Sound familiar?
- Engineers fill in paper job sheets that are typed up days later
- Drivers phone in proof of delivery
- Customers want to reorder from their phone, not a desktop website
- Your field team loses signal on site and the web app stops working
- An old app no longer passes app store requirements
Key facts
- One codebase for iOS and Android using React Native or Flutter
- Offline working with local storage and background sync
- Camera, barcode, GPS, signatures and push notifications
- Secure API back end built in Laravel or Node.js
- App Store and Google Play submission handled for you
- Honest advice on whether a progressive web app is enough
Do you need an app at all?
It is the first question we ask, because a mobile app is not always the best answer. Native apps go through App Store and Google Play review, need updating on users' phones, and add a second codebase to maintain. A progressive web app runs in the browser, installs to the home screen, works offline and can send push notifications on Android and, for home-screen web apps, on iOS since version 16.4. For many internal staff tools it is quicker and simpler.
A native app is worth it when you need deep device features (background location tracking, Bluetooth peripherals, NFC, heavy offline data), when the app store presence matters to customers, or when the experience must feel fully native. We will give you an honest recommendation in the free chat.
A middle path is common too: start with a PWA to prove the workflow with real users, then wrap or rebuild it as a native app once you know exactly which device features matter. Because the business logic lives in the API rather than the app, that move does not mean starting again.
What business apps we build
- Field service and engineer apps: job lists, customer and site details, photos, checklists, parts used, customer signatures and job completion that triggers invoicing. See software for field services.
- Delivery and driver apps: routes, proof of delivery with photos and signatures, GPS timestamps.
- Customer apps: ordering, account balances, loyalty, bookings and order tracking for trade or retail customers.
- Inspection and audit apps: structured forms with photos and offline use for surveyors, inspectors and compliance teams.
- Companion apps: a mobile front end for a web application or system you already run.
How we build them
We build cross-platform apps so one codebase serves both iOS and Android. React Native, using TypeScript, suits teams already working in React and JavaScript, and lets the app share logic with a web front end. Flutter, using Dart, gives very consistent rendering across devices. Both produce real native apps with access to the camera, GPS, biometrics and push notifications through Apple Push Notification service and Firebase Cloud Messaging. Fully native Swift or Kotlin is reserved for apps with specialist hardware or performance needs.
The app talks to a secure API, usually built in Laravel or Node.js, using short-lived access tokens and refresh tokens stored in the device's secure keychain or keystore. The API connects onward to your accounting, CRM or stock systems. See API development.
Working offline
Field staff lose signal in basements, plant rooms and rural sites. Apps that assume a connection fail at exactly the wrong moment. We design offline-first: the app downloads the data each user needs, stores it locally in SQLite, records changes while offline, and syncs in the background when a connection returns. Photos queue for upload. Each change carries a timestamp and version so conflicts, such as an office change to a job the engineer also edited, are detected and resolved by clear rules rather than silently overwritten.
We test offline behaviour deliberately: flight mode mid-form, a dropped connection halfway through an upload, a phone that stays offline for two days. Users see a clear indicator of what has synced and what is waiting, so nobody wonders whether a job sheet actually reached the office.
App stores, releases and security
We handle the Apple Developer and Google Play Console setup under your company's accounts, so you own the listings. We prepare store listings, privacy declarations and screenshots, and manage review. Internal staff apps can be distributed privately through Apple Business Manager, managed Google Play or your device management tool rather than the public stores.
Security basics are built in: encrypted local storage for sensitive data, biometric unlock, remote sign-out when a device is lost, and certificate checks on API calls. Both stores update their requirements regularly, so we plan for annual updates to keep the app compliant.
Getting started
Every app project starts with a free chat about who will use it, where and why. We scope the screens, offline needs and integrations, then give a fixed-price quote. Many clients start with an MVP to test with a small group first. It fits within our wider bespoke software development work. Get in touch.
What we deliver
- A cross-platform iOS and Android app
- A secure API connected to your back-office systems
- Offline data storage and conflict-aware sync
- Push notifications and in-app messaging
- Admin tools to manage users, content and app data
- App store listings, submission and release management
How it works and what it costs
Every project gets a fixed-price quote after a free initial chat and a short scoping stage. You own the code and the data.
Free chat
Tell us the problem in plain English: what you do now, what goes wrong and what "better" looks like. No charge, no obligation.
Scoping
We map the processes, systems and data involved, agree what is in and out, and write it down so there are no surprises.
Fixed-price quote
You get a fixed price for the agreed scope, or a phased plan for bigger builds, so you can start small and prove it works.
Build and test
We build in short stages you can see and try, test against real data, then go live carefully with a rollback plan.
Hand over and look after
You own the code and the data. We can host it, support it and keep improving it, or hand it to your own team.
Frequently asked questions
Should we build a native app or a progressive web app?
A progressive web app is often enough for internal tools: it installs to the home screen, works offline and supports push notifications. dijitul recommends a native app when you need deep device features, heavy offline data, or a presence in the App Store and Google Play.
Do you build for both iOS and Android?
Yes. dijitul usually builds one cross-platform codebase with React Native or Flutter that produces real native apps for both iOS and Android, which keeps build and maintenance effort lower than two separate apps.
Can the app work without signal?
Yes. We design offline-first: data is stored locally in SQLite, changes are recorded offline and synced in the background when a connection returns, with clear rules for resolving conflicts. Photos queue for upload automatically.
Who owns the app store listing?
You do. dijitul sets up or uses your own Apple Developer and Google Play Console accounts, so the listing, reviews and app belong to your business. Internal apps can be distributed privately rather than publicly.
Can the app connect to our existing systems?
Yes. The app talks to a secure API that dijitul builds or extends, which connects to your accounting, CRM, stock or job systems. Completing a job in the app can raise an invoice in Xero, for example.
Related
Tell us what you need to build
Free chat, clear scope, fixed-price quote. You own everything we build.