Offline & Mobile Features

EQMS provides mobile and offline capabilities for field personnel to capture data, complete forms, record signatures, and maintain audit trails when network connectivity is unavailable. Data is stored locally and synced when connectivity is restored.

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Use mobile device features

Check device capabilities

1. Open the Mobile Features panel on a mobile device.
2. Review the capabilities panel, which shows green/red indicators for:
   • Camera — photo capture and barcode scanning
   • GPS — location capture and continuous tracking
   • Vibration/Haptics — tactile feedback on actions
   • Notifications — local push notifications
3. The panel also displays platform, model, and OS version information.

Take or select a photo

1. In the Camera section, select Take Photo to capture a photo using the device camera.
2. Select Pick from Gallery to choose an existing image from the device photo library.
3. Recent photos appear in a thumbnail strip (the last 5 photos are retained).

Capture location data

1. In the Location section, select Capture Location to get a one-time GPS fix.
2. Review the coordinates, accuracy rating, and altitude.
   • Accuracy is rated as Excellent (<10 m), Good (<50 m), Fair (<100 m), or Poor (>100 m).
3. Select Copy to copy coordinates to the clipboard, or Share to use the device share sheet.

Start continuous location tracking

1. Select Start Tracking to continuously monitor position changes.
2. Select Stop Tracking to end the tracking session.

Scan a barcode

1. In the Barcode Scanner section, activate the scanner using the device camera.
2. The scanner supports common formats: QR Code, Code 128, EAN-13, UPC-A, Data Matrix, and Code 39.
3. Recent scans appear in a list showing format, raw value, and display value.
4. Select Copy or Share to use the scanned value.

Capture a signature on mobile

1. On any page requiring a signature, select the signature field.
2. The Signature Canvas opens in full-screen mode optimized for touch input.
3. Draw your signature using your finger or stylus.
4. Select Clear to reset and try again, or Accept to submit.
5. The signature is captured as an image and attached to the record.

Note

The signature canvas uses pressure-sensitive input when available. For best results, use a stylus on supported devices.

Haptic feedback and notifications

Mobile devices receive haptic (vibration) feedback for key actions such as successful form submission, sync completion, and error alerts. Push notifications are sent for training assignments, document approvals, and audit findings when the app is in the background.

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Create and submit offline forms

Create a new form

1. In the Offline Form Manager, select a form type from the dropdown:

   Form Type	Key Fields
   Document Form	Title, Description, Category (SOP/Policy/Procedure/Form), Version, Effective Date
   Training Form	Course Name, Instructor, Duration, Training Date, Participants
   Deviation Report	Title, Description, Severity (Low/Medium/High/Critical), Date Discovered, Discovered By
   Generic Form	Name, Email, Message

2. Fill in the required fields.

3. To add a custom field, select Add Field and enter the field name and value.

4. Save the form locally as a Draft.

Submit pending forms

1. Change a draft form’s status to Pending to queue it for submission.
2. When connectivity is restored, select Upload All to submit all pending and failed forms in a single batch.
3. The status dashboard at the top shows counts for each status (Draft, Pending, Submitted, Failed).

Caution

Forms cannot be submitted while offline. They are stored locally in IndexedDB and queued for submission when the device goes online.

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Manage offline data

View stored data

1. Open the Offline Data Manager.
2. Review locally stored items organized by type: Document, Form, Audit Trail, Signature.
3. Check storage usage (used vs. available) and individual item sizes.

Set conflict resolution strategy

Each data item has a conflict resolution strategy for when syncing encounters a conflict:

Strategy	Behavior
Server Wins	Server version overwrites local changes
Client Wins	Local version overwrites server data
Manual Resolution	You are prompted to choose which version to keep

Free up local storage

1. Select Clear Synced to remove successfully synced items from local storage.

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Sync data with the server

Run sync operations

1. Open the Sync Operations panel.
2. Select a sync type:
   • Upload — push local data to the server
   • Download — pull server data to the device
   • Bidirectional — two-way sync with conflict detection
3. Select Sync All to execute all pending operations at once.
4. Select the eye icon on any operation to view detailed status, timing, and error information.

Resolve sync conflicts

1. During bidirectional sync, conflicts appear in the operation details.
2. For each conflict, select either the server or client version to resolve it.

Retry failed operations

1. Select Retry Failed to re-queue any failed sync operations without recreating them.

Tip

Use the “Retry Failed” button after resolving connectivity issues to reprocess all failed operations at once.

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Record actions in the offline audit trail

Review audit trail entries

1. Open the Offline Audit Trail.
2. Each entry records:
   • Action — Create, Update, Delete, Approve, Reject, Review
   • Entity type — Document, Training, Deviation, Audit, Signature
   • Entity ID, location (GPS), device info, SHA-256 hash, and timestamp

Capture an electronic signature

1. Select Sign to open the signature capture modal.
2. Draw your signature on the touch-enabled canvas.
3. Optionally associate the signature with a document ID.
4. Select Save Signature to store it locally.

Signatures include GPS location (if captured), device information, and a SHA-256 integrity hash.

Sync audit data to the server

1. Select Sync to push all pending audit trail entries and signatures to the server.

Note

All offline audit trail entries and signatures are hashed using SHA-256 to ensure data integrity. The hash can be verified to confirm that records have not been tampered with since creation.

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Practical example: Conducting a field audit offline at a supplier site

Scenario: A QA Auditor visits a contract manufacturer’s facility in a rural area with no reliable internet connectivity. They need to document audit findings, capture photographic evidence, and collect signatures during the visit.

1. Before leaving the office, open the Offline Data Manager and verify storage is available. Note the conflict resolution strategy is set to Client Wins for audit trail entries (field data takes precedence).
2. At the supplier site, open the Offline Form Manager and select Deviation Report as the form type.
3. Fill in the deviation details:
   • Title: “Inadequate temperature monitoring in raw material warehouse”
   • Severity: High
   • Date Discovered: today’s date
   • Discovered By: your name
   • Add a custom field “Supplier” with value “PharmaCo Contract Mfg.”
4. In the Camera section, select Take Photo to capture images of the temperature logger showing a gap in recorded data. Take a second photo of the warehouse storage area.
5. In the Location section, select Capture Location to GPS-stamp the finding. The coordinates and accuracy (e.g., “Good, 23 m”) are recorded automatically.
6. Save the form as a Draft, then change its status to Pending.
7. Open the Offline Audit Trail. The system has automatically logged a “Create” action for the deviation report, including the GPS location, device info, and SHA-256 hash.
8. To record the supplier’s acknowledgment, select Sign. The supplier QA Manager draws their signature on the touch canvas. Associate it with the deviation report. Select Save Signature.
9. Continue the audit, creating additional forms for two more findings.
10. At the end of the day, return to an area with connectivity. Open the Sync Operations panel, select Upload, and select Sync All. All three deviation reports, five photos, GPS data, audit trail entries, and two signatures are uploaded to the server.
11. Check the operation status — all items show Completed. The office QA team can now see the findings in the Deviations module with full evidence attached.

All data captured during the offline audit is integrity-protected with SHA-256 hashes, GPS-stamped, and includes a complete audit trail — meeting 21 CFR Part 11 requirements for electronic records.