracking.

Other Resources

Mentors

@James Dailey

Overview & Objectives

Pay-as-you-go mobile phones have revolutionized access to telecom, the same can be done with solar energy access. Off-grid installations of PVC panels and batteries can be pared with a mobile payment mechanism to allow clients to purchase power "as they use it". This functionality will allow organizations to become involved with 3rd party providers of solar systems.

Description

1. Create a pre-paid account mechanism as an account type or account option in Mifos (perhaps extending existing classes), zero fees.

2. Create a new API for consuming pre-paid account balances.  

3. Create a simple external model that mimics consumption by a household on a daily basis - imagined as a set of data received from solar panel (watts used, time of day, volts present).  

4. Load up pre-paid account by account transfer in P2P interface (my phone to your account) or via trusted agent - i.e. trusted agent receives cash and loads account on Mifos.

Helpful Skills

 SQL, Java, Javascript, Git, Web Services

Impact

Providers of pay-as-you-go solar can use MIFOS for their operations. MFIs can become such providers.

Other Resources

Mobile project on MifosX

Mentors

@Nayan Ambali

Overview & Objectives

A business rule system enables these financial institutes policies and other operational decisions to be defined, tested, executed. Rule engines typically support rules, facts, priority (score), mutual exclusion, preconditions, and other functions.

This module will enable MFI admin to add, remove or modify the business rule against pre-defined work flows in the application.

Description

As financial institutes, the business process of the institute is governed by local regulatory, and internal rules and rules defined by other other stake holders. And MIS should have provision to define these rules in the application to achive the objectives of these rules defined by various stake holders.

Example: Insurance company does not provider insurance to any person above 65 age. In that case in the MIS if users tries to attach a insurance feed to a client's loan account whos age is more than 65 years then "business rule engine" should prevent that action with appropriate message.

Helpful Skills

SQL, Java, Javascript, Git

Impact

It helps MFIs to follow the compliance set for regulatory and various stake holder. Also reduces the fraudulent cases

Other Resources

 Business Rules Engine

Mentors

 @Nayan Ambali

Overview & Objectives

At present MIfos X platform is shipped with Community-App (SPA) as default UI, but initial load time of the application high. And for users on narrow bandwidth internet it takes a considerable amount of time to load the app.

Instead of loading the app every time, we can convert the Community-App into a Chrome App and user can download them once and install it ion the machine, and it can used as thick client.

Description

Community-App is completely developed on top of JavaScript, CSS and HTML. And Chrome apps are also written in same stack. Using grunt we should be able to repackage Community-App(SPA) into Community-App(Chrome App)

Helpful Skills

Javascript, AngularJS, Grunt

Impact

Users with slow internet connectivity can use this app (Installed on the machine) instead of loading Community-App (SPA) on the browser. Users will also have a continually updated app. This will also allow MFIs to potentially use Chromebooks as field-based devices for their branches.

Other Resources

  http://developer.chrome.com/apps/angular_framework.html

Mentors

@Binny Gopinath Sreevas (Unlicensed)

Overview & Objectives

Right now Mifos X contains core client management functionalities including tracking basic demographic information, know your customer information, document management, and survey collection through data tables. As financial institutions serving the poor begin to offer a more in-depth and diverse range of financial inclusion products, the need for more robust client management and in-depth client understanding has grows. Their core system needs to provide more and more CRM-type functionality that complement the portfolio management and financial/social reporting the Mifos X provides.

This project will work to deliver the initial set of customer relationship management functionalities including a module for tracking inquiries, complaints

Description

This module will have a request management functionality. A request can be of 2 types: Complaints and Service Requests. Each request must be against a customer and optionally against an account of the customer. Each request will go through a simple workflow.

Actions that can be performed on a request:

Assign -> will change status to "assigned"

Start Work --> will change status to "in progress"

Close --> will change status to "closed" (with a sub-reason code)

At each step user can enter comments.

The customer summary screen will have a link to view the requests of the customer - along with a summary and current status - with option to click-through to get the complete history of each request.

Helpful Skills

Impact

Deepening the client relationship and ensuring fair, responsible, and transparent financial services to the poor is a core piece of the industry's roadmap for financial inclusion. Providing customers the ability to voice their concerns and feedback about the services they're receiving provides a simple yet powerful tool to protect the client. Empowering the financial institution with the ability to track these inquiries and overall maintain a more holistic relationship tracking entire lifecycle of their clients gives them a much better ability to understand their clients and respond to their needs with appropriately designed services and products.

Other Resources

Mentors

@KojoG

Overview & Objectives

We believe the Mifos X platform is super secure and impenetrable. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to prove us wrong, and help close gaps you may find.

Description

Beyond a one time exercise, you should integrate (some of) the tools you've used into our build chain so that, even after you've gone, tools flag up future newly introduced potential vulnerabilities.

Helpful Skills

Candidates applying for this project would ideally have prior experience in penetration testing, and document this in their application.

Impact

Re-assuring the more Entreprise-y type Mifos clients that they can safely bet on Mifos X as an MFI platform.

Other Resources

https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Main_Page

https://code.google.com/p/zaproxy/

http://wapiti.sourceforge.net

Run FindBugs & related tools for some serious static code analysis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penetration_test

Mentors

@Vishwas Babu A J

Overview & Objectives

During last year's GSoC 2013, star student (and GSoC 2014 mentor) Anuruddha has greatly contributed to the scalability of the Mifos X by adding server-side pagination and distributed caching to the platform. This project's goal is to measure just how well we really scale - with concrete scenarios and hard numbers, and produce documentation about this helping organization who are evaluating Mifos.

Beyond a one time exercise, you should set up infrastructure we can keep using, and integrate the tools you've used into our build chain so that, even after you've gone, help us to keep up good perf.

Description

Helpful Skills

Impact

Re-assuring the more Entreprise-y type Mifos clients that they can safely bet on Mifos X as an MFI platform.

Other Resources

http://twitter.github.io/iago/

http://www.loadui.org (by the good people behind SOAPui)

Selenium WebDriver

https://jmeter.apache.org/

http://grinder.sourceforge.net/

http://opensta.org/

Mentors

@Michael Vorburger  

Overview & Objectives

The AngularJS-based Mifos X UI, like most of today's AngularJS-based or really most web apps, is "coded out" with JavaScript & HTML partial views. This project aims to explore and deliver at least partially working solution, based on and applied to Mifos X UI as a "case study", how web UI of modern SPA web applications can be "modeled" (described), and "generated" (at build, or better, runtime right within the browser). Advantages of such a model driven (MDA / MDD) approach incl. that less technical users can change screen definitions themselves, and that changes to the underlying technical architecture (e.g. AngularJS version and other JS frameworks used) ideally only affect the generators, not the functional screen models.

Description

You could base this on ongoing explorations in https://github.com/vorburger/MUI.js, and using EFactory / ESON as model syntax (see https://github.com/vorburger/efactory; ESON a JSON-like EMF Xtext technology which is currently being incubated as a formal eclipse.org project). The goal and expected outcome of this project isn't some write up, but actually running code.

Helpful Skills

Conceptual Modeling, JavaScript, advanced AngularJS, curious and creative mind, capability to actually deliver

Impact

Enable the Mifos X UI to be much more easily customized and adapted by end-users

Other Resources

see links above 

Mentors

@Vishwas Babu A J

Overview & Objectives

MIfos X platform is shipped with a Community-App (SPA) as the default UI which is optimized for Web Browser display on large screens (Mobile, Laptops and Tablets). We need to extend the same to support mobile views (with minor changes to workflow) and provide offline functionality

Description

Community-App is completely developed on top of JavaScript, CSS and HTML. Also since there is a clear separation between the view and the Controllers in Angular JS, we should be able to spin up mobile views fairly easily reusing the same Controllers and Services. As it is quite common for Mobile users to have intermittent data connection, we should also support offline functionality,