Digitising data capture with a bespoke app build

A global provider of industrial energy efficiency solutions was ready to scale its operations, but outdated, manual processes were holding them back.

Field engineers were still using paper forms to conduct complex site surveys in remote, often underground locations. After each visit, data had to be manually transcribed into spreadsheets—delaying insights, introducing errors, and limiting the ability to take quick, informed action.

Data was inconsistently stored, hard to analyse, and disconnected from the company’s wider CRM systems. The business needed a way to streamline data capture, reduce admin time, and surface real-time insights to support decision-making and growth.

We designed and delivered a bespoke software solution tailored to the client’s unique workflows, enabling engineers to collect structured data quickly and reliably using a tablet—even without internet access.

Following an in-depth discovery phase, we developed a fully interactive prototype and tested it extensively with engineers in the field. Their feedback shaped a highly intuitive design focused on usability, speed, and consistency.

Key features included:

• Split-screen interface for seamless form navigation and data entry
• Button-based inputs to minimise typing in tough environments
• Offline access with automatic data sync once a connection is available
• Integrated photo capture with automatic tagging to relevant form entries
• In-app help guides, accessible online or offline

The result? A tool built around real user needs—reducing friction, improving accuracy, and ensuring engineers could focus on the job, not the paperwork.

The application was built using React with Capacitor to ensure cross-platform compatibility and a smooth, native experience.

Designed as an offline-first application, it includes:

• A layered architecture to manage forms, media, file storage, and synchronisation independently

• Custom APIs and a LINQ query wrapper for seamless integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

• Smart batching of uploads to avoid timeouts and preserve data integrity

• A headless Umbraco CMS to manage support content that can be updated by administrators and accessed offline

All logic required for validation and dynamic form behaviour was handled in the front end, ensuring reliability even when working without connectivity.

The bespoke software solution transformed the client’s data collection process and enabled significant operational efficiencies.

One of the first uses in a UK factory enabled an engineer to complete a complex survey involving hundreds of data points and images in a single day. The full report was automatically generated and shared with the client the next morning—something that had previously taken several days.

Beyond improving day-to-day operations, the solution also helps the client identify additional project opportunities by unlocking faster, more detailed insights across their business.