[Wolves] Any mobile device App writers on here?

[Chris Ellis]

Hi

On 17 April 2012 12:12, Wayne Morris <waynelists at machx.co.uk> wrote:
> On 17/04/2012 11:23, Wayne Morris wrote:
>>>
>>> David.
>>>
>>
>> Its for me to record the details of a eg criminal(s) attending a community
>> payback session on a third party system (PNC)  (it isn't but its a good
>> analogy).
>> Currently i need to take their picture, log in to website with my user
>> password, enter details of the person to find out whether they exist, upload
>> the picture, save the details of the session,
>
> I should add that it (the web browser version) is  a business tool used by
> maybe 100,000 users of this corporation, so target would be 'some' of the
> users at some premium
> figure for the app - I'd buy it for £5 - probably even £20 - simple things
> that make your life easy are good!
>
> Whether any other bugger would buy it is moot - but we pay them £150 a year
> for shite functionality, another few quid for a nice interface would.
>
> For Mike Hingley
>
> The communtiy payback was just an example of what this app is for, I'm
> struggling to find an analogy that works without giving away the function
> ;-)
>
> Ok - Its a worldwide (American) corporation, they produce a shite (and
> insecure!) website, not particularly interested in user thoughts on look,
> 100k franchised paying users recording a million transactions a year.

How is your magic app gonna insert the data?  By scraping the HTML?
Will possible, its foolish, expensive to maintain.  The website would need
to publish an API to be worth while.

>
> Right - got the analogy:
> A driving test examiner, finishes the test, turns to the pupil and says -
> you've passed, let me take your picture for your photocard, give me your
> details on this bit of paper and when I get
> back to the center tommorrow I'll process your application, but you can't
> drive till then.
> He then gets to his computer, has to faff with uploading the picture, typing
> the details into a horrible green screen drivers agency webpage, paying for
> credits on another screen,
> uploading the lot and finally the license is 'live'.
>
> Much nicer for him to snap the blokes picture with an app, tap in a few
> details on a pleasant uncluttered screen and send - job done, NEXT!
> I don't think data would be an issue, as there would be none on the phone,
> an option would be to connect to the instructors own secure database
> elsewhere for lookup,
> he probably has records of his students on a computer anyway.
>
> So the main selling point of the app would be linking together the photo and
> data entry in one operation - I'm sure everyone appreciates how hard it is
> to take a picture, find the right picture
> on the sd card and use a html form to upload it - whilst sitting in bright
> sunshine. Sideline of pretty and simple to use.
>
> Its certainly not a mass market app, but think the productivity increase is
> worth us franchines paying a thrid party for.
>

Surely the actual issue, is the more website.  It is failing to
provide an optimised
view from a mobile.  Finding the picture is something the phones could improve
and provided from their web browsers.

If nobody raises feedback with the website, it will never change.

This app would be very domain specific, small user base, expensive to maintain.
If you think it is saleable, get some pre-orders, then you *might* be
able to convince
someone to build it.

Also remember, you will need two apps: android and iphone.  Probably
with little
shared code.

The other option, is to build a neater web system.  With a mobile
capable interface.
This system could then push in the background data to where-ever.

I suspect you will need 400 instructors @ £5 to break even.  Without
even thinking
about on-going maintenance costs.

The app may even be against the terms & conditions of the site too.

Chris