Transport Canada Inspection Mobile App
Maxfield
CLIENT
Maxfield
YEAR
2017-Present
The Challenge
Maxfield is Canada’s largest manufacturer of large propane, natural gas, and ammonia storage vessels, highway transport trailers, and bobtail delivery units. A line item in their revenue targets depends on government-mandated annual inspections of these assets across North America. Until 2016, every inspection was completed on paper. Clipboards in the field. Filing cabinets in storage rooms. While compliant, the process was slow, error-prone, difficult to audit, and increasingly out of step with modern operational demands. Transport Canada requirements continued to evolve, while inspection data remained fragmented and inaccessible. Maxfield needed a digital system that could replace paper entirely while meeting strict Transport Canada compliance standards. The solution had to work reliably in the field on mobile devices, securely transmit and verify data over cellular connections, preserve records permanently, and provide real-time visibility to administrators. Inspection data directly impacts safety, regulatory standing, and revenue.
Our Solution
Intoria designed and built OATS (Online Asset Tracking System). A mobile-friendly inspection platform that enabled Maxfield inspectors to perform annual inspections on iPads and securely store Transport Canada–compliant results in the cloud. We developed a secure iPad application capable of operating in field conditions, transmitting inspection data over cellular connections, and verifying data integrity upon synchronization. The system supported offline-first workflows with complex, multi-user, hierarchical syncing reflected in real time within the OATS administrative portal. Alongside the mobile app, we built a robust web-based administration system that provided real-time inspection visibility, year-over-year compliance and non-compliance reporting, dynamic checklists for client asset management, and permanent archiving of inspection images and data. Dynamic PDF generation ensured standardized, regulator-ready documentation. The platform included finely tuned role-based access controls spanning asset owners, inspection staff, management layers, and super administrators within Maxfield. Business rules automated approvals for veteran inspectors, while maintaining oversight where required. We designed secure long-term storage and archival systems to preserve inspection records for regulatory and operational needs. As the system matured, Intoria continually extended functionality through third-party integrations as Maxfield adopted new operational tools. When the platform encountered serious infrastructure challenges, including server instability and memory leaks, Intoria acted as the single point of accountability. We provided immediate, after-hours support, rebuilt critical portions of the system, and restored stability to a mission-critical platform.
Results
OATS transformed Maxfield’s inspection process from paper-based administration into a scalable, digital, and Transport Canada-compliant platform. Inspectors gained reliable mobile tools in the field. Administrators gained real-time visibility, structured reporting, and permanent, auditable records. Compliance became easier to search, manage, verify, and demonstrate. The system became so effective that Maxfield extended it beyond internal use, licensing the platform to competitors who were still reliant on paper inspections. What began as an operational necessity evolved into a competitive advantage and an additional revenue stream. Equally important, Maxfield gained a technical partner who stood behind the system when challenges arose. By taking ownership during periods of instability and rebuilding for long-term reliability, Intoria demonstrated the level of responsibility required for software that underpins safety, compliance, and business continuity. This project remains a clear example of how disciplined software architecture can modernize an entire industry workflow.
"I've been working with the Intoria team on the OATS portal and Inspection Cloud Software for nearly a decade. Through this time, Intoria has been able to provide and continually improve technical solutions that have managed and organised our complex government-mandated inspection service. For this, and any highly technically difficult challenge, I recommend their services highly."
Scott Virostek
Ag Business Development Services Manager