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Mobile apps

We design and build mobile apps for iOS and Android, and field apps connected to your systems: catalogs, on-site data capture, scanning, payments and tools for teams that work away from the office.

Mobile app development means building applications for phones and tablets that handle a specific job: browsing a catalog, capturing data in the field, taking payments, scanning or sending alerts. At AVILA®, a technology and business consulting firm based in Monterrey, Mexico, we build apps for iOS and Android, and before that for Windows Mobile and PDAs, connected to each organization's systems.

When does a mobile app make sense?

An app makes sense when a phone or tablet is the natural work tool, not just a smaller screen. Before proposing one, we check whether a responsive website or a web app would do the same job for less; if so, we tell you. An app is worth building when:

  • Your team works in the field, on the plant floor, on the road or at events, and needs to capture information where it happens.

  • You need device features: camera, barcode scanner, GPS, on-screen signatures, notifications or specialized readers.

  • Connectivity is spotty and the app must keep working offline and sync later.

  • Your customers will use it often (a catalog, a service program, a planning tool), so it's worth having installed.

  • The experience must be fast and visual, for example to show products during a sales meeting.

What kinds of apps we build

  • Field and operations apps: inspections, site surveys, deliveries, inventory counts or citations, with photos, signatures, location and sync with the central system.

  • Catalog and sales apps: products, room settings and ideas so customers or sales reps can choose from a tablet.

  • Institutional and service apps: information, schedules, notices and services from an institution to its audience.

  • Civic and community apps: surveys, opinion gathering, voter guides and event tools.

  • Event apps: ticket scanning at the gate and inventory control at points of sale.

  • Mobile components of a larger system: the field side of a web app or custom software.

Native, cross-platform or installable web app

There's no single right answer; the choice depends on how the app will be used and on the maintenance budget.

Native app

Written separately for each operating system with its official tools. It offers the deepest hardware access and the best performance, but means maintaining two codebases, one for iOS and one for Android. It's the right call when the app relies heavily on the camera, sensors or specialized readers.

Cross-platform app

A single codebase produces the app for both iOS and Android. It lowers build and maintenance costs and covers most business apps today. Its limits show up with very device-specific features.

Installable web app (PWA)

A web app that installs from the browser, without going through the app stores. It updates instantly and shares its code with the web version. That's how 3es.mx works, the link shortener we built for tresensocial. It fits internal tools, or cases where a store listing isn't needed.

During the assessment we compare all three options against your features, your users and the three-year cost, and give you a written recommendation.

How we work

  1. Assessment. Who will use the app, where, on which device, online or offline, and which system it must talk to.

  2. Prototype. Clickable screens you try on your own phone before anything is built.

  3. Iterative build. Test builds your team installs to review complete features.

  4. Integration. Connection to your ERP, CRM, core system or payment gateway through a secure API.

  5. Testing on real devices. Different models, screen sizes, OS versions and offline scenarios.

  6. Publishing. Listing on the App Store and Google Play, or private distribution for internal apps, with store listings, screenshots and privacy policies.

  7. Support. App stores and operating systems change every year; with a support plan the app stays compatible and secure.

Experience behind the service

We were building mobile apps before smartphones. In 2006 we built a central and mobile platform in PHP and Windows Mobile in the United States to track construction projects. Between 2007 and 2009 we developed an e-ticketing platform on PDAs for government: officers recorded the violation in the field, with signature, GPS, encrypted reading and writing of the driver's license chip and online payment.

In 2012 and 2013 iOS apps were a major part of our work: institutional apps, a civic participation app for an election season, a wedding planner and an inspiration and catalog app for a ceramic tile manufacturer that showcased products and room settings on iPhone and iPad. In 2018 we built PDA apps for ticket scanning and inventory control at festivals. See also apps built by AVILA®.

What you need to have ready

  • One person in charge who can test and make decisions.

  • Apple and Google developer accounts in your organization's name (we help you open them).

  • Access to the systems the app must talk to, or to the people who manage them.

  • Your privacy notice, or support to draft it.

Benefits

  • Data captured where the work happens, with no paper forms to retype later.
  • Data that reaches the central system as soon as there's a connection, with photo, signature, location and time.
  • A written recommendation between native, cross-platform or web app, based on your use and your costs.
  • Apps published under your organization's name, with source code and documentation that belong to you.
  • Integration with your systems, your website and payment gateways.
  • A team with mobile experience from the PDA era to iOS and Android.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to build a mobile app?

It depends on the number of screens, the device features it uses, whether it works offline and the integrations with other systems. That's why we start with an assessment and a prototype that end in a written scope and a phased proposal. Also budget for annual developer accounts and maintenance. You can request the assessment through our contact page.

Should we build a native or a cross-platform app?

For most business apps, a cross-platform app covers iOS and Android with one codebase and costs less to maintain. Native makes sense when the app relies heavily on the camera, sensors or specialized readers, or when performance is critical. If you don't need a store listing, an installable web app may be enough. We recommend an option and explain why.

Can you publish the app on the App Store and Google Play?

Yes. We prepare the listing, screenshots, description, privacy policy and answers to each store's requirements, and we see the app through Apple's and Google's review. We recommend that the developer accounts be in your organization's name, so the app is always yours. Internal apps can also be distributed privately.

Can the app work without internet?

Yes, when it's designed that way from the start. The app stores information on the device, encrypts it and sends it to the central system once it's back online, with rules to resolve conflicts when two people change the same record. It's common in field, inventory and event apps, where signal isn't always available.

Can you connect the app to our ERP or current system?

Yes. The app connects through a secure API to your ERP, CRM, core system or payment gateway. If your system has no API, we build an intermediate layer that provides one. During the assessment we define which data is read and which is written, so the app never puts your main system's data at risk.

How long does it take to build an app?

An app focused on one task is usually ready in weeks; one with several modules, offline mode and integrations takes months. Add the app stores' review time. We work in iterations: your team installs test builds from the first weeks and gives feedback on real features, not just mockups.

What maintenance does an app need?

Every year Apple and Google release new OS versions and change store requirements; an app without maintenance can stop working or be pulled from the store. Maintenance covers compatibility, security updates, certificate renewals and minor fixes. We handle it through a support and maintenance plan.

Who owns the app and the code?

Your organization does. At the end you receive the source code in a repository, the documentation and access to the publishing accounts. If another team takes over later, they can do so without depending on us. Third-party components with their own licenses are disclosed in the scope.

Case studies with this service