Knuckles: custom audit app for field inspections (plants, hoppers)

Knuckles: custom audit app for field inspections (plants, hoppers)

Knuckles is an internal Electron app for Efectis: field audits, server API, SQL sync, traceability, evidence and automated report exports.

Project overview

Knuckles is a custom business application built for field auditors (e.g., in nuclear power plants) to run audits/inspections-including hopper inspections-with end‑to‑end structure: steps, validations, evidence (photos/documents), traceability, and report exports.

The business problem

In field audit workflows, information quickly gets scattered across notes, emails, photos, and multiple file versions. That leads to re-keying, mistakes, follow‑ups, and difficulty answering basic questions fast (where does the audit stand? what evidence do we have? who validated the decision?).

Knuckles replaces those fragmented exchanges with one reliable tool that centralizes the process and improves consistency-without exposing sensitive details.

Concrete use cases

  • Hopper field inspection with photos: attach evidence to the right audit, find it instantly, and check completeness.
  • Internal validation: move an audit to “to validate”, capture the decision context (comments), and avoid approvals lost in chat/email.
  • Audit report export: generate a clean summary/report without manual copy‑paste and reformatting.

Two modules: tablet + office

Knuckles is designed for both on‑site and office usage:

  • Tablet module (field): guided data entry during the inspection, evidence capture (photos/documents), and completeness checks.
  • Office module: review, consolidation, and decision support for compliant / non‑compliant outcomes (kept high‑level and non‑sensitive).

Key capabilities

  • Structured audit lifecycle: creation, steps, statuses, progress tracking
  • Data entry & updates: structured fields, validations, consistency checks
  • Comments: context directly on the audit record
  • Change history: an audit trail to understand what changed and when
  • Evidence management: add/view/verify photos and documents
  • Automated workflow: report generation and automated sending to the client (e.g., EDF), according to the process rules

Assisted entry (field)

To reduce errors and speed up entry, Knuckles includes an assisted entry algorithm (guided capture) to:

  • Suggest relevant values when appropriate
  • Prevent inconsistencies through validations and structured fields
  • Improve completeness by guiding the auditor through required information

Decision support (office): compliant vs non‑compliant

On the office side, Knuckles supports the compliance decision with:

  • A consolidated view of the field inputs (data + evidence)
  • Consistency checks to make review more reliable
  • Traceable decisions (who/what/when) with contextual comments

Server API, SQL storage and synchronization

Beyond the tablet/office interfaces, Knuckles relies on a server API to provide:

  • Synchronization of audits, statuses and validations between field and office
  • Centralized storage of data (in SQL) and related evidence
  • Process consistency across steps, rules and report generation

This server layer (notably PHP + SQL) keeps a single source of truth and makes exports more reliable.

Benefits (client language)

  • Less re-keying: information is captured once, in the right place.
  • Fewer mistakes: structured fields + checks + validations.
  • Faster retrieval: evidence lives with the audit record.
  • Shared visibility: progress and status are clear for all stakeholders.
  • Easier audits: history + comments explain the “why” and the “when”.

Outcomes (no sensitive numbers)

  • Reduced fragmented exchanges (fewer back‑and‑forth outside the tool)
  • More standardized capture (less variability and missing fields)
  • Clearer traceability (who did what, when, on which step)
  • Faster exports when information must be shared or archived

Trust (non‑sensitive)

  • Controlled access: permissions aligned with internal roles.
  • Reliability: validations, checks and history reduce ambiguity.
  • Continuity: centralized data, backups, and change traceability.

Why Electron?

Electron provides a fast desktop experience and quick access to media (photos/documents), with a workflow that remains usable even when connectivity is limited.

Similar process?

If you run a comparable workflow (field inspections, evidence management, traceability, validations, reporting), explore our approach to business apps and data & automation.

Have a similar process? Let’s talk.
I can propose a scoping workshop, a rapid POC, or a demo on a workflow close to your reality.
➡️ Contact us.