Using the Mobile App
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      How does syncing work?

      In this article, learn what information gets synced to/from the mobile device, how often, and the optional sync settings available

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      Overview

      In this article, we will review how synchronization works, the connectivity requirements for synchronization to happen, the timing of synchronization, and how to know what data will by synchronized and when. 

      Internet Requirements
      Synchronization Levels
      What Gets Synchronized?
          Optional Sync Data Filtering
      Data Conflicts

      Internet Requirements

      The Idencia Mobile app uses an internet connection to synchronize data to the Idencia server.  Even so, it is designed to work with or without an internet connection for most operations.  There is only one time where an internet connection is required, that is when you are logging a User into Idencia.  In all other operations, the information recorded will be stored on the device.  Once an internet connection is established, the information will be sent to the Idencia server and then distributed back to all the devices.

      It is important to note that any information you record while you are not connected to the internet will not be visible by any other devices or on the Idencia Management Portal.  This can potentially lead to data conflicts.  We recommend an internet connection while you are using the Idencia Mobile app so the information is immediately synchronized and available to everyone.

      Synchronization Levels

      When the Idencia Mobile app is installed and configured on a device, the synchronization of data will be continuous as long as there is an internet connection.  There are 5 times when synchronization will happen.

      1. Depending on your mobile application settings, synchronization may happen every time the user returns to the Idencia Home screen after an Item is created or modified. See the How do I configure my mobile application? article for information on how avoid syncing every time you return to the home screen.
      2. A synchronization will happen when the device "wakes up" and Idencia is displayed on the screen.
      3. A synchronization will happen whenever the Idencia icon is selected and Idencia is started.
      4. A synchronization will happen every 15 minutes while the device is "sleeping".
      5. A synchronization will happen when initiated by the user in the administration menu

      What Gets Synchronized?

      Synchronization of data is bi-directional.  Data added to or updated on the Management Portal needs to be synced down to the mobile device, and vice versa.  Below are the rules of synchronization each way.

      Synchronization From Management Portal to Mobile Device

      The rules for determining what data is pulled from the Management Portal down to the mobile device is determined by record type.  

      1. Processes:  All processes and process changes are synchronized to the mobile device.  If a process has been updated in the Management Portal since the last sync (process steps added or removed, etc.), the process will be updated on the mobile device.  There is no way to exclude some processes from synchronization.  

        NOTE: Incomplete processes are not affected by synchronization. Changes to a process will take affect the next time that process is initiated.  Existing processes already underway will not be affected by process updates. Devices working in offline mode will continue to use the old version of the process until the device is brought back online and synchronization is complete.  If a process change is made that needs to take affect immediately, you will need to proactively inform users and make sure each device is synchronized so that the process change becomes available.

      2. Jobs: All incomplete jobs are synchronized, regardless of the age of the job.  Incomplete jobs are jobs where the "Mark Job as Complete" checkbox has not been checked.

        NOTE: Not all items within a job will be synchronized just because the job data is synchronized. Individual items within the job will be synchronized based on the Items rule below; however, the Job information will be synchronized as long as the job has not been marked as complete so that new items can continue to be added.

      3. Item Types: 
        • Stock Item types:  All stock item types will be synchronized
        • Custom item types:
          • Any custom item type where the Job is not complete, and the "Limit Items to Number Required" indicator is not set  
          • Any custom item type where the Job is not complete, the "Limit Items to Number Required" indicator is set, and the number required for the item type has not been met.

      4. Items: There are several pieces of information that are used when determining what items will be synced to the mobile device.

        • The synchronization time frame selected in the mobile application settings screen.
        • The last synchronized date and time on the mobile device. Each time a mobile device synchronizes, the "last synchronized" date and time are stored in the mobile application. This information is visible at the bottom of the Home screen.
        • The last modified date of each item.  Each time an individual record is modified, the date and time are recorded.  Every item in the Idencia database includes a "last modified" date and time. 
        • The status of any processes linked to the item (is the process complete or incomplete).
        • The value of any custom property used for Sync Data Filtering 

          When your device synchronizes, the mobile application performs several checks to determine whether the item will be synchronized:

          1. Does the item have any incomplete processes?  If yes, the record will be synchronized.

          2. The mobile application compares the "last synchronized" date and time on the mobile device to the "last modified" date of each record in the Management Portal.  If the "last modified" date in the Management Portal is greater than the "last synchronized" date on the mobile device and is within the synchronization time frame, the record will be synchronized.

          3. Optional Sync Data Filtering

            Does one of the item's custom property values exclude it from the synchronization process?  If yes, the item will not be synced, even if the item's "last modified" date is within the sync time frame. This option is employed when your database size grows to the point where synchronization processes begin taking a considerable amount of time, or synchronization processes time out before completion. 

            For example:

            A member of shipping crew works regularly with inventory items that have not been updated in Idencia for quite some time.  The "last modified" date of these items could be a year or more in the past.  For that reason, this user chooses to sync 2 years worth of data to their mobile device. 

            In this scenario, syncing 2 years worth of data would also include all of the items that have been shipped to customers within the last 2 years.  These shipped items are no longer relevant to the mobile application user, but will be synced to the mobile device because their "last modified" date is within the sync time frame.  Including these shipped items in the syncing process can increase the volume of data to a point where the initial syncing process times out before the sync is complete.

            To overcome this hurdle, it is possible to configure your website to exclude items from the syncing process based on a custom property value. 

            In the example above, items with a status of 'Shipped' would be excluded, but this feature can be applied to any custom property and value(s) relevant to your business process. 

            If you experience significantly long sync times, or if the syncing process times out prior to completion, contact your customer liaison to have your website configured to exclude unnecessary items from the syncing process.

      Synchronization From Mobile Device to Management Portal

      With the exception of data conflicts outlined below, all information collected or updated on the mobile device since the last sync will be uploaded to the Management Portal.  To speed the syncing of process data, photos and signature files can be separated from other process data and synced on-demand. See the How do I configure my mobile application? article for information on how to delay syncing photos and signature files until you're ready.

      Data Conflicts

      Because Idencia can work with or without an internet connection, it is possible to have multiple users update the same record in different places.  One user could update the item directly in the management portal, another user could run a process on the item on a connected device, while still another user could run a process on the same item in off-line mode.  This can result in the data on any one device becoming out of sync with the Management Portal and other mobile devices.  

      This doesn't happen very often, and is more likely to happen when working in offline mode for extended periods of time, but when it does happen, changes that exist on the Management Portal that have not been synchronized to the mobile device will supersede data captured on the mobile device that has not been synchronized to the Management Portal.  This means that your data may be discarded to avoid irreparable data conflicts.  When this happens, you will receive a notification on your device that your process was not saved because another user had updated the record.  You will need to complete the process again.