THE ORIGIN OF
K2 BUSINESS APPS
Fast and reliable data transfer is essential for the success of any organization. Valuable information does not only come from (potential) customers, but also from your colleagues. Streamlined data transfer means that relevant information is shared efficiently with the right people.
K2 software helps to improve internal data transfer and collaboration within an organization by digitizing workflows. By using universal web forms, data flows are being created between processes, employees and data sources.
WHAT IS K2
K2 is the most complete platform for business process automation and the development of workflow applications. These workflows are set up by using drag-and-drop design tools. This allows developers and various departments to work together and to develop a process management system that works for everyone.
K2 BUSINESS APPS
From various existing K2 customers, there was a growing demand to connect field service employees with business processes and to provide them access to relevant data.
In 2016, Indocs therefore started the development of a mobile app for K2 users: K2 Business Apps. In the K2 Mobile app that already existed at that time, a number of critical factors were missing, such as:
- Native app approach.
- The ability to save draft forms to continue using them at a later time.
- The ability to work offline.
Indocs has started developing K2 Business Apps, with the goal of supporting these functionalities and ensuring a non-stop connection for the field service.
The K2 Business Apps has been further developed in collaboration with one of Europe’s largest construction companies, Ballast Nedam. K2 Business Apps can now be used for the automation of field service inspections.
For more information, please read: Case Study Ballast Nedam.
NATIVE APP BUILT WITH XAMARIN
K2 Business Apps is built with the cross-platform app development tool Xamarin. Using a single programming language (Microsoft’s C#), this platform offers the possibility of developing native apps for iOS, Android and Windows. Xamarin is a good choice for organizations that use a Microsoft infrastructure, just like most customers of Indocs do.
Due to the large number of functionalities, Xamarin is currently the most used software tool for the development of mobile applications. Xamarin is open source and constantly growing and evolving to meet the needs of the large number of developers.
K2 Business Apps has been developed with the Xamarin.Forms approach. Xamarin.Forms is a framework that makes it possible to share the User Interface (UI) code among the various operating platforms, which means that development and customization time is reduced. Moreover, the reuse of code reduces the engineering costs.
Another major advantage of a native app is that all of the hardware functionalities can easily be connected. By choosing Xamarin to build K2 Business Apps, Indocs follows the example of various commonly used mobile apps, such as Pinterest, Easyjet and Slack.
FUNCTIONALITIES K2 BUSINESS APPS
K2 Business Apps has the following functionalities:
- possibility to design forms with the K2 designer,
- offline use of forms (ideal for field service inspections),
- saving draft forms to continue at a later time,
- possibility to add images or photos to a K2 form,
- custom control support, including integration with Leaflet; this gives the possibility to integrate a digital map or technical map (for example a building plan, station map etc.),
- possibility to mark on the digital map or technical drawing,
- possibility to use the camera.
WHAT’S NEXT?
K2 Business Apps is currently being further developed. More functionalities will be added that will ease the work of field service employees.