What are the best practices for Syncing and working offline?

Introduction

You can use your InspectAll mobileApp to work online and offline. You can start work, leave, come back, and your work will still be there. As soon as you sync your device, all of your work will be added to the web. You can turn on or off auto sync to put syncing power in InspectAll's hand or keep it in your own.

There are pros and cons to working offline. If you have a cellular plan with limited data, it may be in your best interest to sync as little as possible. In this case, you will want to turn off auto-sync. You will want to sync your device before you start work, to ensure you have the most up to date resources. You will then be able to work as usual and use none of your data plan. You can sync your device all at once when you are finished working, or wait until you have access to an internet connection.

It's also important, when using more than one device (for instance, if a user is logged into both their iPhone and their tablet), that you are syncing data regularly before starting to work on the other device. When logged into more than one device, whichever device syncs last will update the saved data. Never share a login/license with another user, as you run the risk of overwriting each other's collected information.

Note Any information that is lost or deleted while working offline, or between syncs, is not recoverable.

Turn on Auto Sync

Once auto-sync is turned on, your mobile device will automoatically sync every 3 minutes as long as you have an internet connection. Note It is still recommended that you sync after any major changes to prevent data loss between scheduled auto-syncs.

Tap Settings
Tap On/Off to the right of Auto Syc

Manually Sync

Sync your mobile every time you begin work, want to update your information, every time you make changes that need to be saved, and/or as soon as you finish work.

To Sync your device:

Pull down on your main navigation bar.

To refresh your question list:

Tap into a form.
Pull down on the question list.

Working with other users on a Folder

It's important, when working with other users on a folder, to both sync regularly, as well as communicate about what forms you will be working on. If two users work on the same form, or re-order forms, then whoever syncs last will be the user whose information is saved. If more than one user will be working on the same form within the folder, they will need to ensure they are communicating about their syncs so they don't overwrite each other's data.

The rule of thumb with syncing is, whichever device syncs last is the information that is uploaded.

So, if for instance, Inspector A goes into form 1234 and fills it out, then works on some other information. Then Inspector B goes into 1234 (because Inspector A hasn't synced up yet) and syncs (or has their auto-sync on and it syncs while they are in the blank form), then it will be updated with the information from the last person to touch the form. If there are questions on the users' form that last synced that weren't answered, then the other users' answers will be deleted.

One suggestion, to ensure no one is overwriting another's data, would be for the inspectors to add their name (or a web user add their name) to the form NOTES under FORM DETAILS to ensure no one is working on the same form at the same time.