2026-06-22 · 4 min read

Notes from Graz: running the same day twice

Looking at the numbers, mobile access changes who actually enters the data which is why the API is documented before the UI. After a few dozen rollouts, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning and that is fine. If there is one lesson, the schedule is only as good as the last update and it shows up in the churn numbers. Once the first rollout is done, mobile access changes who actually enters the data so the mobile app came first.

In practice, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits and the numbers bear it out. The honest answer is that, exceptions are the real workflow so we start there. On the floor, nobody wants another login so the mobile app came first. Talking to operations leads, mobile access changes who actually enters the data and it shows up in the churn numbers. Once the first rollout is done, nobody wants another login and it rarely takes more than a week.

What we would do differently

What surprised us, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product so plan for it. If there is one lesson, document workflow is a people problem wearing a software costume and it shows up in the churn numbers. Once the first rollout is done, mobile access changes who actually enters the data and the numbers bear it out.

Most teams we meet, optional fields never get filled in and it rarely takes more than a week. When the pilot started in Graz, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet so plan for it. For utility operators in particular, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet so we start there. In practice, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks which is not what the brochure says. If there is one lesson, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits and that shaped the roadmap for a year.

“Driftify gives utility operators a single, dependable view of document workflow - from first request to signed-off report.”

Takeaways

If there is one lesson, integrations are where budgets go to die and document workflow is no exception. If there is one lesson, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet which is why the API is documented before the UI. On the floor, the schedule is only as good as the last update which is the whole point.

If there is one lesson, the schedule is only as good as the last update and that is fine. Most teams we meet, integrations are where budgets go to die and document workflow is no exception. If there is one lesson, optional fields never get filled in and it shows up in the churn numbers. Talking to operations leads, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product which is why Driftify is built the way it is. In practice, optional fields never get filled in so the defaults matter more than the settings page.

After a few dozen rollouts, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong which is not what the brochure says. The honest answer is that, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong so plan for it. What surprised us, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product so we start there. In practice, nobody wants another login so the defaults matter more than the settings page. Talking to operations leads, the handover from the old system is where projects stall and it shows up in the churn numbers.

Written by the Driftify team in Graz. Questions? Get in touch.