Overview
Mobile Inspection is a production-ready mobile inspection application for oil palm plantations, built on React Native 0.72 to address the real-world needs of field workers on the ground. Born directly from the aspirations of the field team itself, the application delivers a fast, accurate, and dependable inspection experience — even in areas with limited connectivity. From block inspections and BBC (Good Fruit Recording) data entry, GPS location tracking, to real-time notifications via Firebase, everything is packaged into a single cross-platform application running seamlessly on both Android and iOS. Powered by Realm Database as its offline-first engine, the app ensures that not a single inspection record is ever lost in the field.
Challenges
Building a plantation inspection application capable of operating reliably under extreme field conditions — minimal signal, a wide variety of Android devices, and the need for precise data recording with zero error tolerance. The core engineering difficulty lay in managing seamless offline-to-online data synchronization using Realm, integrating multiple heavy libraries (Firebase, Geolocation, Bottom Sheet, NetInfo) without compromising performance, and handling edge cases within the BBC and Inspection modules — such as the TBM block 0 bug at row-end and a persistent loading loop — all while ensuring zero disruption to plantation operations running 24/7.
Solutions
Architected using React Native 0.72 with JavaScript (98%) as the primary language, supplemented by Java native modules (Android) for performance-critical operations. Realm 11.10.2 serves as the backbone for local data storage with automatic sync capabilities, while @react-native-community/geolocation ensures every inspection point is recorded with precise GPS coordinates. The navigation stack is built on React Navigation 6 (native-stack, bottom-tabs, top-tabs, material-tabs) for a fluid user experience. Firebase (Analytics + Messaging via Notifee) automates notifications and reporting, apisauce handles API communication with robust error handling, and NetInfo enables real-time connection status detection for seamless offline/online mode management. CI/CD is fully managed via GitLab CI/CD for fast and structured releases.
Business Impact
From its initial version through to v6.18 (build 65), Mobile Inspection has transformed TAP-AGRI's oil palm plantation inspection process — replacing error-prone manual recording with a standardized digital system. The application empowers field teams to conduct inspections faster, delivers data to management in real-time, and resolves critical field-discovered bugs iteratively through a structured release pipeline — resulting in plantation operations that are more efficient, accurate, and truly data-driven.