How I'm Building IBBE Vessel: The Architecture Behind Real-Time Fleet Management
A behind-the-scenes look at the AWS-powered system I've designed to keep employees, drivers, and fleet managers perfectly in sync, from live GPS tracking to automated attendance.
When I set out to design IBBE Vessel, I knew the backbone of the platform had to be rock solid. Moving employees around a city in real time, coordinating drivers, and keeping administrators in full control all at once requires an architecture that is fast, reliable, and genuinely smart. Here is exactly how I have planned it out.
Everything starts on the mobile side. I have designed two dedicated apps, one for employees and one for drivers, each tailored to the specific needs of that user. Employees will book rides, track vehicles on a live map, and join carpools. Drivers will get optimized routes, run vehicle health checks, and verify passengers. Both apps will communicate with the rest of the system through a clean API Layer powered by AWS API Gateway and Lambda Functions. This setup means every request will get processed instantly and scale effortlessly as more users come on board.
For real-time features like live vehicle tracking and status updates, I have chosen AWS AppSync. This is the technology that will power the live map employees see when their shuttle is three minutes away. AppSync maintains a persistent two-way connection so location data flows continuously to the app with zero delay. It will genuinely transform the ride experience into something employees can feel confident about every single morning.
On the data side, everything will be stored in RDS Postgres. Ride history, route data, attendance records, and fuel logs all live in a structured and queryable database. AWS Step Functions will handle the complex workflows tying it all together, like automatically syncing attendance records to the company HR System the moment a trip completes. That single automation alone eliminates a massive amount of manual work for HR teams.
Authentication runs through AWS Cognito. Every employee, driver, and administrator gets a secure verified identity, which is what makes features like OTP passenger verification and role-based dashboard access work seamlessly across the platform.
For static and media assets, I have selected Cloudflare R2 as the storage layer. Profile photos, vehicle documents, and app assets will load quickly and reliably for users anywhere on the platform.
The vision is clear and the architecture is ready. An employee opens the app, their ride is on the way, the driver has a perfectly optimized route, the administrator sees every vehicle on the map, and the HR system already knows who showed up to work. All of this happens simultaneously and automatically. Now it is time to bring it to life.