Field Operations Platform

An arboriculture company ran desktop software in the office and disconnected mobile tools in the field. Data was entered twice. Paper field assessments were re-keyed into the office system at the end of each day.

Problem

The office and field teams worked in different systems that did not talk to each other. Field staff completed assessments on paper or a basic mobile app. Office staff then re-entered that data into the main system.

There was no real-time job status visibility. Clients called the office to ask about progress, and the office had no way to answer without calling the field crew.

What They’d Tried

They bought a field management app. It did not match their specific workflows for tree assessments and job scheduling. The app was designed for generic trades, not arboriculture.

They tried the desktop system’s mobile version. It was too slow and clunky for field use. Crews stopped using it within weeks.

What We Did

We built a single database powering four surfaces: an office portal, a field mobile app, a client portal, and a reporting dashboard. One data model, four interfaces. Each interface was designed for its specific users and context.

Field staff captured assessments on their phones. The data appeared in the office system immediately. Clients could check job status without calling. Management could see reporting across the entire operation.

Outcome

Data was available across all tools in real time. Double-entry was eliminated entirely. Field assessments appeared in the office system the moment they were submitted. Clients checked their own job status through the portal instead of calling.

The Database-First Lesson

The problem was not that they needed better mobile software. The problem was that mobile and desktop had separate databases. Unifying the data model made every interface simpler. Each surface just became a different view of the same truth.