Developing a Food Delivery App like UberEats with Blockchain

Businesses across various sectors are now exploring blockchain-based solutions to enhance their operations. One notable area ripe for blockchain innovation is the food delivery industry. Imagine a blockchain-powered food delivery app akin to UberEats. It could revolutionize the sector by offering unparalleled benefits through blockchain supply chain development. Such an app would empower stakeholders with enhanced traceability, auditability, security, and efficiency, all while ensuring end-to-end transparency in processes. Blockchain's potential to optimize the food delivery supply chain underscores its transformative power and highlights its growing importance across diverse industries.

Challenges with Current Food Delivery App Models

No Means to Ensure Food Quality

Ensuring food quality remains a significant challenge when purchasing meals online. Without firsthand experience, it is nearly impossible to verify a restaurant's standards and the quality of its food. This issue extends beyond just the taste; there is a growing concern about health risks, as contaminated or poorly prepared food can lead to serious health problems. Every year, countless individuals around the world face hospitalization due to foodborne illnesses, highlighting the critical need for more reliable food quality assurance in the online dining industry.

Counterfeit and Manipulative Orders

Counterfeit orders arise when food is mistakenly or intentionally sent to an unauthorized address or person. These orders cannot be redirected to legitimate customers, resulting in wasted resources. To address this, food distribution systems have established centers to manage these fraudulent supplies. However, service providers are still obligated to compensate vendors for these undelivered meals, incurring costs for orders that were never paid for by the intended recipient.

Delivery Executive Using Fake Identification

Delivery partners do not limit their use of counterfeit identities to food delivery platforms; they frequently forge their details across various on-demand service provider networks. This means you could order food or book a taxi online, only to discover that the individual fulfilling the service is not the one assigned to the job. Such practices represent a significant breach of security and severely undermine customer trust.

Benefits of using Blockchain Technology

No to Low Commission

Existing online food ordering and distribution systems involve multiple intermediaries between suppliers and customers. As these intermediary layers increase, so does the commission rate, which data from various sources indicate can be as high as 20%-30%. Despite this, delivery teams often argue that they receive only a small fraction of the total commission.

To minimize costs, it is possible to introduce automation and implement algorithms powered by blockchain technology. This approach can be adopted by restaurants or third-party operators, streamlining operations and reducing reliance on intermediaries.

Replacing Centralized Systems Full of Trust Issues and Intermediaries 

In the current scenario, app owners retain full control, leaving other concerned parties to operate without significant rights. This centralization limits transparency and restricts the flow of information.

While third-party actors are intended to support restaurant businesses, the reality is often different. Instead of aiding the food industry, they frequently hinder operations and adversely impact consumer acquisition strategies. Blockchain technology offers a solution by decentralizing control, enabling transparent data flow among all parties involved, and fostering a more collaborative environment.

Enhanced Security and Strengthened Growth

Without blockchain technology powering a food delivery app, managing the recruitment process for delivery team members becomes a significant and potentially dangerous challenge. The current database and procurement processes are often less rigorous, allowing individuals with criminal backgrounds or poor traffic law compliance to join the team easily. This oversight can lead to chaos and jeopardize the venture.

Blockchain technology offers a solution by enabling the use of a distributed ledger to upgrade and verify all relevant details, including records of violence, driving misbehavior, and previous job performance. This system can also be extended to align with government screening criteria, thereby strengthening the recruitment and vetting process.

Also, Read | Blockchain for Restaurant Owners is a Must-Explore Technology

Developing a Blockchain-Powered Food Ordering App

Our blockchain development experts suggest that we can build an effective system using Hyperledger projects. 

Information Management Powered by Transparency that Preserves Privacy

By promoting a sustainable level of transparency while preserving the anonymity of the businesses and individuals concerned, Hyperledger Blockchain platforms offer to incorporate the best of all worlds.

KYC verification on Blockchain

Businesses

Before working on a decentralized blockchain-based food delivery app, all restaurants and delivery partners must submit their KYC (Know Your Customer) information. However, ensuring food consistency requires more than just basic identification; it demands specific and detailed documentation. Restaurants need to update the status of the food during the cooking process and provide timely reports on raw material sourcing. When a customer places an order, they receive detailed information, including the procurement times of raw materials. All this data is recorded on a blockchain solution powered by Hyperledger, ensuring transparency and reliability.

Delivery Providers

Blockchain technology addresses the issue of counterfeit identities through a blockchain-powered KYC authentication system for delivery partners. However, merely validating a distribution partner's identity is not sufficient. To ensure ongoing security and reliability, delivery partners must conduct timely KYC checks and verification while on the job. A private Hyperledger blockchain solution stores their KYC information, including biometric data, enhancing the overall trustworthiness of the delivery process.

Also, Read | Solving the Issues of the Current Centralized System of KYC with Blockchain

Smart Contracts

A smart contract is a self-executing agreement on a blockchain solution, defined by parameters predefined in the code. Smart contracts automate various processes such as discounts, commissions, wage payments, and returns, thereby adding an extra layer of confidence among all parties involved.

Developers must program smart contracts with utmost care and consistency. Once these contracts go online, they cannot be altered without consensus, as they run on the immutable blockchain network. This ensures that no entity can modify the terms unilaterally.

Such smart contract solutions prevent system manipulation while ensuring that all parties receive what they are owed. In the event of a conflict, all relevant evidence is stored on Hyperledger blockchain's immutable database, making it accessible for future reference and resolution.

Application Development

The blockchain-powered food delivery application can be accessed via mobile platforms (iOS or Android) or through a web-based interface, ensuring seamless accessibility for users across devices. Emphasizing cutting-edge front-end techniques, the architecture of this application can be designed to deliver an unparalleled user experience.

Integrating essential features such as order placement, preference customization, and advanced filtering options, the application can offer simplicity alongside sophistication. Furthermore, it can incorporate live monitoring and voting functionalities, empowering users to engage dynamically with the platform for various purposes.

By merging intuitive functionality with innovative features, the development of such an application promises to elevate user experience to new heights.

API and Wallet Development

At the heart of the application's architecture lies the API (Application Programming Interface), meticulously crafted for both scalability and simplicity. Seamlessly connecting the application with the blockchain, this API effortlessly manages a myriad of objects and functions, ensuring smooth operation at every level.

In parallel, the wallet component stands as a beacon of flexibility, offering users a diverse range of payment options. From cryptocurrencies to traditional credit/debit cards and other digital wallets, the wallet accommodates various preferences while prioritizing security. Rigorously fortified against potential threats, it navigates through security checkpoints with unwavering precision.

The integration of this robust wallet into the system fortifies operations, enhancing efficiency and reliability. However, even in its absence, the execution of the entire process remains streamlined and effective.

Conclusion

Businesses are advised to engage blockchain developers of a reliable blockchain development company such as Oodles for the development of a sophisticated blockchain-based food delivery application. Before finalization, a comprehensive consultation process ensures a balanced approach to development.

The production team, comprising seasoned experts, should demonstrate mastery over a diverse range of stacks and possess unparalleled expertise in the product development lifecycle.

By partnering with proficient professionals like Oodles, businesses can ensure the seamless execution of their vision, backed by industry-leading insights and technical prowess.