Vulken FM is a London-based facilities management company delivering fire damper inspections, reporting and asset lifecycle services across commercial and residential properties.
We built a structured mobile and web platform that replaced paper-based inspection workflows with QR-based asset access, offline field capture, validated inspection rules and report generation.
Client feedback
"H-Studio translated our operational complexity into a clean digital system we can scale."
Kenny Jones — Vulken FMThe Challenge
Vulken's inspection work happens in complex field environments: multiple sites, buildings, asset types and connectivity conditions. A generic checklist app would not be enough.
The team needed a system that could deliver structured inspections in the field while keeping the underlying inspection model traceable and extensible.
The key requirements:
- guide engineers through structured inspections on site
- work reliably in low-connectivity environments
- connect each inspection to the correct asset via QR code
- enforce required evidence such as photos and validation fields
- produce consistent reports for contractors, clients and internal operations
- evolve inspection logic without rebuilding the mobile app every time
The key challenge was to keep the engineer workflow simple while making the underlying inspection model structured, traceable and extensible.
Solution Architecture
We designed the platform as a connected delivery system with mobile inspection, web administration, and schema-driven backend logic.
1. Mobile Inspection App (iOS – React Native)
The mobile app was designed for engineers working in live building environments where connectivity is not always reliable.
- engineer login with assigned sites and inspections
- QR scan flow for direct asset access
- dynamic inspection forms loaded from backend schema
- support for multiple damper types and conditional inspection sections
- required photo capture with GPS metadata
- offline queueing, autosave and deferred upload
- completion flow with validation and engineer sign-off
Architecture decision: the inspection form is server-driven. Standard sections stay locked, while configurable sections can be updated from the web dashboard and synced into the app.
This allows Vulken to evolve inspection questions and reporting logic without requiring a new mobile release for every form change.
2. Web Admin Panel
The dashboard became the control layer for office users, contractors, clients and administrators.
- site, building and asset management
- inspection history and compliance status
- report viewing and PDF downloads
- CSV exports for operational review
- user and role management
- form builder for configurable inspection questions
- template versioning and publish workflow
The dashboard separates field execution from operational oversight: engineers complete inspections in the app, while office users manage assets, reports, permissions and evolving inspection schemas.
Structured Reporting
The reporting layer was built around structured inspection data rather than free-form engineer notes.
The system supports:
• site-level PDF reports
• asset-level inspection histories
• auto-generated observation and remedial text
• photo evidence with metadata
• compliance-oriented summaries and status badges
• CSV exports for operational review
This gives Vulken a consistent reporting model across engineers, sites and inspection types.
System Architecture
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
Key architecture choice: the inspection schema is server-driven. Locked standard sections protect the core inspection flow, while configurable sections can be versioned and published from the web dashboard. This keeps the mobile workflow stable while allowing the inspection model to evolve.
Form Logic & Operational Design
The product was built around operational clarity:
• engineers should not need to interpret inspection logic manually
• the app should remain usable in weak-signal environments
• configurable inspection questions should be extendable without app releases
• contractor and client reporting should be based on the same underlying data model
• inspection outcomes should be reproducible from structured answers, not manual narrative text
The result is a system designed for repeatable inspections, stable reporting, and controlled product evolution.
Outcome
Vulken now has a structured inspection platform instead of a one-off checklist app.
The system helps the team:
• standardise fire damper inspections from QR scan to submission
• support engineers working in low-connectivity environments
• improve documentation quality through required evidence and validation rules
• generate consistent reports for contractors and clients
• manage sites, assets, users and inspection history from one dashboard
• extend inspection logic through schema-driven forms rather than repeated app rebuilds
The result is a platform foundation for repeatable inspections, cleaner reporting and future operational scale.
Dashboard Gallery
The web interface extends the mobile inspection workflow with operational visibility, asset management, reporting, and schema-based extensibility.
Published with permission. Project details are summarised for illustrative purposes and may omit confidential implementation details.
