Digitising Bovine TB Testing for Field Veterinarians in Ireland & the UK
Client: AAA Vet Care Ltd
Industry: Veterinary Services, Animal Health, Agriculture
Services: Technical Consulting, UX/UI Design, Android App Development, Offline Data Capture, Regulatory Workflow Automation, Secure Data Export & Support
Overview
AAA Vet Care required a purpose-built mobile application to support veterinarians carrying out bovine TB testing across farms in Ireland and the UK. TB testing is a highly regulated, multi-day clinical process that must be performed accurately in challenging field conditions and reported back to government systems in strict XML formats. Existing manual and semi-digital workflows were time-consuming, error-prone and poorly suited to the physical realities of farm environments.
ERS was engaged to design and deliver an Android-based field application that allows vets to conduct TB tests efficiently, accurately and compliantly while working outdoors, often wearing gloves, in poor weather and bright light conditions. The application needed to operate offline, guide the vet through complex testing logic, enforce regulatory rules, and automatically generate compliant XML files for upload to Department of Agriculture systems upon completion.
The Challenge
TB testing is a two-stage clinical process that must be completed across multiple days, with strict rules governing how animals are identified, measured, interpreted and reported. Veterinarians must record precise Day 1 and Day 2 measurements, apply interpretation matrices that can change dynamically during a test, identify reactors, and capture a wide range of supplementary data including clinical remarks, passport status, movements and blood sampling details. Any errors or omissions can result in rejected submissions, repeated farm visits or regulatory non-compliance.
From a usability perspective, the testing environment introduces additional complexity. Vets often operate with gloves in muddy or wet conditions where touchscreen interaction is unreliable. Devices must remain readable in direct sunlight, input actions must be minimised, and accidental screen activation must be prevented. At the same time, vets must move quickly through large herds while maintaining absolute accuracy.
AAA Vet Care needed a solution that could handle a wide variety of testing scenarios, including animals with missing or illegible tags, suspected tag numbers, approximate dates of birth, severe interpretation switching, reactor overrides and partial or incomplete tests. The application also had to enforce validation rules before allowing data submission, ensuring that regulatory requirements were met while still allowing vets to progress efficiently through their work.
Finally, the system needed to integrate seamlessly with existing Department of Agriculture workflows by converting captured data back into compliant XML files, without requiring manual intervention by the vet. Delivering all of this within a reliable, offline-first Android application required deep domain understanding, careful workflow design and robust technical execution
Our Solution
ERS designed and delivered a bespoke Android TB Testing Application engineered specifically for veterinary field use. The project began with detailed consultation with AAA Vet Care to fully understand regulatory obligations, real-world testing practices and edge cases encountered by vets on farms. These insights were translated into a structured, guided workflow that mirrors the exact steps taken during TB testing while embedding regulatory logic directly into the application.
The app was designed to operate primarily using physical device keys, allowing vets to navigate, search and confirm actions without relying on touch input. Screens were deliberately styled in high-contrast black and white to ensure visibility in bright outdoor conditions, and interaction flows were optimised to minimise the number of actions required per animal. Touchscreen interaction was intentionally limited on key testing screens to prevent accidental input caused by rain or debris.
ERS also implemented a robust offline-first architecture. Herd data is imported from Department of Agriculture systems via XML files, converted into a mobile-friendly format and synchronised to the device before the farm visit. During testing, all data is stored locally on the device, ensuring uninterrupted operation regardless of connectivity. Once the test is complete, the application automatically converts the captured data back into compliant XML format for upload to the relevant government portal.
The Result
The AAA Vet Care TB Testing App has transformed how veterinarians conduct TB tests in the field. What was previously a paper-heavy, error-prone process is now a structured, guided digital workflow that aligns precisely with regulatory requirements. Vets can complete tests more efficiently, with fewer mistakes, and with greater confidence that submissions will be accepted without rework.
The application’s offline-first design and field-optimised interface allow vets to focus on animal welfare and clinical accuracy rather than administrative overhead. Automated interpretation logic, built-in validation rules and seamless XML export significantly reduce the risk of non-compliance. Support for edge cases and real-world testing scenarios ensures that the system works reliably across diverse farm environments and herd conditions.
For AAA Vet Care, the application provides a scalable, future-proof platform that standardises TB testing practices across teams while reducing manual effort and improving data quality. The project demonstrates ERS’s ability to take highly specialised regulatory processes and translate them into robust, user-centric mobile solutions that deliver real operational value in demanding environments
Conclusion
ERS successfully delivered a highly specialised veterinary mobile application that digitises one of the most complex and regulated field-testing processes in animal health. By combining deep domain understanding, careful workflow design and technical precision, ERS provided AAA Vet Care with a reliable, compliant and field-ready solution that supports veterinarians where they need it most—on the farm.
This project stands as a strong example of ERS’s capability to consult, design, deliver, deploy and support mission-critical mobile applications in regulated, real-world environments.