How Do Cantara Mobile Apps Work Offline?

Rinami's customers are often on the move. Their work can take them to remote areas of a site, where network coverage isn't available. Rinami aims to support operators wherever they're working, so their tools won't let them down. With Cantara Mobile Apps, operators can travel in and out of network coverage whilst retaining essential ERP capabilities.

Prior to Going Offline

When an operator logs into a Cantara Mobile App, relevant work orders and other data are automatically downloaded to the device. The downloaded data is determined by their security profile, and may also vary according to the application mode, branch, equipment or other attributes. The operator can also load additional records onto their device, if needed. By opening and viewing particular JDE records, a local copy will be made available for offline access.

Once data is downloaded to the device, the operator is able to work independently, accessing a range of ERP functions without needing a network connection.

Working in Offline Mode

Cantara Mobile Apps enter offline mode automatically, by detecting that network connectivity is unavailable. There is no UI button or menu option to manually select offline mode. The transition to offline occurs when the app attempts to perform a JDE transaction.

When a Cantara Mobile App is offline, many standard features are able to continue normally. The operator can still update work orders and create new ones. They can also use many of the parts, labor and inventory functions. Whilst offline, all transactions are stored locally on the device.

Some app features will not be available in offline mode. Availability of features will be project specific, and will depend on the data downloaded to the device prior to going offline. Talk to your Rinami consultant to discuss a specific function you need.

Examples of features that can be supported Offline:

• View, update and create work orders
• View and edit work order parts and labor
• Timecard entry
• Item master record attachments
• Inventory inquiry (except calculated quantity available)
• Inventory issue and transfer
• Cycle count barcode scanning of 2nd and 3rd item numbers

Returning to Online

Cantara Mobile Apps do not transition back to online mode automatically. When the operator returns to an area with network coverage, they must initiate a data sync operation, to upload the locally stored transactions to JDE.

The Sync Operation

Selecting Offline Sync from the main menu displays each of the transactions that was completed offline. The operator is able to choose particular transactions to be synchronized to JDE, or simply synchronize all of the offline transactions. A sync log shows the result of each synchronize action.

Once the synchronization has completed, a data reload from JDE will occur, and the app will automatically resume Online operation.

To discuss how Cantara Mobile Apps can help your business, contact rinami.com