◆TECHNICAL_ARCHITECTURE_WHITEPAPER

OBELISK: A Technical Architecture Whitepaper

▸1.0 Introduction

The death care industry has historically relied on manual, fragmented systems—from clipboards and whiteboards to disparate spreadsheets. These analog methods, while traditional, introduce significant risks of error, data loss, and compliance failure in a field where precision and accountability are paramount.

OBELISK emerges as a modern, industrial-grade Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform engineered to digitize, unify, and secure the industry's complex physical workflows. This whitepaper provides a comprehensive technical overview intended for prospective clients, technical evaluators, and engineers.

▸2.0 Design Philosophy: Dual-Aesthetic System

OBELISK is built upon a unique "Dual-Aesthetic" approach that addresses the distinctly different needs of two key user groups: facility operators and grieving families.

THE VAULT

"Machined Brutalism" for operators. High-contrast visibility, zero-radius corners, and JetBrains Mono typography for absolute clarity under pressure.

◆ Zero Radius: Sharp 90° corners

◆ Grid-Based Structure

◆ Utilitarian Typography

The Monument

"Respectful / High-End / Warm" for families. Elegant serif fonts and warm stone palette to create a dignified and comforting digital environment.

✦ Merriweather typography

✦ Warm stone color palette

✦ Soft rounded corners

▸3.0 Technical Architecture: Container Doctrine

OBELISK's resilience, scalability, and portability are founded on a modern, containerized architecture. The platform adheres to the "Container Doctrine"—fully containerizing the application for highly portable production deployments.

TECHNOLOGY_STACK

Framework	Next.js 15 (App Router, Server Actions)
Database	PostgreSQL 16
ORM	Prisma
Caching	Redis
Auth	NextAuth v5
Reverse Proxy	Caddy
Containerization	Docker

DOCKER_SERVICES

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Service A: Obelisk

Core Next.js Node application handling all business logic

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Service B: Postgres

PostgreSQL 16 database for persistent relational data

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Service C: Redis

High-speed in-memory cache for sessions and rate limiting

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Service D: Caddy

Modern reverse proxy with automatic SSL

▸4.0 Multi-Tenant Routing

OBELISK is engineered from the ground up as a multi-tenant platform. Intelligent middleware-based routing inspects every incoming request's hostname and programmatically rewrites URLs to route users to the correct application context.

ROUTING_STRATEGY

master.*→ Platform admin route (/master)

app.*→ Tenant operator dashboard

[tenant].*→ Public memorial site (/site/[tenant])

▸5.0 Core Platform Modules

Command Center

Real-time dashboards: Morgue Matrix, Liability Watch, Cash Pulse, and Office Stream for operational oversight.

Chain of Custody Protocol

Immutable digital ledger with QR scanning, mobile PWA, timestamped audit trails, and hazard interlocks.

Family Co-Pilot

Zero-friction remote collaboration via cryptographic tokens. Remote e-signing with ID verification.

Financial Integrity

FTC-compliant GPL Manager, billing ledger, QuickBooks/Xero export, and inventory tracking.

Resource Scheduling

Drag-and-drop Mission Calendar with conflict detection for chapels, hearses, and staff.

Crematory Operations

Retort Dashboard for chamber visualization, compliance indicators, and queue management.

▸6.0 Security & Compliance Framework

OBELISK is engineered with a multi-layered approach to security, access control, and data integrity.

🔒 Token-Based Family Access

Families interact via short-lived cryptographic tokens instead of user accounts, eliminating credential theft risks.

🔒 Server-Side Role Gates

Every action is verified on the server against Tenant ID and Role ID. No unauthorized actions possible.

🔒 Immutable Audit Logging

Every write operation is permanently logged with OperatorID and Timestamp.

🔒 Air-Gapped ID Verification

ID images are embedded directly into generated PDFs for persistent offline audit trails.

🔒 Strict Data Isolation

Multi-tenancy enforced at ORM level. Every query filtered by tenantId automatically.

IRON_HIERARCHY_RBAC

OWNER	Full administrative control including billing, settings, user management, case deletion
DIRECTOR	Full operational control over cases, document signing, calendar. View-only billing.
OPS	Operational staff: view cases, complete tasks, perform chain-of-custody scans
VIEWER	Read-only access to view case information. Cannot modify.

▸7.0 Conclusion

OBELISK is an enterprise-grade platform engineered to solve the unique logistical, collaborative, and compliance challenges of the death care sector. By replacing outdated manual processes with a unified, secure, and intelligent system, it empowers facilities to operate with greater efficiency, transparency, and dignity.

Key Takeaways

◆ Robust and Portable Architecture: Next.js, PostgreSQL, Docker
◆ Unyielding Chain of Custody: Immutable, auditable digital ledger
◆ Purpose-Driven Design: Dual-aesthetic for operators and families
◆ Comprehensive Security: RBAC, tenant isolation, embedded audit trails

OBELISK is more than just software; it is the definitive operating system for the modern afterlife.

Stop Managing Your Business Like It's 1999