Logistics: Field web app with Sheets as the system of record

Context

Dozens of field users on phones; HQ needed daily compliance‑friendly logs without buying a field‑service SaaS for year one.

Challenge

• Free‑form chat and ad‑hoc sheet rows didn’t produce reliable KPIs (on‑time visits, issues by region).
• IT wanted Google SSO‑style access without standing up a new server.
• Users in low connectivity areas needed forms that failed gracefully and could retry submission.

Approach

1. Defined the minimum viable schema: visit ID, site, timestamps, checklist, issue codes, optional photo link.
2. Built a responsive web app (doGet/doPost) with role checks against the Workspace domain.
3. Stored rows in a structured sheet with append‑only semantics; admin views used QUERY() and pivot‑friendly layouts.
4. Added an admin export and a weekly summary email to leadership.

Solution

Apps Script Web App deployed with execute as “me” vs user as appropriate for the client’s security posture, with explicit logging for debugging. No database hosting line item—Sheets + Drive only.

Outcome

• Structured data replaced chaotic threads; reporting became a spreadsheet exercise instead of a forensic project.
• Onboarding a new field user was “log in with your company Google”—no new passwords.
• The client could evolve the app in phases (extra fields, regional supervisors) without a platform migration.

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• Web app development →
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