B2B mfg mobile apps typically serve three use cases: distributor/dealer portals (catalog, ordering, credit management), field-sales force apps (lead capture, quote generation, order placement), and IoT/production monitoring where relevant. We build in React Native with ERP integration, offline-capable architecture for field users, and biometric authentication. The test we apply before building anything is whether the app removes a phone call or a paper form that currently costs someone real time every day. Distributor ordering that today runs through WhatsApp messages retyped into an ERP by a coordinator is a strong case. An app built so the company can say it has one is not, and we will say so during scoping rather than after the invoice.
B2B mfg app archetypes: distributor apps (product catalog, order placement, credit tracking, sales analytics), field-sales apps (GPS-tagged visits, lead capture, quote gen, digital signatures, offline mode), production apps (IoT dashboards, machine logs, maintenance scheduling). Stack: React Native + backend API + ERP integration. Offline-first architecture mandatory for field users - patchy connectivity in industrial zones is normal. The failure mode in this category is adoption rather than engineering, because a distributor who has ordered by phone for fifteen years has no obligation to change and will revert the first time the app is slower than calling. That pushes design toward ruthless simplicity on the reorder path, tolerance for older low-end Android devices, and a rollout that starts with a handful of willing dealers before going wide. Credit visibility is often the feature that actually drives adoption, since a dealer who can see their outstanding balance and available limit before ordering has a reason to open the app that a catalogue alone never provides.
