Introduction to data capture

In Flowfinity, 'data capture' refers to any information that individuals in an organization input to the system on mobile forms or through their computer web browser. We try to give you lots of options to make data capture efficient, understandable and reliable.

Using Flowfinity's point-and-click App Editor, you can design forms for people to input any kind of information you need them to report, for example answers to inspection questions, details of work they've completed, quantities of parts used or orders for products.

Data fields are added in the Form section of the App Editor. There are over 30 field types to choose from, such as pictures and sound recordings, written descriptions, and attachments. Once the application is published, data fields are stored in database tables that are automatically generated and maintained by Flowfinity software.

Capturing data on mobile devices can be completed while offline without network coverage. In addition to entering data offline, you can also pull up data and access records while offline, since the app can be configured to cache the most up-to-date data on the device while you have network connectivity.

Here is a list of all the fields types available for data collection in Flowfinity:

Field Type	Description
Address	Store a mailing address
Attachment	Upload and store file attachments from your device or the web
Audio	Record audio in the foreground or background
Barcode	Scan barcode fields using the device camera
Checkboxes	Perform multiple-choice selection
Copy Value	Copy the value of another field or system variable in read-only format
Date	Capture or store dates using calendar selection
Date/Time	Capture or store a date and time stamp
Dropdown	Select an item from a dropdown menu
Dropdown hierarchy	Create a dropdown menu with several levels that depend on what was selected previously
Email	Store an email
Input	Store a text value with the option to specify a format mask for the user
Location	Enter or capture GPS locations and launch maps
Lookup	Look up and select data stored in another application, such as customer or parts lists
Memo	Enter multi-line text
Money	Enter numeric values formatted as money
Numeric	Enter numeric values
Password	Store password values that are masked from the user by asterisks *
Phone number	Enter text formatted as a phone number
Picture	Capture or upload photos with option to annotate and apply time stamps
Radio buttons	Select a single value from a predefined list of values
Read-only text	Display read-only information to the user, where the data shown is stored in the database
Reverse numeric	Enter whole numeric values from right to left
Role lookup	Select one or more user roles (custom roles available in Enterprise Edition)
Signature capture	Capture signatures (available on mobile devices only)
Static comment	Display a read-only message to the user, where the message is not stored in the database
Static picture	Display a static, read-only picture in the form, such as a logo
Time	Capture time values
Timespan	Capture time elapsed in the format HH:MM
URL	Capture or store URL values that launch a web browser
User lookup	Select one or more users from your user list

Nested Fields

Nested fields allow you to embed lists of items or sub-records in the main record, such as parts used on a job, line items to be approved, product SKUs on a sales order or rooms in a building inspection. For example, each line item on an expenses report might contain the date, description, amount, and picture of a receipt. You can allow users to add, edit, or delete items in the list dynamically, whether they are online or offline. Nested fields can be displayed as a grid (table view), a list, or a form within a form.

➤ You can see all of this in action here.