🗺️ Product Roadmap

Multi-Unit Support High Complexity

Enable multiple Scout units (packs, troops, crews) to use the same system with complete data isolation. Each unit manages their own families, events, and attendance independently.

Unit Registration Process:

• Public registration form for new units to sign up
• Collect unit details: Type (Pack/Troop/Crew), Number, Chartered Organization, Council, District
• First user becomes the Unit Admin with full permissions
• Email verification required before unit activation
• Optional admin approval workflow for moderated deployments

Database Changes:

• Organizations table: Stores unit metadata, settings, branding, and subscription status
• Add OrganizationID to all tables (Families, Events, Attendance, Members) for data isolation
• Global Secondary Index on OrganizationID for efficient queries
• Cross-unit reporting for districts (optional, with explicit permissions)

Invitation System Medium Complexity

Unit leadership can invite families and other leaders to join their organization through multiple flexible methods.

Invitation Methods:

• CSV Bulk Upload: Upload spreadsheet with names and emails for mass invites (perfect for existing rosters)
• One-by-One Entry: Manually add individual members through a simple form
• Shareable Invite Link: Generate a unique link to post in Facebook groups, GroupMe, or email
  • 90-day expiration for security
  • Tracked usage: See who joined via each link
  • Can be regenerated or revoked anytime

New User Onboarding Flow:

1. User clicks invite link or receives email invitation
2. Creates account (email/password or SSO - see below)
3. Profile setup required: Must complete basic info before accessing unit features
4. Can then register their family members
5. Immediately able to check-in/out and view events

Email Invitation Features:

• Personalized invitation emails with unit branding
• Track invitation status: Sent, Opened, Accepted, Expired
• Automated reminder emails after 7 days (opt-out available)
• Bulk actions: Resend failed invitations, cancel pending invites

Authentication & Single Sign-On (SSO) High Complexity

Add secure user authentication with support for popular login providers. No more sharing links—each leader and family gets their own account.

Authentication Methods:

• AWS Cognito user pools with email/password authentication
• Federated login: Google, Apple, Microsoft accounts
• JWT tokens for secure API access
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) optional for leader accounts

Flexible SSO Linking:

• Email-agnostic SSO: Users can link any federated login (Google, Apple, Microsoft) to their account regardless of email match
• Example: Register with "parent@gmail.com", but SSO with work email via Google Workspace
• Account linking UI: "Connect your Google/Apple/Microsoft account for easier login"
• Primary email for notifications can be different from SSO provider email
• User chooses which linked account(s) to use for authentication

User → Organization Mapping:

• Users table with UserID as primary identifier
• User can belong to multiple organizations (e.g., Den Leader in Pack A, parent in Pack B)
• Role-specific permissions per organization

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Medium Complexity

Define permissions for different user roles to ensure the right people have the right access.

Roles:

• Global Admin: Platform management across all organizations
• Pack Admin: Full control, user management for their pack
• Event Coordinator: Create/manage events, view attendance
• Leader: View attendance, check families in/out
• Parent/Guardian: Register family, check-in/out own members

reCAPTCHA v3 — Invisible Bot Protection Low Complexity

Add Google reCAPTCHA v3 to the login, signup, and invite flows to silently block bots and credential-stuffing attacks without any visible friction for real users.

Why v3 (not v2):

• Completely invisible — no checkbox, no image grids, no user interaction required
• Runs in the background and assigns a risk score (0.0–1.0) to each request based on behavior signals
• Only degrades to a challenge for genuinely suspicious traffic; normal parents never see anything
• More effective against modern bots than the v2 checkbox that Scouting.org uses

Implementation Plan:

• Add the reCAPTCHA v3 script to login.html, signup.html, and invite.html
• Generate a token on form submit and include it in the request body
• Validate the token + score server-side in the relevant Lambda function via Google's siteverify API
• Reject requests with score < 0.5 with a 429 Too Many Requests response
• Site key stored as a Lambda environment variable; secret key never exposed to the frontend

GPS & Mapping Integration Low Complexity

Add interactive maps to help families find event locations. One tap to open navigation in their preferred maps app.

Features:

• Location picker in event creation form
• Interactive map display using Mapbox GL JS
• Deep links to native maps apps (Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze)
• Distance calculation from user's location

Event Itinerary & Activity Management High Complexity

Build comprehensive event schedules with activity rotations and real-time itineraries. Perfect for camps where dens rotate through stations (BB Gun, Archery, etc.) or for structured events with meals, skits, and adventures.

Activity Types:

• Sign-Up Activities: Optional activities with capacity limits (e.g., "Canoeing - 8 spots available")
• Den/Rank Specific: Mandatory rotations where whole dens participate as a group (no sign-ups needed)
• General Activities: Meals, skits & songs, flag ceremonies, free time
• Adventure Stations: Range activities, craft stations, sports, hikes

Scheduling & Rotation Features:

• Visual timeline builder - drag/drop activities into schedule slots
• Den rotation management - "Den 1: BB Gun 9-10am, Archery 10-11am" while "Den 2: Archery 9-10am, BB Gun 10-11am"
• Color-coded schedule by den/rank/activity type
• Automatic conflict detection (overlapping times, same den in two places)
• Activity templates for common schedules (Range Rotation, Meal Schedule, Campfire Program)

Visibility & Communication:

• Real-time itinerary visible to parents and Den Leaders
• Mobile-friendly schedule view with "What's happening now" and "Up next"
• Per-den view: "Your den's schedule for today"
• Pack-wide view: See all activities and which dens are where
• Push notifications: "Den 3 - Archery starts in 10 minutes"

Participation Tracking:

• Activity-specific check-in (track who attended BB Gun vs Archery)
• Automatic attendance for den-specific activities
• Completion tracking for advancement-related activities
• Post-event reports: "15/18 scouts completed Archery activity"

Custom Pack Theming Medium Complexity

Let each pack customize the app's appearance with their colors and logo. Pre-built themes (Forest, Mountain, Desert, Ocean) available.

Features:

• Custom primary/secondary colors
• Pack logo upload (stored in S3)
• Background style selection
• Theme editor UI for Pack Admins
• CSS variable-based theming for performance

Progressive Web App (PWA) Enhancements Low Complexity ✅ Complete

The core PWA features are live: service worker, offline caching, Add to Phone install prompt (Android native + iOS guided), and home screen standalone mode. Remaining enhancements:

Features:

• Service worker for offline browsing
• Cache previously viewed events and rosters
• Background sync when connection restored
• Web push notifications for event reminders
• App-like navigation and animations

Web Push Notifications Medium Complexity

Send timely push notifications directly to a user's phone or desktop — even when the browser isn't open — using the standard Web Push API. No native app required.

Platform Support:

• Android (Chrome) ✅ — Full support; notifications arrive even when the browser is closed
• iOS (Safari) ✅ — Supported since iOS 16.4, but only when the app is installed to the home screen (standalone mode). This makes the "Add to Phone" prompt a natural prerequisite.
• Users must explicitly grant permission — best asked in context (e.g., "Get a reminder before this event?")

Notification Types Planned:

• Event reminder: "Pack 685 Meeting starts in 1 hour"
• Check-in confirmation: "Brian was checked in to Blue & Gold Banquet"
• Unit announcements from Pack Admin
• Invitation accepted / new member joined

Implementation Architecture:

• Browser calls PushManager.subscribe() → Lambda saves the endpoint + keys to DynamoDB per user
• Trigger (EventBridge scheduled rule or event-driven Lambda) calls web-push library → FCM (Android) / Apple Push (iOS)
• Service worker push event listener displays the notification
• VAPID keys (public/private) stored as Lambda environment variables — never exposed to the frontend

Branded Unit Subdomains Low Complexity

Each unit gets their own branded subdomain for easier access and sharing. Units can share their custom link with members instead of making them search.

Features:

• Automatic subdomain creation: pack685.scoutcheckin.com, troop123.scoutcheckin.com
• Auto-detection and unit selection when visiting subdomain
• Primary domain (www.scoutcheckin.com) still available with search functionality
• Shareable branded URL for unit communications (newsletter, GroupMe, Facebook)
• Instant activation—no DNS configuration required

User Experience:

• Unit leaders get their subdomain at registration: "Your unit's link is pack685.scoutcheckin.com"
• Members visit subdomain → Auto-login to their unit's area
• Anyone can still visit www.scoutcheckin.com → Search for unit → Login

Admin Analytics Dashboard Medium Complexity

Visualize attendance trends, most active families, event participation rates, and more.

Features:

• Attendance trends over time (charts and graphs)
• Top participating families and scouts
• Event type popularity analysis
• Average check-in/check-out times
• Export reports as CSV or PDF

Embeddable Event Calendar Medium Complexity

Generate embed codes to display your pack's event calendar on your unit website. Perfect for keeping parents informed via your existing Pack 685 website.

Features:

• One-click embed code generation (iframe or JavaScript widget)
• Multiple calendar views: Month grid, list view, upcoming events
• Customizable styling: Match your pack's website colors and theme
• Filter options: Show all events or only specific types (camping, meetings, fundraisers)
• Real-time updates: Calendar automatically reflects changes made in Scout Check-In
• Click-through links: Parents can click events to register or get details
• Responsive design: Works on desktop and mobile
• Public vs. authenticated views: Choose whether to show attendance counts or keep it private

Example Use Case:

"Add all Pack 685 events to Scout Check-In once, then embed the calendar widget on www.pack685.com. Parents see the full schedule without needing to visit multiple sites. When you add/modify events, the website automatically updates."

Email Notifications Low Complexity

Automated email reminders for upcoming events and check-in confirmations.

Features:

• Event reminder emails (24 hours before)
• Check-in confirmation emails to parents
• Weekly attendance digest for leaders
• Customizable email templates
• AWS SES integration

Native iOS/Android Apps High Complexity

Build native mobile apps using React Native or Flutter if PWA features prove insufficient.

Benefits over PWA:

• Native camera access for QR scanning
• Better offline data management
• Push notifications without web limitations
• App Store/Google Play distribution

Advanced Notification System Medium Complexity

Once Web Push (Phase 2) is in place, expand to a full multi-channel notification hub where unit admins can compose and schedule notifications across all channels from one place.

Channels:

• Web Push — built in Phase 2; real-time device notifications for installed PWA users
• Email — AWS SES for event reminders, weekly digests, and admin announcements
• In-App — notification bell / badge inside the app for users who haven't enabled push
• SMS — optional, deferred separately due to cost (see SMS section above)

Admin Features:

• Compose & schedule announcements from the Admin Panel
• Target by role, den, or individual member
• Per-user notification preference settings (opt in/out per channel)
• Delivery receipts and open tracking in the analytics dashboard

Custom Domain Support (Premium) High Complexity

Allow units to use their own custom domains (e.g., events.pack685.com) instead of scoutcheckin.com subdomains. Premium feature for units with existing websites.

Features:

• Custom domain verification workflow (DNS CNAME + TXT records)
• Automated SSL certificate provisioning via AWS Certificate Manager
• Domain ownership validation before activation
• CloudFront alternate domain configuration
• Admin UI with step-by-step DNS setup instructions
• Automatic SSL renewal and domain reverification

Setup Flow:

1. Unit admin enters desired domain: events.pack685.com
2. System provides DNS instructions (CNAME records)
3. Unit adds records to their DNS provider
4. System validates DNS and requests SSL certificate
5. 5-30 minutes later: Custom domain is active ✅

Pricing Model:

• Premium add-on: $10-20/month extra per unit
• Covers SSL certificate management and support overhead
• Unlimited traffic included