At Humanitarian Software, client feedback drives our innovation. One of the most consistent requests we’ve received for the HELM mobile application is simple but critical: make it faster.
Why Performance Matters
In fast-paced humanitarian and nonprofit logistics environments, even small delays can slow down critical workflows. Our mobile application communicates constantly with backend processes to exchange essential data, so every millisecond saved makes a difference.
The Challenge
Until recently, each time a user launched the app, the application would load its JSON configuration—which defines forms, lists, and tables—from a remote service. Even if nothing had changed, this repeated request added unnecessary time to start-up and login.
The Solution: Local Configuration Caching
To improve speed and responsiveness, we developed a new feature that stores the latest configuration directly on the device. Now, when the app launches, it can immediately pull the configuration locally, only reaching out to the remote service when updates are required.
The Result: Dramatically Faster Logins
With this enhancement, users experience significantly reduced start-up and login times. This not only improves the responsiveness of the application but also creates a smoother, more polished experience for field and warehouse staff who rely on the scanner app throughout their day.
Continuous Improvement
Performance optimization is never a one-time project—it’s an ongoing commitment. This caching improvement is just one of the many steps we’re taking to ensure the HELM Android Scanner App remains fast, reliable, and ready to support the urgent needs of humanitarian supply chains.