How to design offline support in field apps
Preventing data loss in areas with poor coverage is a decision that belongs at the very start of the architecture.
In apps used by field teams, an internet connection is not an assumption but a variable. Once you accept this, the architecture is built differently from the start.
In an app that works offline, data is first written on the device and then queued and sent to the server. Which record wins in a conflict must be defined in advance.
The user interface must adapt to this as well: the number of pending records, sync status and failed attempts should be shown clearly to the user.
In projects we've built with this approach, the digital proof-of-delivery rate rises noticeably, and headquarters can follow daily operations live.
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