Project Management System with Client Portal

1. Project Overview
We are seeking a developer to design and build a secure, web-based project management system with an integrated customer portal/dashboard, accessible via our existing website hosted on Hostinger.

The system will support both internal project management workflows and a client-facing portal that allows customers to submit samples, track project progress, and view/download results. The platform must be intuitive, robust, and suitable for use in a scientific consultancy context (environmental DNA analysis and ecological consultancy).

2. Objectives
Centralise internal project tracking and laboratory workflow management
Provide clients with a transparent, easy-to-use portal for sample submission and results delivery
Reduce email-based admin and manual reporting
Support multiple project types with different workflows
Be scalable as the business grows

3. User Types
Internal users (admin/staff):
Create and manage projects
Update project status and workflows
Review client-submitted sample data
Upload results and reports

External users (clients):
Secure login via the website
Submit and manage sample metadata
Track project progress
View and download results

4. Core Functional Requirements
A. Project Management (Internal/Admin Side)
The system must allow staff to:
Create and manage projects, including:
Project title and reference ID
Project brief and scope
Client organisation and contact details
Project start and expected delivery dates
Record project attributes, including:
Project type (e.g. single species assay, metabarcoding, consultancy only)
Sample size
Primer set(s) used
Notes and internal comments

Workflow tracking, with configurable stages depending on project type, for example:
Samples received
DNA extraction
PCR
Inhibition checks
Clean-up
Sequencing
Bioinformatics
Reporting
Update project status, which feeds directly into the client-facing progress bar

B. Customer Portal (Client-Facing Side)

Clients must be able to log in securely via the website and access a personalised dashboard with the following functionality:

1. Sample Submission
Clients can input and manage samples associated with their project, including:
Sample name / ID
Location (GPS coordinates, ideally map-based input)
Date of collection
Sample type
Additional metadata fields (configurable)

2. Project Progress Tracking
Visual progress bar or status tracker
Workflow stages shown dynamically based on project type
Clear indication of current stage and completed stages

3. Results Dashboard
Once results are available, clients can view:
Project summary and brief
Results overview (textual summary)
Mapped results (interactive or static maps)
Charts and visual summaries (e.g. detections, diversity metrics where relevant)

Downloadable outputs:
Reports (PDF)
Data files (e.g. CSV, Excel)

5. Technical & Integration Requirements
Must integrate with our existing website (Hostinger hosting)
Secure authentication and role-based access control
GDPR-compliant handling of client data
Responsive design (desktop first, tablet/mobile usable)
Ability to add new project types and workflow stages in future
Clean, well-documented codebase suitable for future development