Offline-First App for Crop Documentation at Harvest

The Customer

ODAS IT GmbH is responsible for the development and distribution of the DELOS software. DELOS is a neutral, vendor-independent software for field documentation and nutrient management. It helps agricultural businesses comply with legal requirements and simplifies the day-to-day office work of farmers.

Initial Situation and Challenge

For data entry on field operations directly at the site — such as the fertilization of a field — ODAS IT GmbH needed a clear and easy-to-use solution. A mobile app was intended to meaningfully complement the DELOS system and generate added value.

Due to the complex and multifaceted agricultural context, a highly complex overall system had to be taken into account. A large number of operations, each with diverse configuration options, had to be considered. Building up the knowledge needed to thoroughly understand the functional requirements was correspondingly demanding.

Designing the UI was also challenging — the app solution was expected to be simple and intuitive to use, without exposing the underlying complexity to the user.

A hard deadline tied to the start of the harvest season added particular pressure, and missing it was not an option under any circumstances.

itemis Approach and Solution

Based on the user-centered concept and design of the ODAS team, itemis developed an app for iOS and Android. The technical implementation was carried out as a React Native application.

The decision to pursue a cross-platform approach with React Native was made primarily for two reasons:

1. The iOS and Android versions of the app needed to be developed simultaneously at low cost in order not to jeopardize the deadline.
2. Maintenance and minor further development should be taken over by the ODAS team in the future.

The DELOS Farmer App integrates seamlessly into the overall DELOS software system.

Due to the high complexity of the domain, close coordination between the development teams of ODAS and itemis was required. This was achieved through regular meetings and ad-hoc coordination rounds. The itemis staff were able to build up the domain knowledge needed for app development.

The variety of operations to be captured challenged the team one final time towards the end of the project. By expanding the itemis development team, the work was completed by the deadline. Just in time for the start of the first agricultural operations, the DELOS Farmer App was available in the app stores.

After initial user feedback, minor adjustments were made to the app and rolled out in an update.

Customer Benefit

Users of the DELOS software benefit from significant time savings thanks to the simple on-site data entry. In addition, documenting “on the fly” enormously increases the accuracy of the data.

Thanks to the app’s full offline capability, operations can be entered in the field even with poor or no internet connection, and synchronized later. This gives the DELOS app a unique selling point in the market.

By providing the app, the DELOS software becomes more attractive for users — both for existing customers (increases customer loyalty) and new customers (USP over competitors).

The app creates clear added value, increasing the overall value of ODAS’s software solution. The company demonstrates that it keeps up with the times, knows the needs of its customers, and further develops its service in line with the current state of technology.