Supplier Tool Development Required

Overview:
We require a supplier price comparison tool that allows us to upload Excel files (or drop in a folder) containing pricing data from various suppliers. The system should store and analyze the pricing information, overwrite data with newer price lists, and maintain historical data for tracking price movements. The tool should handle multi-currency analysis, including currency exchange rates. The system should provide filtering options based on region or currency. Additionally, the front end should allow users to search products by barcode or description, retrieve key information, and generate reports in Excel format.

Key Features:

* File Upload and Data Storage:
* Users should be able to upload Excel files containing supplier pricing data.
* The system should store and update pricing data, overwriting existing data with newer price lists from each supplier.
* Maintain a secondary database to store historical data for tracking price movements.

* Data Analysis and Comparison:
* Implement analysis logic to compare pricing data from different suppliers.
* Support multi-currency analysis, including automatic retrieval of current currency exchange rates.
* Provide charts and visualizations to display price increases or decreases across the market.

* Filtering and Search Functionality:
* Implement filtering options to allow users to filter suppliers based on region or currency.
* Develop a search feature that allows users to search for products by barcode (exact match) or description (multiple choices).
* Retrieve key information such as the cheapest price, cheapest supplier, and average price across all suppliers, both in multiple currencies and combined currencies factoring in exchange rates.

* Front-end User Interface:
* Design a user-friendly front-end interface that facilitates easy navigation and interaction.
* Provide data input forms for uploading Excel files and searching for products.
* Include options for filtering suppliers based on region or currency or name.
* Display search results and relevant pricing information in a clear and organized manner.
* Allow users to export reports in Excel format, showing the cheapest supplier and price based on a list of barcodes.

* Currency Exchange Integration:
* Integrate with a reliable currency exchange rate service to retrieve up-to-date currency exchange rates.
* Automatically update exchange rates when new data is available.

* Security and Data Privacy:
* Implement secure authentication and access controls to protect the tool and the stored data.
* Ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations, considering the sensitivity of supplier pricing information.

* Scalability and Performance:
* Design the tool to handle a growing number of suppliers, pricing data, and historical data.
* Optimize database performance for efficient data storage, retrieval, and analysis.
* Perform load testing to ensure the tool can handle a reasonable number of concurrent users and large datasets.

Technology Stack:
* Programming Language, Database, Frameworks and Libraries and Front End to be discussed with successful candidate and advice taken on which is best. Please provide a summary how you would accomplish the specifications above.

Timeline and Deliverables:
* Provide an estimated timeline for the development, testing, and deployment phases.
* Break down deliverables into milestones, indicating key features to be completed in each phase.