Business Applications

Many organisations rely on a mixture of spreadsheets, emails, paper forms, shared documents and disconnected software to manage important day-to-day work.

A custom business application can bring these processes together in a way that reflects how the organisation actually operates.

WDWD Industries provides technical consultancy and implementation for applications that help organisations manage processes, resources, people and operational data.

What a business application can do

A business application may be used to:

• manage jobs, tasks or projects;
• allocate people and resources;
• capture information from staff in the field;
• track the status of work;
• record notes, photographs, signatures or evidence;
• manage equipment or materials;
• collect structured information;
• guide users through repeatable processes;
• provide managers with a clear view of operational activity;
• connect staff to existing business systems.

The objective is usually not simply to create another piece of software.

It is to reduce friction in the way work is carried out.

Start with the process

A useful application should be based on the real process rather than an idealised version of it.

Before deciding what screens or features are required, it is useful to understand:

• who performs each part of the process;
• what information they need;
• what they need to record;
• when decisions are made;
• what happens when the normal process cannot be followed;
• which systems already contain relevant information;
• what managers need to see;
• which actions need an audit trail.

This helps ensure the application supports the organisation rather than forcing the organisation to adapt around the software.

Applications for operational teams

Operational applications often need to work differently from traditional office software.

Users may be:

• travelling;
• working on customer sites;
• wearing gloves;
• using a phone or tablet;
• working with intermittent connectivity;
• completing tasks under time pressure;
• referring to equipment or physical assets while entering information.

These conditions influence decisions around interface design, data entry, offline behaviour, notifications and synchronisation.

Managing work

A custom application can help structure operational work around concepts such as:

• jobs;
• actions;
• visits;
• inspections;
• work orders;
• incidents;
• assets;
• customers;
• locations.

The system can present each user with the information relevant to them while allowing managers to see the wider operational picture.

Capturing data consistently

Structured data collection is often one of the most valuable parts of a business application.

Instead of relying on free-form emails or paper notes, an application can guide users through the information required for a particular task.

This may include:

• text;
• selections;
• photographs;
• attachments;
• signatures;
• dates and times;
• measurements;
• status updates;
• checklists;
• comments.

Validation can help ensure that important information is collected before a task is completed.

Working with poor connectivity

Some business applications need to remain useful when the network connection is unreliable.

Depending on the workflow, this may require:

• locally stored data;
• queued updates;
• background synchronisation;
• retry handling;
• conflict resolution;
• clear indication of pending changes.

Offline behaviour should be designed around the business process rather than added as an afterthought.

Integrating with existing systems

A new application does not necessarily need to replace existing business software.

It can often act as a focused interface to systems that already contain important data.

For example, the application may connect to:

• job-management software;
• customer databases;
• stock systems;
• finance platforms;
• document storage;
• calendars;
• internal APIs;
• third-party services.

This can allow the organisation to improve the user experience without replacing established systems.

Applications for managers

Operational applications should not only make data entry easier.

They can also improve visibility for managers.

Useful management information may include:

• work currently in progress;
• completed work;
• exceptions;
• overdue tasks;
• staff activity;
• resource utilisation;
• outstanding approvals;
• incomplete information;
• operational trends.

The correct management view depends on the decisions that need to be made.

Permissions and accountability

Different users often require different access.

A business application may need to control:

• which jobs a user can see;
• which actions they can perform;
• whether they can edit existing information;
• who can approve work;
• who can view reports;
• who can administer the system.

Audit information can also record when important actions occurred and who performed them.

Improving the process over time

One advantage of a custom application is that the workflow can evolve.

Once a process is represented clearly in software, it becomes easier to identify:

• unnecessary manual steps;
• duplicated information;
• recurring exceptions;
• delays;
• missing information;
• opportunities for automation.

The application can then develop alongside the organisation.

Example business application scenarios

Examples include:

• a field-service application for engineers;
• an inspection and compliance application;
• a job allocation and tracking system;
• an equipment management application;
• an internal operational dashboard;
• a data collection tool for staff working away from the office;
• a workflow application that coordinates several existing systems.

How WDWD Industries can help

WDWD Industries helps organisations design and build practical applications around real operational processes.

Typical work includes:

• process discovery;
• application architecture;
• workflow design;
• data modelling;
• integration with existing systems;
• offline and synchronisation strategy;
• permissions;
• operational dashboards;
• implementation and deployment.

If your organisation is relying on a mixture of manual processes and disconnected systems to manage day-to-day work, contact WDWD Industries at https://wdwd.industries/enquiries.