Digital transformation
When the internet drops: why your software must work offline
A school taking payments, a collector at the market, a steward at a concert gate: work does not stop when the network drops. Software should not stop either.
The Bikus Group team4 min read
Most online software starts from one assumption: the connection is always there. In the field, it is not. The network weakens, the data bundle runs out, the power fails. If the tool freezes at that moment, the team goes back to the notebook, and everything has to be typed in again that evening.
What offline really means
A real offline mode does more than show a page that was already open. The app keeps recording work on the device, then sends it to the server when the network returns, with no duplicates. Three examples from our products:
- Kalasi: at school, attendance, payments and enrolments carry on; each receipt bears the number of the device that issued it;
- COOPLYX: the collector records deposits on their phone, even with no network;
- BikusEvent: the scanning app downloads the list before doors open and checks each ticket offline.
Questions to ask your supplier
- What can I do without a network: only view, or also record?
- If an operation is sent twice, is it counted twice?
- What happens if two devices work offline at the same time?
- How long can I stay offline?
- Is the data kept on the device protected if the phone is lost?
The limits to know
Offline does not solve everything. Two disconnected devices cannot see each other's work until they sync. On Kalasi, offline time is capped at 72 hours at most, and the school can shorten it. Good software states these rules instead of promising that nothing can go wrong.
Where to start
List the moments when your business cannot wait for the network: taking payment, collecting, checking entry. That is where offline mode pays off. Tell us about your field conditions and we will say honestly what needs to work without a connection.
