From Paper to Cloud

TechHouse’s clients are simplifying work for their field workers. In this Client Corner, we consider three TechHouse clients: an electrical contractor, a heating and cooling contractor, and an organization in the healthcare industry. All three of these clients have employees who work “in the field” and use custom-fit apps from TechHouse.

Previously, field workers relied on hard paper documents. They had to go to their primary office to pick up paperwork before going out into the field. This paperwork detailed their deliverables, allowing them to go where they needed to take care of business. Once finished, they would return to the office, turn in the paperwork, and sometimes obtain new work and go back out.

This traditional, paper-dependent process cost time and limited flexibility for workers. However, events over the past year and a half expedited the move from paper to cloud. This transition spurred innovation in workplaces across the country.

Apps that Boost Efficiency

In moving from paper to cloud, some organizations realized that although they needed custom-fit solutions, they didn’t want to deal with high-level software development. For clients like this, TechHouse offers low-code/no-code custom apps. These apps enhance workflow by providing field workers instant access to their tasks.

The apps can also make instructions accessible on mobile devices. Back-office employees create assignments, which field workers view through the app on their smartphones. The app shows them where they need to go and what they need to do, eliminating the need to return to the office as well as cleaning up messy paper trails. The app can also track field workers’ locations throughout the workday to ensure their safety.

A significant benefit of these low-code/no-code custom apps is that organizations can quickly make small changes. Each organization can define its requirements to respond to its specific needs. Some popular requirements are:

  • Fieldworker tasks and locations
  • Live field worker location tracking
  • Location time stamps
  • Work completion time stamps
  • “Next up” task lists

Custom-fit Solutions that Solve Problems

Low-code/no-code apps are great solutions when they match the problem at hand. TechHouse works carefully to ensure that the solution we provide solves a problem rather than a symptom of a problem.

TechHouse only designs and builds solutions after learning how a team operates. We gather information to understand essential functionalities like:

  • The industry vocabulary used in an organization
  • How teams typically communicate in the office and the field
  • How managers assign various tasks to individuals with different skillsets
  • Criteria of task completion

A deep understanding of an organization or team’s functionality is essential to creating an effective solution; this is why many packaged applications fall short.

Some organizations DIY their app development using packaged applications, not knowing that they are often optimized for a fixed period. When the apps become outdated, organizations get stuck tailoring their work to an outdated app.

Unlike packaged apps, the low-code/no-code apps that TechHouse builds are adaptable. Custom-fit apps allow organizations to choose how their organization runs, rather than vice versa. Sometimes, packaged apps create more problems than solutions.

Keep Your Organization Flexible—in the Field and Your Industry

Organizations must be flexible enough to respond to internal and external changes. Anything can happen, from organization restructuring to supply-chain shortages. Regardless, no organization wants to find itself stuck in an inefficient or ill-fitting process. That’s why custom-fit apps are often a better investment than prepackaged apps. Few organizations benefit from using technologies that were best practiced 18 months earlier.

When organizations opt for low-code/no-code solutions, they place themselves better positioned to respond to change. This is the case for the three TechHouse clients who have sought out custom apps.

If you think your organization could benefit from the flexibility provided by a low-code/no-code solution, contact TechHouse today. It will be our pleasure to work with you.