Field Ops
Mobius: B2B Scrap & Recycled Materials Marketplace with Live Commodity Pricing and Route Matching
The B2B scrap marketplace — connect with verified recyclers, access live commodity pricing from CME Group, and close deals with documented route agreements and built-in real-time chat.
Django
Expo
PostgreSQL
Python
React Native
Redis
3
Live Commodity Price Sources (CME Group, FX Empire, MarketWatch)
iOS + Android
React Native App for Field Workers
Real-Time
WebSocket Chat Between Buyers and Sellers
The Problem
Industrial Scrap Disposal Ran on Phone Calls, Spreadsheets, and Verbal Deals With No Paper Trail
Industrial companies generating large volumes of scrap — metal, recycled materials, demolition waste — had no structured marketplace to connect with verified recyclers and logistics providers. Procurement was handled through informal networks: phone calls, email chains, manually negotiated rates without transparent pricing, and no documented route agreements.
Field workers assessing scrap on-site had no access to live commodity pricing, making it impossible to quote accurately without calling back to the office. There was no platform that combined materials listing, buyer offer management, logistics routing, and field-side pricing in one integrated system.
Our Solution
A Multi-Channel Platform with Web Dashboard, Mobile App, and Live Commodity Pricing
We built Mobius as a comprehensive multi-channel platform: a feature-rich web dashboard for B2B operations, a mobile API backend serving live commodity pricing, and a React Native app for field workers.
The web platform's Material model captures full listing detail — three-tier taxonomy, weight/unit pricing, multiple photos (ManyToMany MaterialImage), readiness status with date, indoor/outdoor storage, continuous availability flag, and PDF spec attachment. Buyer offers flow through MaterialOffer with a Pending → Accepted/Rejected status lifecycle. Admin manages the Recycler and Logistics directories and creates Route records with individual cost breakdowns, PDF agreements, and a recommended flag.
Django Channels WebSockets power real-time chat between any two users — the ChatMessageStatus consumer manages room groups by conversation ID, broadcasting messages instantly. Chat entries support file attachments, read status tracking, and a full inbox view.
The mobile backend runs async scrapers against CME Group, FX Empire, and MarketWatch to serve live commodity base prices to the React Native app. Field workers use the app to photograph scrap, categorise it, and get live price estimates before committing to a listing. openpyxl enables bulk material import from Excel for high-volume site clearances.
Architecture
Django 5 + DRF API. Django Channels WebSockets for real-time chat. Celery + Redis for async task processing. PostgreSQL with multi-tier material taxonomy. React Native (iOS + Android) with React Navigation. Django mobile backend for commodity price scraping (CME Group, FX Empire, MarketWatch). SendGrid email integration. openpyxl for Excel bulk import. Faker for data seeding. Server-rendered Django Templates admin panel.
The Result
Structured Scrap Marketplace — Every Listing, Offer, and Route Agreement Fully Documented
Mobius replaced informal phone-and-spreadsheet scrap procurement with a structured marketplace where every material listing, buyer offer, route assignment, and cost breakdown is documented and traceable. The verified recycler and logistics directory with admin-recommended routes gave sellers a clear, trusted disposal path — with signed PDF route agreements replacing verbal commitments.
Real-time WebSocket chat replaced the back-channel WhatsApp and email negotiations between buyers and sellers with an in-platform, auditable communication layer. The React Native app with live commodity pricing from CME Group, FX Empire, and MarketWatch gave field workers the data they needed on-site to assess scrap value and create accurate listings without calling back to headquarters.
Batch aggregation made large site-clearance projects manageable as single coordinated operations — with Excel bulk import via openpyxl for high-volume submissions. The organisation went from fragmented, undocumented procurement to a platform where every transaction has a complete record.
Want scalable architecture and measurable results like this?
Book an Architecture Audit
Build Something Like This
// free scoping call · senior engineers · no commitment
Project scope, timelines, and architecture options in one 45-minute session.
More Work
Related Projects
Next Real Estate: 6-Module Property Management SaaS — Construction to Tenant Exit, Arabic RTL Included
One platform for the full property management lifecycle: construction costs, tenant onboarding, leases, utility billing, payroll, and Arabic RTL PDF lease agreement generation.
View Details
Locatelog: GPS Attendance & Polygon Geofencing System — Zero Proxy Sign-Ins, Full Audit Trail
Eliminate attendance fraud — GPS polygon geofencing validates every field employee check-in against physical site boundaries in real time. Multi-site hierarchy, mobile app, leave management.
View Details