The perfect off-the-shelf software tool doesn’t exist.
We are often asked about the advantages and disadvantages of off-the-shelf software. Many clients we speak to have spent years shopping around for the perfect off-the-shelf software app to handle each area of their business. They inevitably find something that looks like it does the job, before starting a trial and pretty soon realising that it doesn’t fit their specific needs, so it’s back to the drawing board to look for another likely candidate.
After decades of working to solve problems with business systems, we find one thing is true: every business has its own unique process. Even with organisations in the same industry, delivering the same service to the same customer base, there are always idiosyncrasies. It’s these quirks in their processes that make them unique, but it’s also why it’s so difficult for them to find the perfect off-the-shelf solution.
There are many fantastic tools available, but the perfect off the shelf solution might not exist. A cost-effective solution might be using a selection of tools that talk to each other properly. That is where Claris FileMaker integration could help.
Many businesses settle for the closest fit.
Eventually, we see organisations settling for the off-the-shelf solution that is the closest fit, before tailoring their business processes to match their chosen software. Very often, clients are also forced to fill the gaps with additional systems, such as spreadsheets, task lists, or even post-it notes! Crucially, none of these outlying systems “talk” to each other, leading to:
- Duplication of effort (entering the same data into more than one system)
- Inconsistency of data across different applications
- Time wasted trying to find the relevant information in the right system
- More training and documentation needed
- A less user-friendly experience
Instead of spending valuable time, effort and money trying to find that single “magic bullet” solution, a more cost-effective answer is to use a selection of different tools – each of which perfectly fulfils a specific role in your business, but which can integrate with each other seamlessly.
That is where the Claris platform comes in. Our clients can now use Claris Connect to integrate their other software solutions and leverage FileMaker to manage the unique parts of their business that no other applications can. As a bespoke, rapid application development tool, FileMaker can be the glue to hold your processes together.
“There’s no need to reinvent the wheel or aim to fulfil your core business needs with a single software application. There are loads of great tools already developed, so make use of them. By using the Claris Platform to ensure your integration and automation is up to scratch, you'll be able to achieve a lot more for your business, at a fraction of the cost.”
Use FileMaker Integration to join up the tools you need.
Using REST API integration, FileMaker can sit at the centre of your chosen applications and integrate seamlessly into a user-friendly system. For example, you could use MailChimp for marketing campaigns, Xero for accounts, Trello for project management, Typeform for data collection and Twilio for SMS messaging. FileMaker can be the central store of data, which is pushed to each of these applications.
By using Claris FileMaker, Claris Connect or Claris Studio to handle the integration between your chosen business tools, you will also have the ability to build bespoke areas of your system to manage the parts of your business that other products can’t reach. You no longer need a “one-size fits all” tool to fulfil your business needs. You can choose a selection of business tools to suit specific business needs.
Want to know more about software integration with Claris FileMaker?
If you think that your organisation could benefit from this kind of set up, but you don’t know where to start, we can help. You can also head here to read a case study about using FileMaker to integrate off the shelf systems with Claris Connect.
We Know Data is a Claris Business Alliance Platinum Partner
We Know Data is a Claris Business Alliance Platinum Partner with a team of Certified FileMaker Developers. If you need help with an existing FileMaker System or you are looking at a new digital solution for your organisation get in touch. We offer a Free 1 Hour Consultation.
