What is offline-first?

Software that works fully without a network — syncs when it comes back.

Offline-first means the app reads and writes to local storage on the device and synchronises with the server in the background. There's no loading spinner for a basement pump room with no signal — the work order opens, edits and closes the same way online or off.

Industrial sites are full of dead zones: basements, tunnels, remote plants. A system that degrades to read-only offline teaches crews not to trust it — offline-first keeps the real workflow intact anywhere.

• Why it matters