Actually, Custom Software Is All That It’s Cracked Up to Be

As FileMaker Developers, most of our clients come to us for custom software after they’ve looked at off-the-shelf software for their business needs. Typically, we hear that such a product didn’t do what they needed it to do, had too many features they didn’t need, or was too expensive.

It makes sense that looking for an off-the-shelf product is often the first consideration before deciding to dive into benefits of custom software development. However, as evidence from our growing client base shows, choosing to invest in custom software can make more sense in the long-term for a variety of reasons.

A man sitting at his desk typing on a desktop computer and wearing headphones.

The Value of Separate Development and Production Environments

Most developers are aware of the inherent risks of working directly in production. Yet, some organizations resist adopting a development / production model – have separate development and production environments – citing concerns about flexibility, speed, and necessity. While setting up and using this dual system may seem daunting, the benefits far outweigh the challenges.

In this article, we’ll break down these key reasons why adopting a development (dev) environment setup is essential for long-term success.

FileMaker and EDI: Streamlining Business with Seamless Data Exchange

Collecting and sharing data between different systems has traditionally involved repetitive data entry, which is time-consuming and often prone to errors. The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) format is a structured method of presenting data that allows different systems and even different organizations to streamline business processes, speed up transactions, and virtually eliminate errors.

Ready? Engage. It’s Prep Time for the 26th Claris FileMaker Conference

Portage Bay Solutions had the pleasure yesterday to speak with Julie Sigfrinius, Senior Director – Customer Success at Claris, about her role in planning Claris Engage 2025. The 26th FileMaker developer conference is just around the corner. Listen to the FileMaker DevCast episode to hear why you should be in Austin, Texas, at the end of March. It’s a great discussion

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