The User Problem

Cotecna performs inspections worldwide—vehicles, ship containers, warehouses, agricultural commodities, industrial materials, and more. Each inspection type has its own forms, processes, and report formats.

The users were two groups working in tight coordination:

Coordinators who receive inspection orders, assign inspectors, validate data, and manage report generation.

Inspectors (both internal employees and external contractors) who travel to sites, collect data, take photos, and complete inspections.

The old workflow was painful:

1. Coordinator receives order, assigns inspector
2. Inspector comes to office to pick up paper forms
3. Inspector travels to inspection site
4. Inspector returns to office or home
5. Inspector spends 2-3 days completing paperwork
6. Coordinator reviews, often finds issues
7. If data incomplete or photos unclear → inspector returns to site
8. Report finally generated, printed, signed
9. Client receives report

The business cost was enormous. A ship can't leave port without an inspection report. If that report takes 4-5 days, you're looking at massive demurrage costs for the shipping company—and an unhappy client.

The accountability challenge: With contract inspectors working remotely across multiple sites, there was no reliable way to verify time spent or site visits. Manual invoice verification was time-consuming and error-prone.

The Decision

I took a two-track approach:

Track 1: Adapt to Local Reality

Instead of forcing offices into a standard process, I explored each country's workflows, mapped their forms and formats, and identified the delta between their needs and the current app.

Some deltas were worth building. Others weren't.

The Build

I coordinated two Spain-based development teams and one Indian team, all while working fully remote with stakeholders across multiple countries.

The Netherlands Breakthrough:

The Netherlands ship and container inspection office was a strategically important location with high-value client relationships at stake.

I did a complete discovery: interviewed coordinators, shadowed inspectors, mapped their exact workflow, identified every friction point. Then I formulated solutions that fit their specific needs while using the platform's core capabilities.

The result? They could finally use the app effectively. They showcased it to a major global client—and closed a significant deal.

The USA WiFi Discovery:

A key investor country office had persistent complaints. The app was "unreliable," "kept failing," "data inconsistent."

I flew out and worked alongside the inspectors. Inside the grain warehouses, I noticed something: heavy mesh walls everywhere. Signal bars dropping to zero.

The problem wasn't the app. It was physics.

The solution was almost embarrassingly simple: buy 2-3 mobile WiFi devices with onboard SIM and battery, place them in clear line of sight outside the warehouses.

Inspectors could now work with full, fast connectivity. The "unreliable app" complaints disappeared overnight.

Sometimes the best product decision isn't a feature—it's understanding the environment.

Strategic Impact

The Lesson

How I apply this now:

Global products fail when they assume "one size fits all." But they also fail when they become a collection of country-specific forks.

The balance I maintain: Build a flexible core that can adapt to local needs without fragmenting into unmaintainable chaos. Say NO to requests that serve one country at the expense of the platform.

My discovery principle: When an app "doesn't work," the problem might not be the app. Go to where users work. Watch them work. The environment reveals problems that tickets and calls never will.

The humility I've learned: Sometimes the solution isn't a feature—it's a WiFi router. Don't overthink it.