Contract & Invoice Management System

📌 Project Description

A full-stack MERN-based Contract & Invoice Management System that allows businesses to efficiently create, track, and manage contracts and invoices. It includes role-based access control, automated tax calculations, and a structured payment and deduction system.

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🚀 Tech Stack

• MongoDB
• Express.js
• React.js
• Node.js

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🔧 Installation Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd CIMS

2. Navigate to the backend folder and install dependencies:

   cd backend
   npm install

3. Navigate to the frontend folder and install dependencies:

   cd ../frontend
   npm install

4. Install additional libraries such as lucide-react if required (refer to package.json).
5. Configure environment variables (see below).
6. Start the backend server:

   npm run dev

7. Start the frontend server:

   npm start

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🛠 Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the backend folder with the following content:

MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://<USERNAME>:<PASSWORD>@cluster0.mongodb.net/contract_management?retryWrites=true&w=majority
PORT=5000
JWT_SECRET=<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>
NODE_ENV=development
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000
SENDGRID_API_KEY=<YOUR_SENDGRID_API_KEY>
SENDGRID_FROM_EMAIL=<YOUR_SENDGRID_FROM_EMAIL>
UPLOAD_PATH=uploads
MAX_FILE_SIZE=5242880  # 5MB
ALLOWED_FILE_TYPES=image/jpeg,image/jpg,image/png

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📖 Usage Instructions

• Creating Contracts & Invoices: Use the "Create Contract" button on the contract page and the "Create Invoice" button on the invoice page.
• Admin Setup: Before using the frontend, create an admin user using Postman:
  1. Use the API to create a user with the admin role.
  2. Log in using that admin account from the frontend.

Without this step, the system may not function as expected.

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🔑 Roles & Permissions

• Admin: Full access (manage users, contracts, and invoices).
• User: Can only create and view contracts/invoices. No edit or delete permissions.

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🌐 API Documentation

• Users can refer to the backend route files for available API endpoints.
• A Postman collection can be generated by referring to the backend schema models.

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🔮 Future Enhancements

• Implement a client portal where companies under contract can view their contracts, invoices, and make direct payments.
• Enhance existing features and introduce more automation in invoice tracking and payments.

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👤 Contributors

This project was developed entirely by Mehul Patel from scratch. No external contributors.

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📜 License

This project does not include a license.

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