Extending NocoDB for humanitarian use cases
What is this about?
This repository is a fork of NocoDB, a phantastic Open Source Airtable clone (please see NocoDB's repository and website for more information).
In winter 2022/2023 we (@flisowna and @spaudanjo) had the pleasure to work on prototyping and actual implementing certain features to NocoDB - features that we consider as relevant not only, but especially for the domain of humanitarian aid and NGO work.
This was possible because of the support of a scholarship called Prototypefund we got granted from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), with strong involvement of the Open Knowledge Foundation and the DLR (German Aerospace Center). Find more information about the Prototypefund funding program and how to apply here.
Since our goal was to directly contribute to the official main repository as much as possible instead of maintaining the developed and prototyped features in a permanent fork with the additional features, the purpose of this forked repository is focused on:
- short high-level documentation of our contributions and how it could be used by NGOs and other actors/users (if you are interested in technical onboarding or how we developed the features, please reach out to us - email see below)
- hosting the branches of those prototyped features that didn't make it yet into NocoDB's main repository (e.g. a PDF export POC)
Motivation and background of the project
A lot of critical humanitarian aid is often provided at the beginning of crises by spontaneous helpers who quickly organize themselves on site.
However, there is often a lack of effective, digital, and freely accessible tools that are flexible enough to, for example, organize logistical processes or the registration of people in need of help and helpers individually, efficiently, and in compliance with data protection regulations. Classically, most digital solutions require programming services or rely on paid applications.
This can make it difficult for rapid emergency aid to transition to a sustainable, long-term operating mode for organizations.
Quick and free access to digital organizational tools can make a significant, positive difference in the speed, effectiveness, and sustainability of humanitarian work. Some No Code platforms are already addressing this issue, but there is still a lot of room to grow, also in the open-source area. We identified some features that we wanted to add to the already very established platform NocoDB (see feature details below).
Thus, the main goal of our project was to make Open Source Nocode tools like NocoDB even more interesting for NGOs, as an option to quickly test, deploy, and adapt critical applications without commissioning their own developers - which is especially in crisis situations often a scarce resource.
Added features
We were focusing on the following two primary feature clusters:
- QR code and Barcode support: Implementing a new column type for QR-codes and Barcodes and a scanner that is directly integrated into the application (example use case in the humanitarian domain: logistics of aid supplies, registration of helpers/refugees in reception centers).
- Interactive geographic maps and a dedicated data type for geographic data (example use case: geographic representation of the requests for aid supplies in a crisis region).
Additionally, we also worked on
- making NocoDB more mobile friendly - which is an important pre-condition for use cases that are related to the QR/Barcode scanner
- a prototype for exporting table rows as PDF (also relevant to the QR Code feature since it would allow the easy printing of paper based labels e.g. for logistic aspects of aid delivery)
Use Case examples
To make these features more tangible, as well as giving a good impression of what NocoDB in general is already capable of, let's walk through two use cases which are simplified (e.g. they consist only of one single table and only use fake data, including the geographical positions), but are based on actual cases from the humanitarian domain that we encountered in the context of the various support initiatives that were created for the people of Ukraine after the Russian attack on their country started.
Scenario 1: Capturing the demand for humanitarian aid supplies and logistical processing.
This concerns the provision of supplies to people in crisis areas who are currently unable to leave their current location, but also temporarily have no or limited access to sometimes vital goods. From the perspective of the assisting actors/organizations, the process can be roughly divided into two phases:
- capturing the demand
- logistical processing to fulfill the demand.
Phase 1: Capturing the demand through easily fillable order forms.
With NocoDB, a corresponding table structure can be defined within a few minutes, which captures the relevant information for an order (request for aid supplies, for example by a family in the crisis region).
Based on this structure, a corresponding form can also be created within a few minutes, which can then be publicly shared via an URL.
The first of the new functions we implemented is the new column type 'Geodata', which stores geographic positions - in this case the location of the people who need the aid supplies - as latitude and longitude.
This geoposition can also be easily determined automatically based on the GPS information of the mobile device when filling out the form.
The form data of the orders made by the affected people are immediately stored in the table in NocoDB and can now be edited, sorted, filtered, and displayed in different view types as desired.
To obtain a quick geographical overview, for example, of all previously made and all not yet delivered orders, users can now create a corresponding map view within seconds - this is the second new function (Map Viewtype). This view type also supports filtering of the data points to be displayed, e.g. based on their deliver state. When clicking on one of the markers (each marker represents a record in the table), the corresponding record is displayed in a popup and can be edited there (for example, corrections can be made to the order retrospectively and the order status can be changed).
Phase 2: Logistical processing for delivery of orders
Once an order has been validated (for example, by means of an internal column "state"), it is ready for processing and being eventually delivered. From this point on, QR code labels that can be attached to the orders (package boxes or sometimes entire pallets) can be extremely helpful and time-saving for easy tracking and updating in the system: instead of manually searching for an order that needs to change from the status "Packed" to "In delivery" using the order ID, for example, the order can be found and updated with a simple QR scan before it is loaded onto the transporter.
For this to work, it is necessary:
- to add a QR column to a record (when configuring the column, the column whose value is to be used for the QR code is selected).
- that selected records of a table - along with the QR code - can be easily printed using the new prototype feature of PDF data export.
- the direct integration of a QR scanner in NocoDB, allowing the corresponding record of the shipment to be easily and quickly opened and edited using the QR code label.
It should be noted that the Geo features still require two essential core functions to enable a real, scalable production deployment:
- setting the position using a movable marker on the map by the user
- searching for geopositions based on an address search)
This are consequently next logical steps for future work on the features (see also 'Potential next steps' below).
Scenario 2: Refugee Welcome Center
This scenario concerns the registration of refugees in an initial reception facility and their management, for example, to be able to track at any time which residents have temporarily or permanently left the center and the number of available beds. For the registration and the check-in, check-out and other status updates (e.g. looking for volunteer drivers that could bring them into a different region) of residents of the center, QR-code wristbands that have pre-printed an encoded unique ID on them are given out to every new resident and attached with their respective data row in NocoDB.
Again we start with defining the basic table structure, including basic personal information like name, needed medical support level, the status of the resident (like 'Waiting for free spot', 'Left temporarily' or 'Left permanently' etc), as well as the unique QR Code id - both as an actual column for storing the value as well as a QR code column which will later on enable the scanner for finding people by the QR code, as well as showing the QR code as part of the on-screen details view of the person or for printing the QR code via the PDF export feature, in case that's needed.
Then, we create a form view that is used during the registration. The option 'Enable filling by scanner' will be activated for the field 'QR Wristband ID'.
During filling the form for a new center resident, the QR scanner can now bused to quickly fill out the Id of the Wristband.
If then later the persons record should be opened (e.g. to check them out temporarily or permanently), the new QR scanner that is directly integrated in the Grid View if the new Mobile Mode is enabled can be used to quickly open the respective data row.
How to activate the beta features?
As mentioned, some features are not yet officially released, but already accessible on demand as beta features if users want to work with them. To activate them, simply
- open the right 'Views' sidebar and click three times on the empty area next to the 'Views' button
Links to relevant PRs and branches
Geo Data and Map related
- Geodata column and Map View - initial main PR, merged and available as beta feature
- Follow up fixes on geodata column and map view - merged and available as beta feature
QR-Code and Barcode related
- Add QR column type - merged as officially supported feature
- QrCode: also allow decimals and numbers as referenced values - follow up PR, merged as officially supported feature
- Add Barcode column type - similar to the QR Code column type, but for classic Barcodes (supports a variety of barcode types)
- MVP for mobile layout improvements and integrated QR/Barcode scanner - merged and available as beta features
Other
- PDF export of data rows - Prototype Branch, not merged
- Add 'Delete row' and 'Duplicate row' buttons to expanded form and grid view - merged as officially supported features
Need help or wanna help out? Write us!
Are you member of a NGO, social business or non-profit who needs help, like:
- Help with an onboarding session and check whether NocoDB is the right tool for your use case or organization?
- Need an additional NocoDB feature for a certain use case?
- You have feedback?
Or are you a developer, UX designer etc?
- Want to know how you could help with follow-up work on the started features?
Write us at humannocode@posteo.de
Potential next steps
- more work is needed especially for the Geo Data features (as mentioned above)
- improve the mobile friendliness of NocoDB
- improving overall UX and fixing UX flaws of features like the Geo Data column type and the Geo Map
- bringing the PDF export prototype into a state that can be merged
- work on extended form designers (with logic flows, multi-language support, adding graphics/images and other elements, ...)
Thank you!
- OKF and DLR for their amazing support
- BMBF for this opportunity
- NocoDB team for your phantastic and persistent support
- Superbloom for their great workshops
- Boxtribute and several other actors from the humanitarian domain
- Holger, Marie, Patricia, Jessica, Eriol, Fabi and a lot of others
Sponsors
This project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Read more here (German only):
Erweiterung einer No-Code-Plattform für humanitäre Krisenreaktionen
