Implementation and Design Considerations

For those designing and managing workflows, consider these aspects to maximize offline stability.

Custom Plug-in Compatibility

Not all custom extensions are designed to function offline.

• Workflow steps that rely on custom plug-ins must be evaluated for their offline compatibility.
• If a step’s plugin is not supported offline, the workflow skips the step and indicates that it was unavailable
• The best practice is to build alternative or fallback logic for critical steps that may rely on custom code.

Operational Testing and Simulation

Offline execution should be treated as a critical operational scenario, not an edge case.

• Simulate offline conditions during User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and deployment phases.
• Validate the entire data lifecycle: ensure successful capture, task completion, and reliable synchronization upon reconnection.

Error Handling and User Clarity

Provide clear guidance to mobile workers to ensure confidence when disconnected:

• When a plug-in or step is unavailable, the workflow should clearly indicate to the mobile worker what is being skipped.
• Provide mobile workers with guided instructions or non-blocking error messages that allow them to continue with task completion.

Automatic Synchronization Upon Reconnect

After a device regains network connectivity, the application automatically uploads all captured data. This streamlined synchronization process ensures real-time operational visibility across the organization.