Site Watch — log a construction site problem in 30 seconds
Photograph the problem, pick a category, say where it is. The record is written to your phone and stays there. You do not need a signal to make one.
This app is still in development and is not yet listed on the App Store or Google Play. This page describes what has been built.
Field reporting fails at the exact moment it is needed
The places where something goes wrong on a construction site are the places with no reception. A web form times out, a page will not load, and the whole thing gets postponed until the end of the day — by which point the detail is gone, the photo was never taken, and the exact spot is a guess.
Site Watch writes the record straight to the phone. Confirming it is the last step; there is nothing left pending afterwards, and nothing that has to happen later for the record to exist.
What the site complaint logging app does
Open it and you are looking at the list. Filing one record is three taps.
- Five categories, one already chosen. Rubbish, obstruction, noise, conduct, danger. The add screen opens with one of them selected, so a record can be made without touching anything else.
- Up to three photos. Taken on the spot, or picked from the photo library.
- Location is optional. One tap attaches coordinates. If you skip it, you can just type the place and the record is still filed — it simply will not appear on the map.
- Follow-ups are add-only. Each follow-up carries its own time. What was written first is never edited, so the original description stays as it was written.
- A map of everything with coordinates. Records that carry a position are pinned, which is how a pattern in one part of a site becomes visible.
- Search on the device. Two or three characters find an earlier record by place, description or category.
Where the records live
On the phone that made them. There is no cloud copy, no backup and nothing to restore from — which is exactly why clearing everything asks you to confirm twice. The records themselves are never sent anywhere.
When it uses the internet
Three places, and nothing else:
- A banner advert at the bottom of the screen. The app is free and this is how it is paid for.
- Map tiles from OpenStreetMap, fetched while the map is on screen. The OpenStreetMap credit is shown in the corner of the map.
- A street-name lookup, which runs only after you tap the location button. It sends the coordinates and gets a street name back. Never tap it and it never runs.
All three of those need a connection, and this page will not pretend the app never touches the internet. What is true is narrower and more useful: you can make a record with no reception at all, and the record itself stays on your phone.
Who it is for
Site staff, safety officers and residents' groups noting problems around a construction site — dust, noise, obstruction, damage — where a photograph with a place and a time is far more useful than a phone call.
Photos and location
Photographs are kept on the device alongside the record. Coordinates are attached only when you ask for them, and the street-name lookup is the one moment a position leaves the phone.
Anyone using it should be aware that photographs taken on a site may capture people or private property, and should handle that accordingly.
This app is still in development and is not yet listed on the App Store or Google Play. This page describes what has been built.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I have no signal? You can still make a record. It is written to the phone the moment you confirm it, so nothing is waiting on a connection. Only the map and the street-name lookup need one.
Where are the records stored? On the phone that made them. There is no cloud copy and no backup, which is why clearing all records asks you to confirm twice.
Does the app use the internet at all? Yes, in three places: the banner advert, the OpenStreetMap map tiles, and the street-name lookup that runs only after you tap the location button. The records themselves are never sent anywhere.
Can I change a record after filing it? You can add follow-ups, and each one carries its own time. What was written first is never edited.
Is location required? No. Tap the location button to attach coordinates, or just type the place. A record without coordinates is still filed; it simply does not appear on the map.