Case Study

IMR Photo Uploader

Replacing a manual photo-request and file-management process with an Android-based field workflow.

The Problem

Managing photos for around 1,000 new products every month

A field team of around 50 auditors collected product photos during retail-audit work.

Multiple auditors could encounter the same new product, which created a risk of duplicate photo requests and unnecessary coordination.

Around 1,000 new products could need photos each month, making the process difficult to manage manually.

Before

The workflow depended on emails, manual coordination, and file handling

Daily emails listed the product photos still required

Team leaders coordinated requests with auditors

Auditors uploaded photos to Google Drive

Office staff checked incoming photos

Photos had to be renamed manually

Files had to be moved and organized for coders

Duplicate requests had to be avoided manually

Photo completion status required repeated checking

The Solution

A connected field-to-office photo workflow

A Google Sheet became the central record for new products and photo status.

When a product was first identified, it was registered once. Auditors then used a Flutter Android application to see which product photos were still needed.

Photos were uploaded through the app, with resizing and naming handled as part of the workflow. The Google Sheet was updated as photos were completed.

A Python process then monitored the Google Sheet and Google Drive and transferred completed photos into the location used by the coding team.

Automated Workflow

New product registered

Required photo shown to auditor

Photo uploaded in Android app

Status updated automatically

Photo transferred for coding

Result

The manual photo-management workload was dramatically reduced

Before

Two employees were dedicated to managing the photo workflow

Their work included checking requests, coordinating missing photos, reviewing uploads, renaming files, and organizing them for the next team.

After

The workflow no longer required those two employees to handle photo management

Much of the coordination, tracking, naming, organizing, and transfer work became part of the automated workflow.

Technologies

FlutterAndroidGoogle SheetsGoogle DrivePython

The Principle

Automate the coordination around the field work, not just one isolated task

The value came from connecting product registration, field assignment, photo collection, completion tracking, file naming, and final transfer into one workflow.

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