What does 'offline-first' actually mean?

The phone has its own local database (SQLite) that is the source of truth for the tech's day. Every read and every write goes to local storage first. A sync layer replicates changes to the server whenever a connection is available. There's no 'offline mode' toggle — the app just always works, and the sync happens transparently.

Which parts of the tech workflow work offline?

All of them. Opening a work order, viewing customer + equipment history, transitioning status (On the way / Arrived / Start / Done), taking photos, capturing signatures, adding parts and labor line items, ticking off checklist items, adding notes, starting timers. Everything writes locally and syncs when the truck rolls into range.

What happens to data if the app closes before syncing?

Nothing. Local writes are durably persisted to SQLite on the phone — closing the app, backgrounding it, letting the battery die, or waiting three days doesn't lose anything. When the app opens again and hits signal, the queued changes upload in order.

What if two techs edit the same work order offline?

Rare in practice (a WO usually has one primary tech assigned), but the sync layer resolves per-field. Non-conflicting changes both apply. Conflicting field-level changes take the more recent timestamp. Photos and status transitions are additive — both techs' contributions are preserved.

Does the office see updates in real time when the tech is offline?

No — the changes replicate to the server when the tech's phone hits signal again. Once uploaded, the office sees the update within seconds. If the tech spends 45 minutes in a basement, the office sees the whole 45-minute burst of activity when they walk back to the truck. That's a feature, not a bug — status without truth is worse than delayed status.

Offline

Every write path works with zero signal.

Basement furnaces, crawlspace air handlers, mechanical rooms with concrete walls, rooftop RTUs in dead zones — half a tech's day is in the places software stops working. TradeVan is built for those places.

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Technician's work order screen with an 'offline — will sync' badge visible while the tech captures photos and status transitions

What offline actually looks like

The 'offline — will sync' badge is the only sign

Everything else looks the same as online. Photos capture. Signatures sign. Line items add. Status transitions record. When the truck rolls back into signal, the badge disappears and the changes replicate to the server. No 'offline mode' toggle, no 'sync now' button.

Why the architecture matters, and why it's rare

Most 'offline-capable' field-service tools mean the app doesn't crash when the network drops — you can view a job, and if you're careful, a small buffer holds your edits until the network comes back. That's not offline. That's 'we cached a page.' Come back an hour later and you're staring at a spinner.

TradeVan's tech-side is genuinely local-first. The phone runs a full SQLite database that is the source of truth for the tech's day. Every read and every write goes there first. A sync layer (PowerSync) replicates changes to the server-side Postgres whenever there's a connection. If the phone spends four hours in a basement, everything the tech did is on the phone; when they surface, the whole burst replicates in seconds. Nothing is stashed in a fragile browser buffer waiting to be lost.

The difference matters most in the places you can't test in a conference room — parking-garage subbasements, high-rise mechanical rooms, rural cell dead zones. Cloud-only tools spin. TradeVan doesn't.

On the truck

No perceptible difference from online

The tech's phone runs the whole work order locally. Every action — status buttons, photos, checklist ticks, notes — writes to the phone's SQLite database instantly. The UI has no lag, no timeout, no 'please reconnect' modal.

Technician mobile work order screen with checklist, photos, and line items — every action works without a network

What survives if the phone dies mid-job

Local writes persist to SQLite the moment they happen. Closing the app, backgrounding it, letting the battery drain, or dropping the phone on concrete doesn't lose anything. When the app opens again and hits signal, the queued changes upload in order. This is the same durability model that runs banking apps and shared document editors — it's not a hobby-project offline mode.

Customer signing the on-screen signature pad on the tech's phone — captured locally, syncs when signal returns

Even signatures

Customer signs on the tech's phone, no signal required

The signature pad captures locally as a PNG. It's attached to the work order the moment the customer lifts their finger. When the truck rolls into signal, the signature uploads with everything else — the office sees it on the WO record as proof the job was accepted.

What a work order looks like →

Frequently asked questions

What does 'offline-first' actually mean?: The phone has its own local database (SQLite) that is the source of truth for the tech's day. Every read and every write goes to local storage first. A sync layer replicates changes to the server whenever a connection is available. There's no 'offline mode' toggle — the app just always works, and the sync happens transparently.
Which parts of the tech workflow work offline?: All of them. Opening a work order, viewing customer + equipment history, transitioning status (On the way / Arrived / Start / Done), taking photos, capturing signatures, adding parts and labor line items, ticking off checklist items, adding notes, starting timers. Everything writes locally and syncs when the truck rolls into range.
What happens to data if the app closes before syncing?: Nothing. Local writes are durably persisted to SQLite on the phone — closing the app, backgrounding it, letting the battery die, or waiting three days doesn't lose anything. When the app opens again and hits signal, the queued changes upload in order.
What if two techs edit the same work order offline?: Rare in practice (a WO usually has one primary tech assigned), but the sync layer resolves per-field. Non-conflicting changes both apply. Conflicting field-level changes take the more recent timestamp. Photos and status transitions are additive — both techs' contributions are preserved.
Does the office see updates in real time when the tech is offline?: No — the changes replicate to the server when the tech's phone hits signal again. Once uploaded, the office sees the update within seconds. If the tech spends 45 minutes in a basement, the office sees the whole 45-minute burst of activity when they walk back to the truck. That's a feature, not a bug — status without truth is worse than delayed status.

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