How offline sync works in Nexaform Mobile
Most mobile apps treat offline as an error. Nexaform Mobile is an offline-first app built the other way round: the device is the working copy, and the network is how changes travel. Here is what happens to a technician’s work between the field and your EAM.
Offline sync architecture: device, gateway, adapter
The app never calls an EAM directly. The Sync Gateway owns sign-in, sync, idempotency, conflicts and mapping, with one adapter per EAM.
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The offline sync cycle: six steps, every time
- 01
Snapshot
On first sign-in, the technician’s scoped work, assets and reference data download to the device.
- 02
Delta pull
After that, each sync asks only for what has changed since the last watermark, so syncs stay small and fast.
- 03
Local change
Every edit is applied to the local database immediately and written to an outbox with a unique operation ID.
- 04
Push
When a connection returns, the outbox is pushed in order. Writes are idempotent: sending the same change three times has the same result as sending it once.
- 05
Resolve
The gateway checks each change against the EAM’s current state and applies the conflict policy for that kind of field.
- 06
Show
The Sync Center shows connection, last sync, queued changes and any conflicts that need a person.
What the technician sees, and what the EAM sees
A pump repair in a basement plant room with no signal. Nothing is lost, nothing is entered twice.
- 07:30Depot Wi-FiDelta sync pulls today’s six work orders and the parts list.
- 09:10Plant roomNo signal. The technician completes tasks, logs 2.5 hours and takes photos.
- 09:55OutboxThree changes and two photos wait on the device, each with its own operation ID.
- 11:40Back in rangeThe outbox pushes in order. The EAM shows WO-10482 complete with failure codes.
- 11:41SupervisorReviews the completed work in the EAM. No re-keying, no missing photos.
Illustrative example.
Built for heavy data
Hundreds of work orders with tasks, labour and history open instantly, because every screen reads from the device.
Exactly once
Operation IDs and idempotent writes mean a flaky connection never creates duplicates.
Vendor-neutral by design
A canonical model for assets, work orders, meters and failure codes sits between the app and every EAM.
Questions about offline sync
What is a local-first mobile app?
A local-first app reads and writes to a database on the device, so it is fast and works offline. The network is used only to sync changes with the server, not to load each screen.
How are offline conflicts resolved?
Each kind of field has a rule. Notes and photos can merge, while lifecycle changes, such as completing a work order that was cancelled in the EAM, are checked against the current state. Anything that cannot be resolved safely goes to the conflict inbox for a person to decide.
Can the same app work with different EAM systems?
Yes. The app uses a neutral data model and talks only to the Nexaform Sync Gateway. Each EAM has its own adapter in the gateway, which maps that system’s records and rules.
See offline sync work with your own work orders
Tell us about the asset estate or system you are working on. A senior engineer will reply, not a sales team.