Screen-by-screen comparison of Clearstory's live mobile app (23 screenshots) against our UIS-20h spec reveals significant gaps in Step 1, labor columns, Summary page, PDF preview, and the entire signature management model.
24
Missing Features
5
Steps (Not 6)
10+
Missing Sub-Screens
23
Screenshots Analyzed
3
Entire Flows Missing
Flow Architecture Comparison
Clearstory uses 5 wizard steps + 2 separate sub-flows (Summary, Prepare Signatures) + 10+ sub-screens. Our spec has 6 linear steps with no sub-flows.
Missing: Qty of Workers, Premium Time/OT, Per-row Date
3
Materials
Material picker, Qty, Unit
Missing: 3-way add sheet, Import rates
4
Equipment
Equipment picker, Pieces, UoM
Missing: 3-way add sheet
5
Photos
Up to 5 photos, camera
Should be on Step 1 per Clearstory. Limit should be 50.
6
Signatures + Submit
Worker sig (required), Customer sig (optional), Submit
Missing: Summary, Preview, Signers, Signing Order, Email, Distribution
Step 1: Info — 7 Missing Features
Clearstory's Step 1 is dramatically richer than our spec. It includes project selection, rich text, multi-date, photos, and multiple sub-screen navigations.
1
Project Title Picker + Inline Create
Missing▼
Clearstory
First field on Step 1: "Project Title *" with chevron
Taps into full-screen Project picker with search ("Name, Job#, or Contract")
"CREATE NEW" button opens inline project creation
Create New Project: Title, Job Number, Contract Value, Contract Name, Customer picker, Customer Job Number, Address, City, State, Zip, Country, Team Members
UIS-20h
No project selection at all
Company picker only (via SelectionSlideup)
No inline project creation
Impact: Every T&M tag in Clearstory is tied to a project. Without this, WOs would lack project context. Appello already has projects/jobs — adapt the mobile job picker pattern.
2
Cost Code Field
Missing▼
Clearstory
Free text "Cost Code" field on Step 1
Optional, positioned after Project Title
UIS-20h
Not present in the spec
Appello has cost codes system-wide
Impact: Low effort. Add a cost code text input or picker to Step 1.
3
T&M Tag Title (Separate from Description)
Missing▼
Clearstory
"T&M Tag Title *" — required field, short name
Distinct from "Description of Work" (long-form)
UIS-20h
Only has "Description" textarea
No separate short title for the WO
Impact: Appello's Job model already has a "name" field. Map T&M Tag Title to Job.name. Trivial.
4
Rich Text Description Editor
Missing▼
Clearstory
Tapping "Description of Work" opens full-screen editor
Impact: Medium effort. Use a mobile-friendly rich text library. The formatting toolbar matches standard web editor patterns.
5
Multi-Date "Dates of Work Performed"
Missing▼
Clearstory
"Dates of Work Performed" with green + button
Each date appears as a green pill chip with x to remove
Multiple dates for multi-day service work
UIS-20h
Single "Date" field
No multi-date support
Impact: High value. Service work spans multiple visits. Change single dateOfWork to a date array. Already flagged in Clearstory Process Map recommendations.
Impact: Move photos/docs to Step 1. Increase limit to 30-50. Add document (PDF) support alongside photos. Collapse our 6-step wizard to 5.
7
EXIT / SAVE Header Pattern
Partial▼
Clearstory
Every step: EXIT (left, green text) | Title | SAVE (right, green text)
Previous Step ← / Next Step → full-width buttons at bottom
UIS-20h
Back arrow | "Work Order" | "Step x of 6"
Footer: Close | circular chevron up/down
Impact: Navigation pattern choice. Appello's circular chevron pattern is from QAForm. Consider adopting full-width Previous/Next buttons for better mobile UX.
Step 2: Labor — 4 Missing Features
Clearstory's labor step has more columns, per-row dates, and a rate import system we haven't spec'd.
8
"Qty of Workers" Column
Missing▼
Clearstory
Required column: "Qty of Workers *"
Multiplier for labor calculation (e.g., 2 workers x 8 hrs)
Positioned after Worker Name/Description
UIS-20h
No quantity field
Each worker is a separate row
Impact: Different modeling approach. Clearstory multiplies hours by qty. Consider adding to WorkOrderLaborItem schema.
9
Premium Time + Premium OT Columns
Missing▼
Clearstory
5+ hour type columns: ST, OT, DT, Premium Time, Premium OT
Table scrolls horizontally to fit all columns
UIS-20h
Only 3 hour types: ST, OT, DT
Impact: Add premiumTimeHours and premiumOvertimeHours to WorkOrderLaborItem. Appello's trade levels already support premium rates.
10
Per-Row Date of Work
Missing▼
Clearstory
Each labor row has its own date picker
Green calendar header: "2026 Mon, Mar 30"
Used for multi-day T&M tags where different workers worked different days
UIS-20h
No per-row date
Single date on the WO header only
Impact: Add optional dateOfWork to WorkOrderLaborItem schema. When multi-date is used, per-row dates clarify which worker worked which day.
11
"Add Worker" from Imported Rates
Missing▼
Clearstory
"Add Worker" sub-screen with back arrow + ADD button
Empty state: "You have not imported any labor rates" with icon
When rates exist: searchable list of imported worker rates
UIS-20h
Trade Level SelectionSlideup picker
No rate import concept
Impact: Appello's Trade Levels serve this purpose. The gap is the empty-state UX and the dedicated sub-screen. Minor UX addition.
Steps 3-4: Material & Equipment — 3 Missing Features
Clearstory offers three ways to add items (select from list, blank row, bulk edit) with imported rate sub-screens.
12
3-Way Add Bottom Sheet
Missing▼
Clearstory
Tapping + shows bottom sheet with 3 options:
"Select Materials" — from project's imported list
"Add Blank Row" — manual entry fallback
"Bulk Edit" (grayed out on free tier)
Same pattern for Equipment step
UIS-20h
Single "+ Add Material Item" button
Direct add, no selection from catalog
Impact: Add a bottom-sheet chooser when tapping +. "Select from Catalog" uses Appello's existing material/equipment catalogs. "Add Blank Row" for manual entry.
13
Import Rate Sub-Screens + Empty States
Missing▼
Clearstory
"Add Material" sub-screen: back arrow | "Add Material" | ADD
Empty state: "You have not imported any material rates" with icon
Same pattern for "Add Equipment"
UIS-20h
No rate import concept
No empty state handling for material/equipment catalogs
Impact: Handle the empty-state when no materials/equipment are configured. Show a message and allow manual entry as fallback.
Blue primary bar with circular chevron up/down buttons
Matches Appello QAForm pattern
Impact: Consider using full-width labeled buttons for WO creation (different from safety forms). More discoverable for new users.
Summary + Preview — ENTIRELY MISSING
Clearstory's Step 5 is a full read-only summary with "Other" line items, PDF preview, and the entry point to signatures. None of this exists in our spec.
Labor table with Worker, Qty, ST + Total Labor row
Materials table, Equipment table, "Other" table
Bottom: "Preview Tag" + "Prepare Signatures"
UIS-20h
No summary page at all
Step 5 is Photos, Step 6 is Signatures
User never sees a complete view before submitting
Impact: Critical for field verification. Users need to review everything before signing. Replace our Steps 5-6 with Summary (Step 5) + Prepare Signatures (sub-flow from Summary).
16
"Other" Line-Item Category
Missing▼
Clearstory
4th line-item type visible on Summary: "Other"
Columns: Other Name*, Qty of Other*, Unit of Measure*, Qty of Unit*
Catches miscellaneous items that don't fit Labor/Material/Equipment
UIS-20h
Only 3 line-item types: Labor, Material, Equipment
No "Other" / Miscellaneous category
Impact: Add WorkOrderOtherItem model or generic WorkOrderLineItem with type="OTHER". Already flagged in Clearstory Process Map recommendations.
17
Preview Tag — In-App PDF Preview
Missing▼
Clearstory
"Preview Tag" button on Summary opens full PDF preview
Formatted document: "TIME AND MATERIAL TAG" header + tag number
Terms & Conditions, Two signature blocks (Name + Company + Date)
"Powered by CLEARSTORY" footer
UIS-20h
No PDF preview at all
WO-4 mentions "Print PDF" on desktop detail page but no mobile preview
Impact: High-value feature for field verification. Appello's existing pdf-export API can generate the preview. Add a "Preview" button on the Summary step.
Signatures — 7 Missing Features
Clearstory's "Prepare Signatures" is an entirely separate flow from the wizard, with sophisticated signer management, signing order, email messaging, and distribution. Our spec has a basic worker/customer signature step.
18
"Prepare Signatures" as Separate Flow
Missing▼
Clearstory
Accessed from Summary via "Prepare Signatures" button
Separate page: EXIT | "Prepare Signatures" | SAVE
4 collapsible sections: Sign your T&M Tag, Signers, Email message, Send signed copy to
"← Back to Summary" + "Collect Signatures" at bottom
UIS-20h
Signatures embedded as Step 6 of the wizard
Only worker + customer canvas
No separate flow concept
19
Signer Management — Add/Select with Types
Missing▼
Clearstory
"Add Signer" modal with two tabs:
Tab 1 "Select a Signer": search names/emails, checkbox list with company + email
Tab 2 "Add a Signer": First Name*, Last Name*, Email Address, Company Name*, Signer Type* (Optional/Required radio), "Create Signer"
UIS-20h
Just "Signer Name" text input
No signer database
No Optional/Required types
20
Signing Order Toggle
Missing▼
Clearstory
"Signing Order" toggle switch in Signers section
When enabled, signers must sign in order (signer 1 first, then 2, etc.)
UIS-20h
Not present
21
Email Message to Signers
Missing▼
Clearstory
Collapsible "Email message to signers" section
Textarea: "Enter a message that will be included in the signature request email..."
"This message will be sent to all signers when requesting their signature"
No concept of sending signature requests separately
24
"Back to Summary" Navigation
Partial▼
Clearstory
"← Back to Summary" outlined button on Prepare Signatures
Non-linear: user can go back and forth between Summary and Signatures
UIS-20h
Linear wizard — back goes to previous step
Prioritized Recommendations
Ranked by impact on the April 15th RR Mechanical demo and competitive positioning. Items 1-5 are critical for v1.
Restructure to 5 Steps + Summary + Prepare Signatures
Move photos/docs to Step 1. Replace Steps 5-6 with a full Summary page and separate Prepare Signatures flow. This matches both Clearstory and field worker expectations.
CriticalWO-8
Add Project/Job Selection to Step 1
First field should be project/job picker. Reuse Appello's existing mobile job selection pattern. Add inline project creation for new customers.
CriticalWO-8, WO-1
Multi-Date "Dates of Work Performed"
Change single dateOfWork to a date array. Green pill chips with + to add, x to remove. Essential for multi-day service work.
CriticalWO-1, WO-8
Full Summary Page with Preview Tag
Users MUST see everything before signing. Add a read-only summary with all data + "Preview Tag" button for PDF preview + "Prepare Signatures" button.
CriticalWO-8
Rich Text Description Editor
Full-screen editor with B/I/U, lists, indent. Clearstory has this. Reuse a lightweight mobile rich text component.
HighWO-3, WO-8
Signer Management (Select/Add, Optional/Required)
Add signer database, "Select a Signer" search, "Add a Signer" form with First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, Signer Type (Optional/Required).
HighWO-3, WO-8
Increase Attachment Limit to 50, Add Document Support
Change from 5 photos to 50 photos + documents (PDF). Add Camera, Photo Library, Files options.
HighWO-8
Add "Other" Line-Item Category
4th type for miscellaneous items: Other Name, Qty, UoM, Qty of Unit. Shows on Summary between Equipment and the footer.
HighWO-2, WO-8
Labor: Add Qty of Workers, Premium Time/OT, Per-Row Date
Expand WorkOrderLaborItem with qtyOfWorkers, premiumTimeHours, premiumOvertimeHours, dateOfWork columns. Table scrolls horizontally on mobile.
HighWO-2
3-Way Add Sheet for Materials & Equipment
When tapping +, show bottom sheet: "Select from Catalog", "Add Blank Row", "Bulk Edit" (Phase 2). Handles empty-state when no rates imported.
MediumWO-8
Cost Code Field + T&M Tag Title Field
Add Cost Code text input and WO Title (short name) to Step 1. Map title to Job.name. Both are trivial additions.
MediumWO-1, WO-8
Email Message to Signers + Send Signed Copy To
Two collapsible sections on Prepare Signatures. Custom email message + distribution list. Phase 2 candidate if timeline is tight.