Build for offline first, not online first.
Field staff lose signal constantly. Every critical app should work fully offline and sync the moment a connection returns. If a form loses data when the bars drop, it’s broken. Ask IT: “What happens to our field tools when there’s no signal for two hours?”

Stop forcing two-hand, two-thumb workflows.
Someone wearing gloves, holding a ladder, or driving can’t tap through six screens. Push for voice input, single-tap actions, and big buttons. The test: can a task be done one-handed in under 15 seconds?

Make logins survive the real world.
Complex passwords typed on a phone in the rain are a productivity killer. Move to biometric login, badge taps, or single sign-on with long session windows. Field staff shouldn’t re-authenticate five times a day.

Pre-load instead of streaming.
Don’t make crews download plans, manuals, or photos over a weak connection on site. Push the files to their devices automatically the night before, over the office Wi-Fi or LTE, while devices charge. They arrive ready.

Issue devices that match the environment.
A sleek laptop dies on a dusty, hot, wet job site. Get ruggedized tablets, screen protectors that work with gloves, and cases that survive a drop from a truck bed. Spec hardware for where it actually lives.

Give them a human who answers, not a ticket queue.
A field worker stuck at 6 a.m. can’t wait 24 hours for a ticket response. Set up a dedicated field support line with priority routing and extended hours. Downtime in the field costs more than downtime at a desk.

Kill the VPN friction.
Old VPNs are slow, drop constantly, and frustrate people on cellular. Move to modern zero-trust access that connects securely without the spinning wheel. If field staff avoid a tool because “the VPN won’t connect,” you have a bottleneck.

Capture data once, at the source.
Stop making crews fill out a form on paper, then re-enter it at the office. Let them capture photos, measurements, and notes directly into the system from the field. Double entry is wasted labor and a source of errors.

Plan for the device that gets lost or stolen.
Field devices walk off, get left on tailgates, and break. Set up remote wipe, automatic backup, and same-day replacement so a lost tablet is a minor inconvenience, not a lost day. Ask IT: “How fast can you replace a field device?”

Build a feedback loop with the people in the field.
The crew knows exactly what’s broken. Most IT never asks. Schedule a monthly 30-minute session where field staff show IT what slows them down. The fixes are usually cheap and obvious once someone listens.