Groware, one of Canada’s leading providers of software for the grower and nursery markets, has partnered with global IT company Bluefinity International to create mobile app versions of its inventory management software, which is already improving inventory management for its customers.
Using Bluefinity International’s rapid app development platform, Evoke, Groware has developed beta mobile apps to help its customers ease inventory management challenges by allowing them to stock take accurately, plan their crops and manage their business more effectively.
Evoke provided Groware with a low cost and completely flexible platform that integrated with its existing databases and enabled it to use its existing code to quickly and easily create mobile apps. In just a few months of working together, Groware launched its beta mobile apps to rave customer reviews.
For Groware, a key benefit of using Evoke has been the level of support provided by Bluefinity throughout the development process and that Evoke enables apps to be created and optimised for any device with the right look and feel for different customers.
Prior to using Evoke, Groware had introduced handheld devices to help customers update tasks and stock take more easily in the field. However, with most customers located in rural areas with limited internet coverage, updates were rarely carried out in real-time and the handheld devices needed to be synced later with other software. Inevitably data inaccuracies would creep in.
Michael Heeney, Owner of Groware says, “Customers need real-time technology to enable truly accurate inventory management and it was our goal to offer mobile apps to solve these issues. Whether customers are using a desktop, handheld device, mobile phone or tablet, the apps can be automatically customised for each device so they look completely professional. Evoke is completely flexible and enables customers to make edits in real time.
“If someone is out in the field using the app to stock take, they can post live data and make adjustments in real time too – it is enabling far more accurate inventory management and our customers love it. It is improving the management of their operations and streamlining their processes.”
“Evoke isn’t limited to the handheld devices either and it doesn’t need to be constantly internet based as it can provide for off line work, and fully automated synchronisation when connection is re-established. In future we’ll be re-working all of our software so that it is generated using Evoke, which will benefit our customers hugely,” adds Mr Heeney.
Another benefit of Evoke for Groware’s customers is that some of them have seasonal businesses, such as Christmas tree companies. As the subscription to Evoke is a user based monthly subscription – it is highly cost effective for such companies to use the platform to manage their business seasonally and only pay for the solution when they need it.
Evoke enables the rapid development and deployment of mobile, desktop and web, hybrid and native apps for any device and operating system. It uses a single app design and code base, and enables apps to be created for multiple device types, databases and operating systems including iPads, iPhones, Android and Windows phones and tablets, plus Windows, Linux and Apple desktops.
Evoke’s “no code” option, uses point and click technology to add Evoke business functions that read, update calculate, restrict and adapt areas such as database entries, the user experience and the navigation through the app. This has opened up building professional, sophisticated business apps to everyone.
Malcolm Carroll, Director, Bluefinity International said, “We are delighted to have enabled Groware to achieve its goal of launching mobile apps successfully for its customers. Using Evoke, it has the right platform in place to achieve further growth and success and we look forward to a long partnership with the company.”
