Vulken FM is a London facilities management company that inspects fire dampers and manages the resulting reports and asset records across commercial and residential properties.
H-Studio designed and built a connected mobile and web platform for the full inspection workflow: engineers identify assets by QR code, complete guided checks offline and capture required evidence; office teams manage sites, users, inspection records and reports from a web dashboard.
Client feedback
"H-Studio translated our operational complexity into a clean digital system we can scale."
Kenny Jones — Vulken FMThe Challenge
Vulken's engineers work across multiple sites, buildings and asset types, often in areas where mobile connectivity is weak or unavailable. Paper forms and generic checklist tools could not reliably connect field evidence with the correct asset history and final client report.
The team needed a field workflow that stayed simple on site while preserving structured, reviewable inspection records for office operations.
What the platform needed to do:
- Guide engineers through the required inspection steps on site
- Keep drafts, photos and progress available when connectivity drops
- Open the correct asset and inspection history from a QR code
- Require the evidence and validation fields needed for a complete record
- Produce consistent reports for contractors, clients and internal teams
- Update configurable inspection sections without rebuilding the mobile app
The product had to reduce friction for the engineer without reducing a complex operational process to a rigid, disconnected checklist.
Solution Architecture
We modelled field capture, administration and reporting as one connected system backed by shared asset and inspection data. The mobile app handles work on site; the web dashboard handles oversight, configuration and report delivery.
1. Offline-First Mobile Inspection App
The React Native iOS app gives engineers a focused workflow for inspections inside live buildings, including basements and plant areas where network coverage may be unreliable.
- Engineer login with assigned sites and inspections
- QR scanning for direct access to the correct asset
- Dynamic forms loaded from the current inspection schema
- Conditional sections for different fire damper types
- Required photo capture with location metadata
- Autosave, offline queueing and deferred upload
- Completion checks and engineer sign-off
Inspection drafts, captured evidence and completion state remain available when the signal drops. Queued changes can be uploaded when connectivity returns, so the field workflow does not depend on a continuous connection.
2. Web Operations and Administration
The web dashboard gives office teams, contractors, clients and administrators the appropriate view of sites, assets, inspections and reports.
- Site, building and asset management
- Inspection history and recorded status
- Report review and PDF downloads
- CSV exports for operational analysis
- User roles and access management
- A form builder for configurable inspection questions
- Template versioning and a controlled publishing workflow
This separation keeps the field interface focused while giving office users the controls needed to review work, maintain asset records, manage access and update configurable inspection content.
Structured Reporting
Reports are generated from the same structured records captured during the inspection, rather than being recreated later from handwritten or free-form notes.
The platform supports:
• site-level PDF reports
• asset-level inspection histories
• generated observation and remedial text
• photo evidence with metadata
• clear inspection summaries and status indicators
• CSV exports for operational analysis
Field evidence, asset history and client reporting therefore remain connected to one inspection record across engineers, sites and inspection types.
Technical Architecture & Data Model
Technical architecture:
• React Native + TypeScript for the field app
• Next.js + React + TypeScript for the web dashboard
• NestJS backend services
• PostgreSQL for inspection, asset and schema data
• S3-compatible storage for photos and media
• JWT-based authentication and role-aware access control
The inspection schema is server-driven: protected standard sections preserve the core workflow, while configurable sections can be versioned and published from the web dashboard. Vulken can evolve questions and reporting logic without requiring a mobile release for every form change.
Inspection Workflow & Operational Safeguards
The product was designed around clear responsibilities:
• the interface guides engineers through the required steps without replacing their professional judgement
• incomplete evidence and required fields are identified before sign-off
• each inspection remains linked to its asset, engineer and schema version
• office teams control roles, templates and publishing from the web dashboard
• client and contractor reports use the same underlying inspection record
The workflow supports consistent evidence and reporting while keeping review, configuration and technical change under explicit control.
Outcome
Vulken now runs field inspections and office administration through one connected product.
The platform enables the team to:
• carry out fire damper inspections from QR scan to engineer sign-off
• continue fieldwork in low-connectivity environments
• capture required evidence against the correct asset record
• generate consistent reports for contractors and clients
• manage sites, assets, users and inspection history from one dashboard
• update configurable inspection logic without repeatedly rebuilding the app
Instead of a standalone checklist, Vulken has a maintainable inspection system that connects field capture, operational oversight and client reporting.
Web Operations Dashboard
The web dashboard connects mobile inspections with site and asset management, reporting, remedial follow-up and controlled maintenance of inspection forms.
Published with permission. Project details are summarised for illustrative purposes and may omit confidential implementation details.
