Case study · Facilities management
An app that works in basements and plant rooms
Field technicians often work where there is no signal, and paper job sheets fill the gap. This is how we built an offline-first app for jobs, checklists, photos and signatures that syncs reliably with the back office whenever a connection returns.
Project overview
An offline-first field service app.
- Industry
- Facilities management
- Client
- Confidential
- Solution
- Field technician app
- Platforms
- iOS + Android
- Timeline
- 12–18 weeks
- Team
- 5 people
- Offline
- Full job completion offline
- Integration
- Job management / ERP
- Devices
- Company phones or rugged devices
Expected business outcomes
What the client set out to achieve
Admin time and invoice speed are the most visible changes.
-
30–60 min
Saved per technician per day
No paper job sheets to fill in and hand back.
Target range; depends on jobs per day
-
Same day
Job data in the office
Completed jobs sync as soon as there is signal.
Instead of end of week
-
Fewer
Disputed jobs
Photos, timestamps and signatures on every job.
Where photo capture is required
Business challenges
Where the client started
Paper works offline; that's why it survived.
Jobs
Job sheets printed or sent by text message.
Checklists
Inspection checklists on paper, sometimes incomplete.
Evidence
Photos on personal phones, sent by WhatsApp.
Parts
Parts used written on the sheet, often missed.
Billing
Office staff retype job sheets before invoicing.
Proposed solution
What the app covers
Designed with technicians for gloves, glare and no signal.
-
Job list
Today's jobs with addresses, access notes and history.
-
Smart checklists
Checklists that adapt to asset type and answers.
-
Photos and signatures
Before/after photos and customer signatures attached to jobs.
-
Parts used
Parts selected from van stock and recorded against the job.
-
Offline sync
Everything works offline and syncs safely when signal returns.
-
Push updates
New urgent jobs pushed to the right technician.
Project requirements
What the client asked us for
The request was to replace paper. The requirement that shapes everything is offline working: the app must complete a job with no signal and sync later without losing data.
We test on site with technicians, in the plant rooms and basements where they actually work.
What the project had to deliver
- 01Complete jobs offline
- 02Evidence on every job
- 03Parts recorded
- 04Office data the same day
Key challenges & considerations
What made it harder, and what we did
-
No signal for long periods
What we did
The app was built offline-first, so a full job could be completed with no signal.
-
Large photo volumes
What we did
Photos were compressed on the device and uploaded in the background.
-
Conflicting edits after offline work
What we did
Sync conflicts were shown to the user to resolve, never overwritten silently.
-
Technicians with varied tech confidence
What we did
Screens were tested on site with technicians of every confidence level.
What we watched for
- Design for no signal from day one
- Test in real sites
- Compress photos sensibly
- Handle sync conflicts explicitly
Development process
Designed on site
Technicians shape the app from the first prototype.
-
Ride-alongs
Days with technicians to see real jobs.
-
Prototype
Clickable prototype tested on site.
-
Build
App, offline sync and integrations built.
-
Pilot
One team uses the app for a month.
-
Rollout
All teams with training and support.
Technology stack
Offline-first cross-platform
Local storage and conflict-safe sync at the core.
Mobile
- React Native or Flutter
- Native modules where needed
- Offline storage
Backend
- Node.js or .NET API
- Azure or AWS
- Push notifications
Quality
- Automated UI tests
- Crash reporting
- Staged releases
Delivery
- CI/CD to App Store and Google Play
- Feature flags
Quality assurance & deployment
Tested on real devices, in real conditions
Mobile apps fail in the hands of users, not on a developer's desk. Testing covered real devices, poor networks and interrupted sessions before anything went to the stores.
- Automated tests for the app logic and the API
- Testing on real iOS and Android devices across the agreed versions
- Offline, poor-network and interrupted-session scenarios
- Code review on every change
- Store guideline checks during the build, not before submission
Deployment
- 01PilotOne team uses the app for a month.
- 02RolloutAll teams with training and support.
- 03Beta and store releaseA beta group used the app first; store submission followed, with a phased release.
- 04Monitoring and warrantyCrash and performance monitoring from launch, and six months of free bug fixing.
Final deliverables
Paperless, even without signal
Technicians complete jobs on the app wherever they are, with photos and signatures, and the office has the data the same day.
Invoicing no longer waits for paper.
- Offline job completion
- Evidence on every job
- Parts tracking
- Same-day office data
Handed over to the client
- 01iOS and Android appsPublished in the client's store accounts
- 02Source codeIn a repository the client can access
- 03Backend and adminDeployed and documented
- 04Release processBuild, signing and store submission
- 05Six-month warrantyFree bug fixing after delivery
Success metrics
How success is measured
| Measure | Outcome | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Saved per technician per day | 30–60 min | Target range; depends on jobs per day |
| Job data in the office | Same day | Instead of end of week |
| Disputed jobs | Fewer | Where photo capture is required |
Verified reviews
What clients say about our mobile app work
Verified reviews from our clients on the same kind of work, published on Clutch.
-
Mobile App Development
Web & Mobile App Development for a Software Company
Their communication skills and industry knowledge have left a strong impression on us.
Verified review on Clutch (Alec Wenzowski, opens in a new tab)
Alec Wenzowski
President, Button Inc. Jan 2022 – Ongoing
-
Mobile App Development
Software & Mobile App Development
They were great people with great work ethic.
Verified review on Clutch (Henry Popp, opens in a new tab)
Henry Popp
Co-Founder, Codedge LLC Aug 2021 – Jan 2023
-
Mobile App Development
Mobile App Development for an IoT Company
The project manager does an excellent job, and the team is always available during the project.
Verified review on Clutch (Arjen Schoneveld, opens in a new tab)
Arjen Schoneveld
Co-Founder, Dexels BV Jun 2021 – Oct 2022
Free discovery call
Have an idea? Let's turn it into AI-powered software.
Book a free discovery call with our experts. Share your idea and we will help you shape the scope, timeline and budget, under NDA.
- Free consultation
- NDA before we talk
- Transparent estimate




