Summary: When two technicians edit the same work order while offline, the last device to sync overwrites earlier changes, resulting in data loss.
Symptoms
- Technician A completes a checklist and adds notes while offline
- Technician B (or the same technician on a different device) modifies the same work order while offline
- After both sync, only one set of changes appears in the web app
- No error message is displayed during sync
- Audit log shows only the final state, not intermediate edits
Affected Versions
FieldPulse 3.0.x – 3.2.x. All mobile platforms (iOS and Android).
Cause
The current sync implementation uses last-write-wins conflict resolution. When the server receives multiple updates for the same record, it applies the most recent timestamp and discards earlier versions. Field-level merge is not yet implemented.
Resolution
There is no automatic recovery of overwritten data. To prevent future conflicts:
- Assign work orders to single technicians — Use the Assigned To field to ensure clear ownership
- Enable real-time status updates — Configure Auto-Sync to reduce offline editing windows (see Offline Mode configuration)
- Lock completed work orders — Set Status Lock in Settings → Work Orders to prevent edits after completion
- Use device refresh before editing — Technicians should pull-to-refresh the work order list before making changes
Workaround
For teams that must collaborate on shared work orders:
- Designate one technician as primary; others add notes via Job Notes rather than editing checklist fields
- Use the Photos feature for field documentation instead of text fields when multiple parties contribute
Status
Fix targeted for 3.3. Development is in progress for field-level merge with conflict detection UI. ETA Q1 2026.
