A full-stack project estimation tool that replaces a manual spreadsheet process. It produces scoped backlogs, effort summaries, resource profiles, timelines, and eventually SOW documents.
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Frontend | React + Vite + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS |
| Backend | Node.js + Express + TypeScript |
| ORM | Prisma 7 (driver adapter mode) |
| Database | PostgreSQL |
| Auth | JWT (Bearer token) |
| Testing | Vitest + Supertest (server), Vitest + React Testing Library (client), Playwright (E2E) |
/client React + Vite frontend
/server Express + Prisma API
/prisma Schema + migrations
/scripts Utility scripts (e.g. e2e:cleanup)
/e2e Playwright E2E tests
- Node.js 20+
- Docker (recommended — easiest way to run PostgreSQL locally)
With Docker (recommended):
docker run -d \
--name monrad-pg \
-e POSTGRES_USER=postgres \
-e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres \
-e POSTGRES_DB=monrad_estimator \
-p 5432:5432 \
postgres:15Without Docker (existing PostgreSQL install): ensure a database named monrad_estimator exists and update DATABASE_URL in step 2 with your credentials.
npm installThis installs all workspace dependencies and automatically:
- Creates the
logs/directory - Downloads the Puppeteer-managed Chrome browser (~170 MB) used for server-side PDF generation
Note: Chrome is cached to
~/.cache/puppeteerand only downloaded once. If you're offline or the download fails, PDF generation won't work until you runnpm run install:chromemanually.
cp server/.env.example server/.envserver/.env.example contains sensible defaults for local development. Edit it if your PostgreSQL credentials differ from the Docker command above.
Email is used for password reset links and org invite emails. Without SMTP configured, both flows still work — the email content and link are printed to the server console instead.
To enable real email delivery, add the following to server/.env:
SMTP_HOST="smtp-relay.brevo.com" # or your provider's SMTP host
SMTP_PORT="587"
SMTP_USER="your-smtp-login"
SMTP_PASS="your-smtp-key-or-password"
SMTP_FROM="Monrad Estimator <you@yourdomain.com>"
CLIENT_URL="http://localhost:5173" # base URL used in email linksRecommended free providers:
| Provider | Free tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brevo | 300 emails/day | SMTP login = account email, password = generated SMTP key |
| Resend | 3,000 emails/month | Requires a verified domain |
| SendGrid | 100 emails/day | Industry standard |
For Brevo: generate an SMTP key at Settings → SMTP & API → SMTP, then verify a sender address at Senders & IPs → Add a sender.
cd server
npx prisma migrate deploy
npx prisma generatenpm run dev # API on :3001 + Vite on :5173 (concurrently)Server logs are written to logs/dev-servers.log when running in the background. The logs/ directory is created automatically by npm install.
Troubleshooting: If
npm run devexits immediately with no output, check thatlogs/exists (mkdir -p logs) and that the Puppeteer Chrome browser was downloaded successfully (npm run install:chrome).
# Server unit/integration tests
cd server && npm test
# TypeScript check
cd server && npx tsc --noEmit
cd client && npx tsc --noEmit
# E2E (requires both dev servers running)
cd e2e && ./node_modules/.bin/playwright test --workers=1Repo setup, Vite + React + TypeScript + Tailwind, Express + Prisma, DB schema, JWT auth, project CRUD.
Backlog hierarchy (Epic → Feature → Story → Task), tree view UI, manual entry, resource type management, bidirectional hours/days input. CSV export/import with 3-step staging workflow, upsert-by-hierarchy re-import, status columns (EpicStatus/FeatureStatus/StoryStatus), and Template link on stories.
Feature Template data model + API, Template Library UI, template-based backlog generation (select template + complexity → creates tasks). Globally unique template names enforced. Templates linkable to stories via CSV import/export.
Effort summary API grouped by resource type and epic. Summary view with expandable epic sub-rows, cost columns (day rate + estimated cost, conditional on rate data), and category subtotals. Detail view with Excel-like column filters (Epic, Feature, Story, Resource Type dropdowns + task name text search), cascading filter dropdowns, cost per task, and totals rows. Active-scope toggle to focus on in-scope items only.
Timeline data model + API with dependency-aware auto-scheduler, proportional pool resource levelling, and fractional-week durations. SVG Gantt chart with feature and story bars, drag-and-drop manual scheduling with override indicators, inter-feature dependency arrows, sequential/parallel epic mode toggle, resource demand histogram, custom feature colours (colour picker saved to Feature.timelineColour), over-allocation indicators (red dot on Gantt bars in over-allocated weeks), and onboarding/buffer zone visualisation (amber onboarding zone at chart start, indigo buffer zone at chart end). Inline edit panel for start week, duration, and feature dependencies. CSV export (Gantt + resource demand + named resources) and full-width PNG export (dark-mode aware).
Per-resource hours/days/cost aggregation with epic → feature → story drill-down, configurable overhead items (% of task days, fixed total days, days per week × project duration), stacked bar chart, FTE calculation, dual CSV exports (resource profile + full project zip). Per-resource hoursPerDay and dayRate overrides support multi-locale teams (e.g. AU 7.6h vs NZ 8h). Onboarding/buffer weeks panel: onboarding weeks allocated to Full Project and Overhead resources before delivery begins; buffer weeks appended at project end. Allocation mode-aware named resource bars on Timeline (FULL_PROJECT spans full project; TIMELINE uses derived or manual range; T&M shows demand bars). Cost Summary Period column shows mode-correct date ranges. See #6.
Server-side PDF scope document via Puppeteer (headless Chrome). TipTap rich text editor on all description/assumptions fields (Epic, Feature, Story, Task, Project). Sections: Cover, Overview, Scope Summary, Effort Breakdown, Gantt Chart (server-side SVG), Timeline Summary, Resource Profile, Assumptions — all toggleable. Document grid with metadata cards (label, sections pills, date, author). Timezone-aware document labels and filenames. HTML preserved in CSV export for lossless round-trip. Phase 7a shipped in #129; v2 (Puppeteer + TipTap) in #166. See #7.
Day rates per resource type (global defaults + project overrides) and cost columns in Effort Review are shipped. Remaining: per-resource-type discounts, project-level discounts (value/duration/manual), cost summary UI, cost section in SOW. See #8.
"Generate from brief" using OpenAI or Claude, AI-suggested templates at appropriate complexity. See #9.
| Projects | Backlog |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Timeline | Templates |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Resource Profile | Effort Review |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Screenshots are auto-generated by running
npm run screenshotsfrom the repo root.
| Enhancement | PR |
|---|---|
| Global resource type catalog + project instances | #27 |
| Configurable hours/day per project + project settings | #20 |
| Resource type propagation + referential integrity | #32 |
| Backlog UX — auto-expand after creation | #31 |
| Template task reorder, refresh from template, backlog version history | #36 |
| Backlog CSV export/import with 3-step staging workflow | #37 |
| Backlog drag-and-drop reorder (all levels + cross-parent moves) | #40 |
| XS (extra small) complexity level | #40 |
| DurationDays auto-calculated from hoursEffort across all creation paths | #40 |
| Nullable resource type on tasks (CSV import resilience) | #51 |
| Per-resource hoursPerDay + dayRate; snapshot rollback perf | #54 |
| Phase 6: Resource Profile — FTE, overhead, cost, chart, CSV exports | #55 |
| README Phase 6 status + resource-profile screenshot | #63 |
| Phase 7 CI pipeline, timeline dependency scheduler, resource levelling, fractional weeks | #95 |
| Deactivate epics/features/stories to mark as out of scope | #100 |
| SVG Gantt overhaul: story bars, drag-and-drop, dependency arrows, proportional pool scheduler, resource histogram, clear-all-overrides, tooltip enhancements | #106 |
| Backlog CSV export removes complexity-tier columns (HoursXS–XL); import retains backwards compat | #107 |
| Backlog CSV redesign: Type column, per-level status (EpicStatus/FeatureStatus/StoryStatus), Template link on stories, upsert-by-hierarchy import, unique template names, export filename includes client/project/date, DurationDays precision fix | #110 |
| Resource Profile: fix inherited global day rates not applied to cost calculation | #111 |
| Effort Review: active-scope filter toggle, cost columns (day rate + total), expandable epic sub-rows in summary, Excel-like column filters in detail view, cost + totals in detail | #112 |
| Effort Review enhancements — cost columns, active filter, epic breakdown, detail column filters | #113 |
| Resource Profile & Commercial overhaul — named resources, rate cards, discounts, GST | #118 |
| Remove Westpac branding references | #120 |
| Effort Review CSV export (summary + detail, respects active filter and hasCost flag) | #120 |
| Fix new project resource type seeding (was hardcoded, now uses live global catalog) | #122 |
| Project-level resource type management screen — add/remove/override rates per project | #122 |
| Fix CSV import 413 payload-too-large error on large backlogs | #127 |
| Per-named-resource allocation modes (Full Project / Timeline / Custom) + Commercial tab overhaul | #131 |
| Resource period start/end dates, buffer weeks indicators, commercial double-count fix, allocation label fix, CSV epic/feature descriptions + assumptions, Epic.assumptions field, document assumptions section, LAB3 colour scheme, PDF heading fixes | #132 |
| PDF cover page: generated-by username, generation time, document label, projected end date; backlog CSV fix for epic/feature descriptions; commercial tab removes aggregate row; auto-create person on resource type creation; assumptions exclude out-of-scope items | #135 |
Comprehensive dark mode theming across all pages and components; standardised headers with M icon, ThemeToggle, and breadcrumb nav on all global and project pages; SVG dark mode (Gantt, histogram, named resources) via useIsDark hook; epic/feature/story colour hierarchy in dark mode |
#143 |
| Document generator: normalise customer data for PDF rendering, harden cover-page layout, and replace fragile scope summary table layout with long-content-safe rendering | #155 |
| Timeline & Resource Profile enhancements — person-first model, over-allocation indicators, custom feature colours, onboarding/buffer zones, PNG/CSV export, allocation mode-aware named resources | #164 |
| Doc Generator v2 — Puppeteer server-side PDF, TipTap rich text editor (all description/assumptions fields), Overview section in scope doc, timezone-aware timestamps on document label and filename | #166 |
| Doc Generator v2 (continued) — redesigned Documents page (generation panel + document grid), Gantt chart section (server-side SVG), sections metadata on document cards, project name in label/filename, HTML preserved in CSV export for round-trip fidelity | #166 |
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| #67 | Investigate and fix two flaky Playwright tests (backlog.spec.ts) |
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| #150 | Resource Profile: warn when project resources have no rates applied |
| #108 | docs: comprehensive functional specification (docs/FUNCTIONAL_SPEC.md) |
| #109 | Global Customer entity (name, description, account code, CRM link) + link to projects |
| #57 | Template tasks: assumptions + description fields |
| #61 | Template tasks: percentage-based tasks (% of cumulative totals) |
| #56 | Clone project |
| #64 | Global configuration menu (resource types, templates, overhead defaults) |
| #23 | Global default overheads, inheritable per project |
| #46 | Soft-delete templates with restore |
| #62 | Refactor: flatMap in effort.ts + snapshots.ts |
| #19 | Apply template button — improve discoverability |
| #69 | GST configurable rate per project via Project Settings (ex-GST/inc-GST totals already ship in Resource Profile; rate UI missing) |
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| #35 | Backlog version history — diff UI and compare view (snapshots + rollback already shipped) |
| #70 | Locale and currency settings (default AU/AUD) |
| #71 | Public holiday calendars for resource/cost modelling by locale |
| #72 | Timezone setting per account (default AEST) |
| #73 | Project financial tracking — upload actuals CSV, project over/under-spend |
| #74 | Terms of use page + required acceptance checkbox at signup |
| #75 | Support contact form + footer links (FAQ, How-to) |
| #76 | Export backlog to Azure DevOps Boards |
| #24 | Per-resource overhead configuration |
| #22 | Project sharing / multi-user collaboration |
| #10 | Password reset flow |
| #114 | Cross-project dashboard with summary analytics |
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| #77 | Productionisation tracking issue |
| #78 | Security review — application code |
| #79 | Azure architecture design (non-prod + prod) |
| #80 | Infrastructure as code (Bicep or Terraform) |
| #81 | Security review — infrastructure design |
| #82 | Deployment pipeline — infrastructure |
| #83 | CI pipeline on main branch merge |
| #84 | Branching strategy / GitOps approach |
| #85 | Deployment pipeline — application code |
| #86 | Penetration testing |
| #87 | Resiliency, availability, and scalability |
| #88 | Alerting and monitoring |
| #89 | Entra ID / OIDC authentication provider |
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| #34 | Geocities theme |
| #90 | Use issues backlog as screenshot test data |
| #91 | Custom profile picture upload |
Playwright tests are documented in e2e/TESTS.md. See CONTRIBUTING.md for how to run them and what's required before raising a PR.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for branching strategy, PR process, commit message format, and testing standards.