The challenge:

Archaeologists working on one of the world’s most challenging roads projects within an internationally designated World Heritage Site were challenged by the need to document hundreds of site visits and enter the data gathered in documents. That in turn had to go through a lengthy approval process, sharing with stakeholders from multiple organisations and with the wider project team.

This had traditionally been done inputting information into Word or Excel documents and sharing by email for comment and approval which was pedestrian and archaic.

They needed a more efficient way to operate, outdoors, in all weathers, still maintain the robust workflow and scrutiny their detailed work demands.

 

Our solution:

MindCraft’s developers built an app to be used in the field which allowed instant upload of information in a weatherproof, paperless process, reducing the time needed by hours, if not days, per submission.

They used a pioneering emerging hybrid of two Microsoft technologies - .NET MAUI and Blazor. Blazor enabled them to use web development tools while creating the native application, and offers stunning visual results for the users.

It was simple in essence, based on submitting information into a form. What was more innovative was the Microsoft platforms on which they built it.

For developers working with both tools meant faster results, delivered more easily.

The result was designed for ease of use, on a hand held tablet operating on 4G. Even in remote locations where archaeologists so often work, it will work offline and synchronise all data when back in range. It also supported the ability to share information with critical stakeholders for the necessary comment and sign-off.

The app which has been developed in an agile, iterative process, will be further evolved and tested if further requirements emerge..

The benefits:

Gone were paper and pen, gone were cumbersome, impenetrable spreadsheets and lists. Instead, there was a real-time, streamlined process which the client described as a ‘game changer.’

In a nutshell, benefits include vast reduction in time taken to upload data, reduction in the number of people needed to monitor and manage the process and the speed in which approvals can be met – all of which results in overall cost-savings.