Custom app for a machine builder's service department
Appfront builds apps for the service departments of machine builders. On site at the customer, the service engineer sees the machine by serial number, configuration, drawings, and previous faults and maintenance. They record what has been done and which parts were used, order whatever is missing, and have the customer sign the report. At the office, the history is kept per machine, and the invoice follows from what the engineer has recorded.
What is an app for a machine builder's service department?
A machine builder does not only supply machines but also service: resolving faults, carrying out maintenance, replacing parts, sometimes years after delivery and at locations far away. On site, the service engineer needs to know which machine it is, in what configuration, what has been done to it before and which parts are fitted. That is the difference between a visit that fixes the fault and a second visit.
In practice, the engineer phones the office to have the serial number looked up, or takes a folder of drawings that does not match the machine as delivered. Hours and parts are written on a paper job sheet, which only reaches the ERP days later. A missing part is ordered by phone. And anyone returning to the same machine a year later has no idea what the previous engineer did.
We build custom solutions because service departments differ: how many machines and variants there are, where configurations and drawings are kept, how work orders are planned, which ERP and stock system you use, and how you invoice. The app works on phone and tablet, including in a factory hall with no signal, and is built around the machine, not just around the job.
The machine at the centre
Per serial number: the configuration, drawings, manuals and the history of faults and maintenance.
Everything on the phone
Hours, parts, findings, photos and measurements recorded during the work, and ordering parts directly from the app.
Report and invoice
A report with the customer's signature on departure, and an invoice that follows from what has been recorded.
How we build your app for a machine builder's service department
We start with your service department: how many machines are in the field, where the information lives, how jobs are planned, and where things currently go wrong.
Your machines, configurations, drawings, planning, ERP and stock.
Machines per serial number with configuration, documents and history in the app.
Hours, parts, findings, photos, measurements and orders during the visit.
Signed report, integration with ERP and inventory, and ongoing management.
What an app for a machine builder's service department actually does
The components below come up in almost every machine manufacturer's service operation. Which ones you need depends on your machines.
Machines
Machines at customer sites by serial number and configuration.
Documents
Drawings, schematics and manuals per machine.
History
Faults and maintenance per machine over the years.
Work order
Hours, parts, findings, photos and measurements.
Parts
Order parts from the app, with stock visibility.
Report
Report with the customer's signature on departure.
Who we build an app for the service department of a machine manufacturer
The app is intended for service departments that maintain machines at customer sites.
Machine builders
Your own machines in many variants. The configuration of each machine is central.
Production line builders
Large installations at customer sites. History matters most.
Importers and dealers
Machines from manufacturers with service. The parts are what's needed.
Technical service providers
Machines from multiple brands. The report per visit is central.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about the service department of a machine builder. For field service in general, see our page on a field service app; for machine building, see our page on machine building software; and for configurations, see our page on a configurator for machine tools. You can read about our approach under building software.
For faults on machines in the food industry, with on-call service and release after repair, see our software for food machine fault service.
Why choose Appfront for your machine manufacturer service app?
A second visit for the same fault costs the customer a day of downtime and you a day of engineer time. We build around that: the machine and its history on the phone, work recorded on the spot, and a report on departure.
Fewer repeat visits
The engineer knows what's installed and what was done before.
Invoiced faster
Hours and parts appear in the ERP the same day.
Knowledge stays
The history per machine doesn't depend on one engineer.
Security and privacy for a machine manufacturer's service app
The app holds data on customers, machines and configurations, confidential technical information. Access is set up by role, and engineers see only the machines they work on.
The app runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage and daily backups. Documents and history are stored on the device so it works without signal, and are updated as soon as there is a connection.
Frequently asked questions about a machine manufacturer's service app
Questions machine builders ask before getting started.
It shows the engineer at the customer site the machine by serial number, configuration, documents and history, records hours, parts, findings and measurements, lets them order parts, and produces a report with the customer's signature. The office then has the history per machine.
A general field service app revolves around the job. For a machine manufacturer it revolves around the machine: which variant, which parts, which drawings, and what has happened over the years. This app is built around that machine.
From the ERP or PDM, where the machine was recorded at delivery. The app shows the configuration as delivered, and changes made by the service department later are added to the history.
Yes, from the app, with stock visible. An order goes to the ERP or back office, with the machine's serial number, so the correct part is supplied.
Yes. Factory halls and basements often have no signal. The machine, documents and history are stored on the device, and anything the engineer records is sent as soon as there is a connection.
On departure, the customer signs on the device and receives the report by email or through a customer portal. The report covers the work carried out, the parts used and any recommendations.
Check this first. Many ERP packages include a service module, which is sufficient for straightforward jobs. Custom development makes sense when engineers need configuration, drawings and history per machine, or when the app must work without signal.
The machine with its history, in the engineer's hands?
Tell us how many machines you have in the field, where configurations and drawings are kept, and how service is recorded today. We will show you what the app looks like.