F.M. Morata Customs Brokerage & Law Firm
Customs Tracking & File Management Operations Platform
Lead Full-Stack Developer
Feb 2026 — May 2026
Live
Project Overview
During my 486-hour software engineering internship at F.M. Morata Customs Brokerage & Law Firm, I led full-stack development alongside my team to build their core operations and file management system. The platform was engineered specifically to solve severe office workstation lag caused by thousands of documents stored on local hard drives, replacing fragmented desktop folders with a centralized, role-based archive directly aligned with the firm's real customs clearance workflow.
The Challenge: Workstation Lag & Cluttered Local File Storage
The firm's primary operational headache was physical workstation performance: office computers were slowing down, freezing, and running out of disk space due to years of heavy scanned receipts, assessment notices, and client PDF archives saved directly onto individual desktops. This created multiple critical bottlenecks:
- Workstations lagged and crashed during active business hours because staff stored gigabytes of high-resolution paperwork and container photos locally.
- Scattered desktop folders made retrieving past transactions for client inquiries, Bureau of Customs audits, or port verifications slow and prone to human error.
- The firm lacked a structured migration pathway to offload years of legacy paperwork into a secure, searchable, centralized repository without disrupting ongoing operations.
Agile SDLC: Discovery to Frontline Deployment
Rather than coding assumptions in isolation, we followed an iterative Agile lifecycle centered around management discovery, infrastructure cost planning, and frontline user testing.
Operations Manager Interview & Staff Surveys
Interviewed the firm's Operations Manager directly to map critical logistics bottlenecks, followed by targeted staff surveys that pinpointed severe computer lag caused by gigabytes of desktop-stored paperwork.
Storage Sizing & Deployment Cost Planning
Modeled annual document volume growth, analyzed disk capacity requirements for heavy scanned PDF archives, and presented storage pricing and deployment hosting options to the firm's leadership.
Frontline MVP Testing with Encoders
Engineered an initial Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and deployed it directly to the firm's transaction encoders, having actual staff test live file uploads, data entry ergonomics, and workstation performance.
Feedback-Driven Agile Iteration
Observed encoders during daily transaction logging, identified usability friction, and iteratively optimized the UI sprint by sprint until data entry and document offloading were seamless.
Production Cutover, Staff Training & Handover
Conducted on-site training for encoders and operational clerks, executed the legacy batch migration to free workstation hard drives, and successfully transitioned the brokerage's daily operations to the live platform.
The System: Centralized Storage Matched to Real Customs Workflows
Instead of storing paperwork on local computers, staff now upload files directly into the platform. We tailored the application architecture to match their daily customs milestones:
Legacy File Migration & Batch Offloading
Engineered structured batch migration (LegacyBatch) enabling the firm to safely transfer years of historical files from office computers into organized cloud/server storage, instantly freeing local disk space and eliminating workstation lag.
Workflow-Matched Document Pipelines
Categorized transaction uploads to match their daily operations: Billing & Liquidation (accounting statements and invoices), PPA & Port Charges (Philippine Ports Authority gate passes, terminal receipts, and CIL inspections), Phytosanitary clearances (Phyto agricultural inspection permits), and Bureau of Customs declarations.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Built tailored interfaces for 5 operational roles (encoder, processor, accounting, paralegal, and admin) using Laravel Sanctum, ensuring confidential law firm filings and financial records were isolated from standard logistics freight.
Centralized Search & Instant Retrieval
Replaced slow manual folder browsing with an indexed database search, allowing staff to instantly locate transactions and documents by Vessel, Bill of Lading (BL), Client, or Customs Reference number.
Operational Analytics & Throughput Tracking
Designed a command center dashboard providing real-time visibility into active import/export volumes, clearance status distributions, and monthly workload metrics across all branches.
Audit Logging & Regulatory Traceability
Built comprehensive audit trails recording every document upload, modification, and milestone transition, ensuring full accountability during Bureau of Customs reviews and internal law firm audits.
Interface Gallery
