Enterprise mobile app development
Enterprise mobile apps for teams away from a desk
Technicians, drivers, inspectors and sales staff need company systems on their phones. They sign in with their work account, see only what their role allows, keep working without signal, and every action leaves an audit trail. Comtau builds these apps and the integrations behind them.
Inspection IR-118 · one record, start to finishInspector · North region
- Signed in with a work account
Single sign-on; the role comes from the user's groups.
- Completed offline, queued
Encrypted on the device until the signal returns.
- Synced to work order WO-5531
The mobile API validates and writes to the ERP.
- Device queue2 forms
- Mobile APIroles · mapping
- ERPWO-5531
- Supervisor notified
Push notification to the approver's phone.
IR-118 ready nowPump station 7 · review - Audit entry written
Who did what, on which device, when.
whoJ. RiveradeviceManaged · AND-0412when09:31 device · 09:44 server
Illustrative example - not a client project
Where it is used
Typical enterprise mobile apps
Our enterprise mobile app development services start where work happens away from a desk and the data belongs in systems the company already runs.
Field service
Job lists, customer history, parts used, photos and signatures, with work orders synced back to the service system.
Inspections & audits
Structured checklists with photos, location and timestamps that turn into reports without retyping.
Warehouse & logistics
Barcode scanning, picking, stock counts and proof of delivery on rugged or personal devices.
Sales & ordering
Customer data, catalogues, pricing and order entry during visits, including where the signal is poor.
Approvals on the go
Managers approve requests, expenses or purchase orders from a notification, with the context they need.
Frontline communication
Shift information, procedures and acknowledgements for staff who never sit at a computer.
Requirements
What makes a mobile app enterprise-grade
Each of these requirements shapes the design from the start and is hard to add later.
| Requirement | What it means on a phone | How we handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Identity & SSO | Staff sign in with work accounts and MFA, with no separate passwords. | OpenID Connect or SAML through your identity provider, with tokens in secure device storage. |
| Roles | An inspector, a supervisor and a contractor see different data and actions. | Roles mapped from identity-provider groups and enforced in the API, not only in the app. |
| Offline work | Basements, rural sites and warehouses have no reliable signal. | Encrypted local store, sync queue, and conflict rules agreed per record type. |
| Device management | IT installs, configures and can wipe the app. | Managed app configuration and app-protection policies through your MDM / EMM. |
| Data protection | Lost phones must not leak company data. | Encryption at rest, no secrets in the app, remote session revocation, minimal caching of personal data. |
| Audit trail | Who did what, on which device, when. | Server-side audit log written by the mobile API, with timestamps from the device and the server. |
| Integration | Data lives in ERP, CRM or field-service systems. | A mobile API that maps, validates and queues writes, keeping system credentials off the device. |
Scroll sideways to see the full table.
Architecture
How an enterprise app fits your systems
The app never talks to the ERP directly. A mobile API sits in between. It enforces roles, writes the audit log and protects your systems of record from unreliable mobile connections.
Managed device01
- Enterprise appRole-based screens, scanning, camera, forms
- Offline storeEncrypted local data and a sync queue
- Managed configurationServer URL, tenant, policies pushed by MDM
Control plane02
- Identity providerSingle sign-on, MFA, group-based roles
- MDM / EMMDistribution, app protection, remote wipe
Integration layer03
- Mobile APIValidates, maps and queues requests for back-end systems
- Audit logWho did what, on which device, when
Systems of record04
- ERPOrders, inventory, assets, work orders
- CRM / field serviceCustomers, visits, cases
- Document storageReports, photos, signed forms
The systems behind the app are often custom business software such as ERP or internal tools. The mobile API reaches them through API integration.
Security review
Ready for your security team's questions
Your security and IT teams will review the app before it reaches staff. Any enterprise mobile app development company should expect that review. We build with it in mind and give them the documentation they ask for.
- Mobile security baseline: storage, network, authentication and platform interaction checked against the OWASP MASVS categories.
- No secrets in the app: credentials for back-end systems stay on the server; the app holds only short-lived user tokens.
- Data inventory: what personal and company data the app stores, where, for how long, and how it is wiped.
- Penetration tests: we cooperate with your chosen testers and fix findings before rollout.
- Dependency hygiene: third-party SDKs reviewed before adoption and monitored for vulnerabilities afterwards.
Distribution
Getting the app to staff without the public store
Internal apps don't need a public store listing. They do need a reliable way for IT to install, configure and update them.
iPhone and iPad
Custom apps distributed privately to your organization through Apple Business Manager, then installed by your MDM.
Android
Private apps published to your organization's managed Google Play, installed and updated through Android Enterprise.
Configuration
Server addresses, tenant settings and feature switches pushed by IT as managed configuration, so nobody types them in.
How a rollout runs
Built with the people who will use it
Enterprise apps fail when they are designed in a meeting room. We start where the work happens and roll out in waves.
- Discovery
Shadow the work
Ride along, walk the site, see the paper forms and workarounds in use today.
Process and data map - Design
Security & integration
Identity, roles, device model and system access agreed with IT and security.
Architecture and access plan - Build
Iterative build
Short cycles with installable builds for a small group of real users.
Working app, tested in the field - Pilot
Pilot group
One team or region uses it for real work. Feedback and fixes before wider rollout.
Pilot report and adjustments - Rollout
Rollout in waves
Region by region, with training material and a support path, then ongoing releases.
App in daily use
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is enterprise mobile app development?
Custom enterprise mobile app development means building apps that an organization's own staff use for work, such as inspections, deliveries, field service, stock counts, sales visits or approvals. These apps differ from consumer apps in what surrounds them: sign-in through the company identity provider, role-based access, data from ERP or CRM systems, devices managed by IT, offline use, and an audit trail.
Can staff sign in with their existing company accounts?
Yes. The app signs in through your identity provider using OpenID Connect or SAML, so staff use their normal work account with the company's MFA rules. Group membership can map to roles in the app, and access ends when someone leaves the company.
How does the app work without a connection?
The data a person needs for the day is downloaded to the device in advance and stored encrypted. Work done offline goes into a queue and syncs in the background when the device reconnects. Conflict rules are agreed with you per record type, for example when two people edit the same work order. They are not left to chance.
Can we distribute the app privately, not on the public App Store?
Yes. Apple supports private distribution of custom apps to your organization through Apple Business Manager, and Android apps can be published privately through managed Google Play. Your MDM then installs the app and configures it. For field devices outside an MDM, other routes exist, and we weigh their trade-offs with your IT team.
Can the app connect to our ERP or CRM?
That connection is usually the heart of the project. A mobile API sits between the app and your systems of record. It translates data into the shape the app needs, queues writes when a system is busy or offline, and keeps credentials for those systems off the device. During discovery we map which records move in which direction and how each system can be accessed.
Do employees need company-owned devices?
No. Company-owned devices give IT the most control, but many organizations use personal devices with app-level protection instead: the work app's data is separated, encrypted and can be wiped without touching personal data. Which model fits depends on your security policy, so we design for it from the start.
Replacing paper, spreadsheets or a tool nobody likes?
Tell us who works in the field, which systems hold the data and what IT requires. We'll suggest a pilot that proves the app with real users.
- Tell us who works in the field and which systems hold the data.
- We suggest a pilot that proves the app with real users.
- You get an estimate tied to a written first-release scope.