10 Ways to Improve Your Business Through Claris FileMaker

Claris FileMaker is a versatile tool that can be used by organisations of all sizes to develop software, manage contacts and projects by organising data into different layouts, screens and forms.
One of the reasons for the growing popularity of Claris FileMaker is that it does not require users to have any programming skills. With over 30 integrated starter solutions users can set up and start performing important tasks quickly and easily.

While the tool is primarily used for developing custom software rapidly, it has several features that make it an invaluable tool for businesses.

Here are 10 ways in which you can improve your business through Claris FileMaker.

1. Save Time and Money
Developing software can be expensive, laborious and time intensive. For small to medium-sized businesses, this can be a drain on money and resources. FileMaker is not expensive database software. While there is a learning curve, once users become familiar with the system, it is very simple to use.

2. Easily Build Custom Solutions
Building custom solutions through Claris FileMaker is simple as it does not require users to have a knowledge of SQL, the programming language which forms the basis of most database systems.
All that users need is to be familiar with structures and have an understanding of their relationships. The tool comes with comprehensive easy-to-follow training to help even beginners get quickly up to speed for building custom solutions.

3. Cloud-based for Better Efficiency and peace of mind
Apps created using FileMaker can be pushed to the cloud directly. Users can work from home or go global in minutes. With Cloud hosting, you can trade capital expense for operational expense and benefit from massive economies of scale. This allows you to get on with growing your business by doing what you do best – with peace of mind that your hosting environment is being maintained and looked after for you.

4. Easily Create Smarter Apps
By adding Siri Shortcuts to a custom app, you can enable voice commands and run automations, start a process or update inventory. Using Apple’s Core ML, machine learning can be introduced into custom apps for rapid sentiment analysis, object detection, image classification, face detection, speaker identification, text prediction and more. The device’s CPU can be leveraged to integrate machine learning models in iOS and macOS applications.

5. Efficient Data Organisation
FileMaker database solution brings all data in one place while providing the flexibility to add, change and query the data. This relieves your business from struggling with paper forms, spreadsheets and multiple applications required to complete work. The user interface allows for viewing and interacting with data as well as calculating, reporting and integrating with other database systems.

6. Improves Internal Communication
Accurate and clear communication is the key to keeping teams organised and efficient.
Cloud hosting services provide easy access to information anywhere for clear and timely communication. This helps in accurate decision-making and reduces the occurrences of miscommunication.

7. Improved Efficiency through FileMaker Integrations
FileMaker comes with several integrations and plugins. It is also easy to connect to external SQL data. Apps built with FileMaker can be connected to most databases or other software through their API’s.
From sending and receiving emails in the app to generating barcodes, and connecting with QuickBooks, MYOB or Xero to eliminate double data entry, FileMaker helps improve efficiencies in different areas of a business.

8. Provides Tailored Solutions for Unique Needs
Whether your business is small or large, there are almost infinite possibilities in which FileMaker can be used for creating smart solutions which are tailored to meet your specific requirements.
Tailored solutions can be created quickly and cost-effectively. These include databases, customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning. The flexible nature of FileMaker facilitates the ease of creating application solutions and custom software for desktops as well as mobile devices.

9. Flexible and Fast App Development
FileMaker has several starter solutions which can be used to get a head=start on the development process for creating Apps rather than starting from scratch.
This allows for fields to be added and layouts to be modified for customisation.
The templates are pre-built frameworks which can be used to create stunning interfaces with all the functionality that’s required.

10. Can be Used as an ERP
Enterprise Resource Planning systems such as PeopleSoft and SAP are expensive and complex which makes them hard to justify for use in small and medium-sized businesses. The flexibility offered by FileMaker and the ease of integrations by using APIs makes it suitable for creating custom ERP solutions for small and medium-sized organisations at an affordable cost.

The versatility of FileMaker makes it suitable for creating ERP systems in a diverse range of industries such as retail, manufacturing and real-estate. The ERP systems can be built to include precise functionality that is required for multi-platform environments.

Furthermore, the integrations allow for many tasks to be performed such as processing payroll, accounting, production, tracking orders, inventory control and invoicing.

If you are contemplating whether FileMaker can help in improving your business or need help in streamlining your workflow, we are here to help. You can get in touch with us through our contact us page.