"Can't we make this easier?" becomes a job. Stories of development projects I've taken on through direct contracts
Hello, this is Masu.
I work as a freelance engineer, taking on jobs through direct contracts with companies, focusing on web development, AI utilization, and business process improvement.
In a previous article, I wrote about how I ended up working in this way.
This time, I will introduce some of the development projects I've taken on through direct contracts and the work I've carried out together with trusted engineers.
I hope that for those wondering, "Do direct contract projects really exist?" or "Could I get involved with my level of experience?", this will help you get an idea based on real examples.
Including minor ones, I have been involved in over 185 development and business improvement projects so far.
I also have 96 side projects via Coconala.
Since there are some where I cannot disclose client names or detailed business information, I will write about them while keeping those parts vague.
However, rather than development projects that are neatly packaged as job requirements saying "Please build this," they often start from much more vague consultations.
"This task is a pain because I have to do it by hand every time."
"I feel like I could use AI, but I don't know where to start."
"Can we make the current management method a bit easier?"
"I want to automate internal information sharing and notifications."
I listen to these consultations, organize what is needed, and translate them into web apps, automation tools, or systems using AI.
That is the kind of work I do.
Work and attendance management system for a welfare service company
At a company providing Type B employment support, managing user work records, body temperature, and absence notifications was becoming a hassle due to the combined use of paper and Google Forms.
So, I used a mechanism called LIFF that allows users to open an app directly within the LINE screen, enabling them to just send information from LINE, which they are already used to, while allowing staff to check it on a Next.js management screen.
I also automated wage calculations and the creation of CSV files for bank transfers.
This project prioritized ensuring it could be used even in workplaces not accustomed to IT, and I am still involved in it on an ongoing basis.
▼ More details on this project here
Users just send via LINE. The story of turning welfare service recording tasks into a system (Coming soon)
Job matching system for pharmacy pharmacists
This involved the renovation and new development of an existing system connecting pharmacies and pharmacists, using React and Laravel.
I proceeded with this project by asking an engineer I met at a study group who wanted to gain practical experience to handle a portion of the work as a contractor.
We successfully completed the delivery, and that experience became something they could list on their skill sheet as practical React experience, which then led to their next project selection.
Rather than taking everything on by myself, working with a trusted engineer creates a better outcome for both the company and the engineer.
This is a project that made me feel that way.
▼ I have written in detail here about what I started to think about from this experience
Automation of receipt management for a restaurant chain
At a restaurant chain with dozens of locations, headquarters staff were manually saving receipts and invoices sent from the stores every day.
I created a system using Google Apps Script and the LINE Messaging API that automatically saves photos or PDFs to Google Drive simply by sending them to each store's official LINE account. The development period was about one week.
They were happy that the work that used to take hours every day was automated, and it is still being used three years later.
▼ Detailed story of this project is here
Just send receipts to LINE. The story of eliminating daily manual work for a restaurant chain (coming soon)
Chatwork translation system for an import/export company
English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, French, Vietnamese, and Thai.
This was a company where people were manually translating communications in a fairly wide range of languages.
I created a system that links Chatwork with the ChatGPT API to look at who is mentioning whom and automatically translate into the necessary language.
This was a project where we designed the operational form together, starting from a vague consultation about wanting to make translation easier.
Since then, I have continued to receive consultations for revisions and additional development.
▼ Detailed story of this project is here
Automatically translate multilingual communications. The story of Chatwork x AI for an import/export company (coming soon)
IT infrastructure maintenance for a recruitment marketing company
Starting from the consultation that there was no one in the company familiar with IT, I organized the small, troublesome internal tasks one by one, including the introduction of Google Workspace, linking Google Forms with Discord, and automatic aggregation of SNS data.
These are modest improvements, but they are quite effective for the ease of working on-site. Jobs like this also have a lot of room for continuous involvement.
RAG and chatbot development for medical businesses
Medical settings often involve many phone inquiries, and information that can only be understood by asking knowledgeable people tends to become siloed.
I am involved in a chatbot that makes it easier for staff to find necessary information using a mechanism called "RAG," where AI searches for and returns answers based on internal documents.
Since it is in the medical field, I don't leave everything to AI and am cautious about the scope of the answers. I value the balance of it being a tool that makes internal knowledge easier to find.
Notification systems and community bots
I also build notification-based automation, such as a system that reads Google Calendar schedules and sends reminders to Discord.
It may look small, but the effect of preventing missed notifications and forgotten communications is quite significant.
In a slightly more unusual case, I once created a bot for a working-adult mahjong circle that included AI for scheduling, performance management, and even play-by-play style messages. I also enjoy this kind of playful development.
AI implementation and semi-automated LP production for a Web production company
I developed a desktop application that semi-automates part of the front-end production based on a designer's wireframe using AI.
I didn't make it fully automated, but rather designed it so that people can proceed while checking the work. It was development that considered the balance of separating what AI is good at from what humans should look at.
What they all have in common is that they start with a consultation
What the projects I have introduced so far have in common is that none of them were organized into a job description from the beginning.
There is a lot of manual work. Notifications are missed. Data is scattered. I want to use AI, but I don't know where to start.
I listen to those consultations, organize what is truly necessary, and shape it into the required form. For that, I use Web development, Next.js, Node.js, ChatGPT API, RAG, GAS, LIFF, Discord Bot, and more.
Technology is just a means.
What is important is:
Taking an interest in the other party's work.
Understanding the current way of doing things.
Thinking about what changes will make the work easier for the team on the ground.
Many of the projects I am involved in are like that.
If there is anything you think, "I'd like to try something similar to this project," please let me know about your current experience and what you would like to try.
▼ Click here for the order in which we proceed when working together
▼ Click here if you would like to talk first