Overview

Trilo is a dual-application system (Agent App + Admin Dashboard) designed for large-scale field data collection and management.

It enables organisations to deploy field agents to register and map businesses, capturing structured data, images, and geolocation, while providing administrators with real-time visibility into collected data.

The system has been used to register 1,500+ businesses across Ghana and has been adapted for multiple operational use cases.

My Role

I worked as a Mobile Engineer, responsible for building the core agent and admin applications, including:

• Mobile application architecture and UI implementation
• Integration with Firebase services for data storage
• Google Maps and Places API integration
• Data capture workflows for field agents
• Admin interfaces for monitoring and managing collected data

System Functionality

Agent Application

• Structured forms for registering shops and businesses
• Image capture and upload with preview and gesture support
• Automatic GPS location capture for each entry
• Address resolution using Google Places API
• Local interaction flows optimised for field usage

Admin Application

• Centralised view of all registered entities
• Map-based visualisation of shop locations
• List-based management interface for reviewing submissions
• Dynamic data structure support via Firebase collections

Technologies Used

Languages & Frameworks

• Flutter - For building the user interfaces and application logic for both apps.
• Firebase Firestore & Storage - To store user and shop data, along with any images or additional media.
• Google Maps & Google Places APIs - For mapping shop locations and converting GPS coordinates into human-readable addresses.

Architecture Overview

• Mobile Clients: Flutter applications for agents and administrators
• Backend Services: Firebase Firestore for structured data storage
• Media Storage: Firebase Storage for images and uploaded assets
• Location Services: Google Maps & Places APIs for geolocation and address resolution

The system is designed to support distributed data collection, where multiple agents can submit data concurrently while maintaining centralised visibility for administrators.

Key Technical Decisions

Firebase for Rapid Data Collection

Firebase was selected to enable real-time data synchronisation and reduce backend overhead, allowing fast iteration and deployment.

Google Maps & Places Integration

Used to capture accurate GPS coordinates and convert them into human-readable addresses, improving data usability and consistency.

Dual-App Architecture

Separated agent and admin workflows into distinct applications to simplify user experience and enforce role-specific functionality.

Media Handling with Gesture Support

Implemented image preview with gesture controls to improve usability when capturing and verifying field data.

System Highlights

• Supports large-scale, distributed data collection across regions
• Captures structured data, images, and geolocation per entity
• Enables real-time visibility of field activity for administrators
• Designed for reuse across different organisations and use cases

Challenges & Learnings

• Handling inconsistent network conditions during field data submission
• Adapting to changes in Google Maps and Places API requirements
• Designing flexible data structures to support evolving data requirements
• Ensuring usability for agents operating in real-world environments

Outcome / Impact

• Successfully registered 1,500+ businesses in the Greater Accra region
• Adopted by multiple organisations, including Beauty Cosmetics Manufacturing Limited
• Reused by Access Bank Ghana for the A Sandal More initiative
• Established a reusable data collection system for future deployments

Relationship to Other Work

Data collected through Trilo is leveraged in Shelfer, where registered businesses serve as potential customers within the inventory and sales ecosystem.

Future Enhancements

• Offline-first data capture for low-connectivity environments
• Expanded data validation and deduplication mechanisms
• iOS support for broader device coverage
• Deployment to public app stores

Future Enhancements

• iOS Support: The apps will be extended to support iOS devices for broader use.
• App Store Deployment: I plan to publish both apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store to increase accessibility.

Screenshots

The agent app's shop registration form.

The agent app showing the list of registered shops.

The admin app showing all registered shops on a map.

Image preview with zoom gestures.

Conclusion

Building Trilo allowed me to deepen my expertise in integrating Google Maps and Firebase. It was exciting to see the app's utility expand beyond its original purpose, now helping multiple organizations in their data collection efforts.