QR codes, Slack, Google Sheets… oh my

We recently launched an app that makes it easy for a sailing club to track issues with their boats. Previously this was done with pen and paper… and good luck deciphering handwriting done on a shaky boat.

The Problem: The operations team had a hard time deciphering and tracking issues with the sail boats. Additionally, members would sometimes forget to complete the paper checklist or hand it in.

Solution: We generated unique QR codes for each boat that allows members to scan them and fill out a simple form from the comfort of their phone. In the past members might write things like, “The thing that holds that other thing is stuck.” Not remotely helpful. They can still write that but the app we built allows them to take a photo of the problem. Now the boat operations team can translate that message into, “The backstay block needs to be oiled.”

Most of the time there is no issues with the boats. In the paper era the details from the handwritten sheets would be manually entered into a spreadsheet by interns. Now the entries are automagically sent into Google Sheets freeing the interns from 1900’s style drudgery. When there is a critical issue with a boat the operations team are sent an alert via Slack to let them know what the problem is and on what boat.

The app was used by a test group for a month. This allowed time for us to simplify some choices, make sure it is accessible for users with disabilities (there are blind sailors) and to ensure that it is easy to use for a such wide age range of users (from teenagers to octogenarians). It was released to the entire club last week and has saved the members and operations team countless hours that are better spent sailing.

Get in touch if want to discuss how we can create apps that save you time and money.