D & D Carpentry: Construction Management App

What We Did

• Custom mobile app development for iOS and Android platforms
• Web-based administration portal for office staff
• Offline-first architecture with automatic synchronisation
• Real-time notifications and messaging system
• Sub-contractor onboarding and management tools
• Customer care ticketing platform
• Time tracking and job allocation features
• Photo evidence capture and documentation

About the Project

D & D Carpentry operates across numerous construction sites with a dispersed workforce of sub-contractors. Managing job allocation, communication, timesheets and compliance documentation through traditional methods was creating administrative bottlenecks and delays in payment processing. They needed a digital solution that would work reliably in areas with poor connectivity whilst maintaining real-time updates when online.

We built their solution using Noted, Tinderhouse's proven fieldworker management platform. This allowed us to deliver a robust, feature-rich application much faster than building from scratch, whilst still customising it precisely to D & D Carpentry's operational requirements. The MVP approach of starting with Noted's core functionality and extending it with construction-specific features meant D & D Carpentry could begin benefiting from digital workflows within weeks rather than months.

The resulting system provides office staff with a comprehensive web portal to manage operations, whilst field workers access everything they need through native mobile apps that function seamlessly whether they're in a basement with no signal or on site with full connectivity.

The Challenge

D & D Carpentry faced several operational hurdles:

• Dispersed workforce with sub-contractors working across multiple active construction sites simultaneously
• Poor connectivity in many construction environments including basements, steel-framed buildings and rural locations
• Paper-based processes for timesheets, snag lists and fire safety documentation creating administrative overhead
• Payment delays due to manual processing of sub-contractor claims and proof of completed work
• Communication breakdowns between office staff, site managers and sub-contractors leading to missed jobs and confusion
• Compliance requirements for fire door and fire sock authentication needing verifiable documentation
• Customer care requests getting lost or delayed without a structured tracking system

Our Solution

Mobile-First Fieldworker Platform

We deployed a customised version of Noted, providing native iOS and Android apps built on a cross-platform framework. This cross-platform approach ensured consistent functionality across devices whilst maintaining native performance and offline capabilities. Field workers can access their job lists, submit timesheets, upload photos and communicate with the office even without an internet connection.

Offline-First Architecture

The apps synchronise automatically when connectivity is available but function fully offline. Sub-contractors can complete their entire workflow on site, with data queuing locally and syncing seamlessly in the background. This eliminates the frustration of lost work and ensures nothing falls through the cracks due to poor signal.

Comprehensive Administration Portal

Office staff access a web-based portal built with ExpressionEngine and PHP, giving them complete control over job allocation, user management, customer care tickets and reporting. The business app development approach focused on creating intuitive workflows that reduce administrative time whilst improving accuracy.

Construction-Specific Features

We extended Noted's core platform with modules tailored to D & D Carpentry's operations:

Snag Lists for documenting defects and remedial work with photo evidence Fire Safety Compliance with digital authentication for fire door and fire sock installations Site Maps providing visual job allocation and progress tracking Fixings Orders streamlining material requests and inventory management Sub-Contractor Claims with automated processing to accelerate payments

Smart Notifications

Personalised push notifications ensure workers never miss job allocations or important messages. The system intelligently routes notifications based on user roles, location and availability, reducing noise whilst maintaining essential communication.

The Results

• Eliminated payment delays with streamlined sub-contractor claim processing and digital proof of work
• Improved communication between office staff and field workers with instant messaging and notifications
• Enhanced compliance through digital fire safety documentation and audit trails
• Reduced administrative burden by digitising paper-based processes for timesheets and snag lists
• Increased workforce productivity with offline functionality maintaining operations in all connectivity conditions
• Better customer service through structured ticketing system with visibility and accountability
• Faster project completion due to improved job allocation and resource coordination

Technical Highlights

• Framework7 for cross-platform mobile development with native-like performance
• PHP and MySQL backend providing robust data management
• ExpressionEngine CMS powering the administration portal
• REST API architecture enabling flexible integration and scalability
• OAuth authentication ensuring secure access control
• Push notifications via native mobile services
• MapLibre for location-based features and site mapping
• Offline-first design with intelligent synchronisation

Need a mobile solution for your construction or field service business?

Our enterprise app development team specialises in workforce management platforms that work reliably in challenging environments. Get in touch to discuss how we can streamline your operations.