Cross Platform Mobile App For Incident Management

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Client Requirement

Client is an engineering firm with ASX-200 infrastructure and environmental services company with a reputation for it’s expertise in the developmen and improvement of social infrastructure for various communities globally. Client requirement was of a cross platform mobile application compatible with versions like iPhone 3GS, iOS 4.0 and above, Android phones with Android 2.3, 4.0 and advanced versions
and Windows Phone 8.

This mobile app will be used to ease the communication between employees and managers. Employees can easily raise an incident and report it to the manager, while a manager can instantly acknowledge and respond to the incedents raised by the employees.

The application has the following features:

•  Splash Screen
•  Login Screen
•  Landing Screen
•  View Incidents Listing Screen
•  View Incidents Details Screen
•  Add/Edit Incidents Screen
•  Help Screen
•  Info Screen
•  Incident Review Screen – Listing
•  Incident View Screen – Incident Details
•  Edit Incident Screen
•  My Profile Screen – Manager
•  My Profile Screen – Employee
•  User Registration Screen

Challenges

The following challenges were faced:

• The application should run smoothly on all versions of iPhones and Androids
• PhoneGap framework sees new releases and developments every month with new versions. The team had to gather updated knowledge of what components exactly had changed other than the standard JavaScript, HTML and CSS had changed.
• To extend the HTML functionality of the application, extensive research was done and JavaScript AngularJS was used for the purpose.
• Cross platform compatibility for all platforms needed to be maintained. Cross platform syncing and database compatibility using HTML5 Local Storage also needed to be maintained.
• Making the app to be easily accessible anytime, anywhere.

Technologies Used

Manpower

Planning

• To include the features and functionalities in the application, the following development approach was used.

• The complexity of the application was successfully managed with the use of PhoneGap framework and the features for the app were finalized with client consent.

• Wireframes and mockups were developed as per client requirements

• To ensure that the development process runs smoothly, research and analysis were scheduled at every stage in the project.

Architecture

PhoneGap Architecture

PhoneGap is an HTML based framework used to develop applications using web technologies. This basically means that iPhone and Android developers can easily develop native applications with their existing knowledge of HTML, CSS and Java Script. This also means that if you are using PhoneGap, you do not have to learn objective C for iPhone application development.

PhoneGap enables a developer to create hybrid apps. These are neither completely native, nor entirely HTML / Javascript based. Part of the application, mainly the UI, app logic and communication with the server is totally java script / HTML based. The other parts of the application that are based on native languages are the ones that enable lower level device access and controls.

PhoneGap serves as a connector between the javascript and native environment. The Javascript API allows access to the phone hardware to take advantage of the phone features such as camera, GPS and other phone information.

Project Highlights

The incedent management mobile application successfully managed the daily incedents raised by employees and managers were able to efficiently respond to them. The easy to use interface required no learning sessions and no user manuals. The system was up and working within minutes of it’s launch and fostered accelerated productivity at work.