Field operations are fast-paced, time-consuming, and significantly impact customer outcomes. Frontline professionals are expected to perform complex inspections, collect data, use insights to provide speedier fixes, and maintain extensive reports of work done — all while dealing with low connectivity and varying weather conditions.
To work more productively in this climate, field teams need access to the right tools — key among which are mobile applications. These software assistants don’t just enhance communication, they help workers inspect assets more accurately, automate workflows, and ensure compliance with various regulations.
The question, then, isn’t why you need a mobile app, but how to build one with all the relevant features and capabilities. In this article, we’ll show you how to design mobile apps catering to the workers on the frontlines of your organization.
How to Design Mobile Apps: Planning and Research
As with most tasks of this scale, the first step is to conduct research. Given the scope of field work and the wide range of customizable mobile app builders available on the market, it can be challenging to figure out exactly what role you want the app to play. At this stage of development, there are two crucial considerations to take into account:
Top Pain Points of Field Service Professionals
The first step is to assess the role of a field worker. These frontline staff make up about 80% of the global workforce and are a critical component of a successful organization. They are responsible for performing high-stakes tasks on a daily basis, including capturing data, inspecting assets, reporting, and ensuring compliance. Along the way, they face several challenges, such as:
- Manual Processes: Three out of four field professionals spend too much time on paperwork. Your mobile app solution should be able to automate the process of data capture while also increasing the accuracy and reliability of reports.
- Scheduling Conflicts: Given the time-consuming nature of their work, field staff often struggle to stay on track. Apps with GPS can help them find quicker routes, avoid delays, and allow managers to keep track of their whereabouts.
- Poor First-Time Fix Rate: Field workers often take two or three trips to solve a problem. An app that helps fill out work orders or offers a central database with all the data they need increases the chances of a successful first fix.
- Data Collection Methods: Many field workers rely on hand-written notes or spreadsheets to collect data — which are error-prone and inefficient. An app that allows for image-based reporting can significantly ease this process.
- Poor Communication: Field workers operate in areas with low internet and mobile connectivity, making communication a big challenge. A mobile app should have features that enable collaboration, even when offline.
With that said, pain points differ between organizations. In the planning stage, we recommend shadowing your workers across job sites to understand the unique challenges they face. This will help you design mobile apps that offer practical solutions.
Custom Development Vs. Low-Code/No-Code Solutions
The second thing to understand is that a field service management app can be built in several ways — from traditional coding-based development to newer “paint-by-numbers” solutions that cater to those without technical expertise.
These can be broadly categorized into: custom development and low-code/no-code solutions. Both these approaches come with their own pros and cons, and can seriously impact factors like cost, scalability, and integration.
Traditional development is a solid option for organizations that require highly specific features that off-the-shelf solutions don’t offer. These apps may offer greater control, but are expensive and time-consuming. Organizations that don’t have — or can’t afford — resources to carry out extensive coding may not find this solution worth their while.
By contrast, low-code and no-code platforms offer a faster, more cost-effective solution. These platforms are pre-configured with features that can be dragged and dropped without any coding experience. However, one major downside usually associated with these platforms is that they aren’t as customizable. However, modern app-building solutions are far more advanced today and cater directly to organizations looking to enhance their field operations.
How to Design Mobile Apps: Essential Features
Planning out of the way, it’s time to focus on the specifics — or how to design mobile apps that actually get the job done. To this end, there are several features and design principles that ensure the app is effective, user-friendly, and tailored to your organization. Here’s what you should prioritize:
Offline Capabilities
A key feature of any field service app is offline functionality. An app that operates offline ensures that workers can continue to perform inspections, log data, and access necessary documents, regardless of where they are.
Once data connectivity is restored, the app must be able to sync the data to a centralized point, where it’s available for all teams to access. Such capabilities allow for real-time collection of information, protect the integrity of data, and foster communication.
Scalability
Since field work is so dynamic and demanding, workers need solutions that can grow and adapt while still maintaining high levels of performance. A mobile application should be able to handle increased data loads, support multiple users, and allow for the addition of new features as your organization grows.
Integration
Field operations rely on various tools and back-end systems, such as ERP or CRM. Integrating a mobile app with these systems can ensure seamless data flow, eliminate manual entry, and reduce errors. Many no-code platforms allow you to build apps that connect all your systems to a centralized database and offer open APIs that reduce costs and complexity.
Your mobile inspection app should work seamlessly across multiple devices and operating systems. A recent survey found that only 9% of field technicians used an iPhone, while 48% used devices running on Android/Chrome, and 43% used Microsoft. Your app must be cross-platform to meet these needs.
User-Friendly UI/UX
Many field workers feel that their work is time-consuming enough without having to spend hours learning to use a new application. To ease them into the process, focus on building an app with a clean and intuitive user interface. Avoid cluttering the dashboard with unnecessary information, fancy features, or too many options. Instead, break down tasks into neat categories and use large fonts and contrasting colors to enhance readability.
Rapid Deployment
Simplicity is key for more than one reason. Apart from allowing field technicians to carry out their work faster, mobile apps should also be easy to develop, test, and deploy. To achieve this, you should be able to efficiently manage user roles, permissions, and access rights.
Multiple Methods of Input
To allow for the capture and analysis of real-time data, a mobile app should allow workers to upload information in multiple formats. Many solutions make the mistake of offering digital versions of long paper-based forms. This means employees are still stuck filling out information manually, only this time on smartphone keypads.
Instead, we recommend adopting an image-centric approach to data collection. This means allowing field engineers to upload photos of visual inspections that come with date and location tags. Some solutions also allow workers to use voice-to-text or record crucial information through advanced barcode scanners.
GPS Integration
Real-time location tracking doesn’t just help field technicians get to job sites faster, it also helps managers improve scheduling, dispatch, and communication. GPS data can also be integrated into work orders, providing a complete record of where and when tasks were performed. This helps to verify service delivery, improve accountability, and ensure compliance.
How to Design Mobile Apps with WizyVision
As field work gets more complex, solutions have become more advanced. It was estimated that in 2022, only 30% of field operators were deploying AI-based support—a figure that’s set to drastically improve in the coming years.
At WizyVision, we stand at the forefront of this revolution, offering organizations the ability to build custom applications tailored to specific workflows—without any prior coding experience required. Our application builder offers AI-powered solutions that are easy to deploy and use and cater to the major pain points faced by field professionals.
Check out our comprehensive guide on how to design mobile apps in Wizy Vision.