The Mobile Reach platform allows mobile app designers to choose when to require network connectivity and when to enable offline operation. This article helps guide designers in making the offline/online decisions that are crucial to an effective offline app.

Offline operation means that all functionality within the mobile app is available without a connection to the back-end application. An offline mobile app requires a download of all reference data during initialization and then later requires synchronization with the back-end application to reconcile the updates.

An online mobile app means that its primary operations need a WiFi or cellular connection to the back-end application. An online / offline mobile app means that all necessary operations can operate offline, but extra capabilities need connectivity.

Offline Mobile Apps

Offline mobile apps are best when mobile users will have minimal to no network connectivity, are using devices that do not support network connectivity (based on device or workplace restrictions), or will need a consistent and responsive user experience.

Mobile users need to be able to connect their devices to the network at the beginning and end of each work shift to cache all background and search reference data onto the device and then later synchronize all updates to the back-end application. If certain sets of records (user table, asset repository, model type list, etc.) are too large to download, the records can be filtered via location or some other criteria.

Advantages of Offline Mobile Apps

• Almost instantaneous searches of cached record sets
• Continuous operation, even without network connectivity
• Snappy, consistent, application performance

Disadvantages of Offline Mobile Apps

• Initialization could take a several minutes, depending on the amount of reference data required on the device
• May have to partition large reference data sets and only download a subset
• An offline search of a filtered record set may not be able to locate the desired record even though it exists
• Post-usage synchronization may result in data conflicts that need resolving

Online Mobile Apps

Online mobile apps are best when mobile users have WI-FI or cellular coverage at all times and have no device or workplace restrictions against network connectivity. Small record sets that are static in nature will be pre-cached to support drop-down menus or other reference information within the mobile app, but most data searches will be performed in real-time with a direct connection to the back-end data sets.

Advantages of Online Mobile Apps

• Minimal time required for application initialization
• Search results present timely, up-to-date, information
• Back-end application updated in real-time

Disadvantages of Online Mobile Apps

• Online searches often take more time than offline searches due to the overhead of transferring data across the network
• The mobile user could be affected if s/he is unable to develop a network connection
• The mobile user experience and application performance is dependent on network connectivity

Online / Offline Mobile Apps

Sometimes, network connectivity cannot be guaranteed, but while offline operation is recommended, some reference data cannot be pre-cached to the device (because the data set is either too large or too dynamic). In this situation, the mobile app should be developed so that it can be operated offline, with optional functions operating online to support optimal usage. As with the offline application, all reference data required for minimal operation must be pre-cached to the device. Operations that require network connectivity (online searches) are either optional or paired with an alternative method of completion that doesn’t require the online search.

Advantages of Online / Offline Apps

• Almost instantaneous searches of pre-cached record sets
• Continuous operation, even without network connectivity
• Good, consistent, application performance
• Data not found in offline searches can be discovered in an online search option
• Application can be optimized for the most common usage scenario without penalizing for minimum requirements

Disadvantages of Online / Offline Mobile Apps

• Initialization could take a several minutes depending on the amount of reference data required on the device
• May have to partition large reference data sets and only download a subset
• Post-usage synchronization may result in data conflicts that need resolving
• User experience may be more complicated with multiple operating options

There are many factors that go into designing an enterprise mobile app that is efficient and actually used by mobile workers. By paying close attention to the user interface, the responsiveness of the mobile app, and having all the bases covered when it comes to connectivity will ensure that your mobile app deployment is successful.

Get more insight on enabling your field technicians and engineers with our mobile field service apps guide.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]