Is a Claris FileMaker system right for you?

Claris FileMaker is the perfect platform for building bespoke business systems. Its performance, reliability and ease of use are a match for any platform, and its outstanding flexibility means we can build you whatever system you need – automating your manual processes, driving your productivity and integrating seamlessly with your existing applications. If you’re ready to transform your business, Claris FileMaker is the right platform for you.

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“We have an excellent system! Keep up the good work!”

Roy Lovegrove

AIT Partnership

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What can the Claris FileMaker platform do for you?

Claris FileMaker is a database system and application development platform in one. It’s a powerful blend. Unlike an off-the-shelf product, it won't force you to use functionality you don't need. You can decide exactly what you need and that’s what you get. 

The Claris FileMaker platform is open to the world. It works on Windows, Mac, iOS and the web, and can be integrated with almost any other software. With FileMaker Pro, you can access your system via laptop or desktop computers, and FileMaker Go gives you access via mobile iOS devices. 

FileMaker WebDirect can be used to give customers a way of interacting with your FileMaker system online via a website. For large numbers of web users, more powerful custom web portals can be built on the platform. 

For anyone looking for an alternative to Excel spreadsheets, FileMaker is a giant leap forward in every way. If it’s speed, power, reliability and endless flexibility you’re after, choose Claris FileMaker as your software platform.

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Claris FileMaker – the advantages

Claris FileMaker is a long established platform which is regularly updated and supported by its creator, Claris. It’s also backed by Apple. It is more robustly designed and tested than open source software, making it extremely reliable. As a platform it is fantastically versatile, capable of delivering basic software performing simple tasks, as well as highly sophisticated systems that drive digital transformation.

Why you might need a Claris FileMaker solution

Paper-based working

Using paper forms to record information is inefficient. With the data instead captured in a system, it can be used for traceability, reporting and analysis without those processes being manual.

Limited choice of device

Many systems won’t function on mobile phones as well as desktop computers. With FileMaker, data can be seen and captured on desktop, mobile, the web and on touch devices.

Multiple data entry

Many businesses will enter the same data many times – wasting time and risking error. A bespoke FileMaker system means that once the information is entered once, it can be used wherever else it is needed.

Spreadsheet overload

Spreadsheets can be hard to manage, prone to errors, and difficult for multiple people to use simultaneously. FileMaker systems are ideal alternatives to Excel. We can build a system that not only contains all the same information but ensures the information is complete and correct, and is capable of analysing it in much more flexible and insightful ways.

What does it look like?

See our clients systems here
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Why we recommend Claris FileMaker platform

Versatile

  • Excellent platform for building all kinds of systems, from basic organisational tools to heavy duty or highly specialised systems involving complex analysis, prediction and more.

  • Great way to fill the voids neatly between existing software systems, giving you the best of all worlds. 

  • Easily adapted to exactly what you need and nothing you don’t.

Reliable and robust

  • A long established platform with a track record of reliable performance.

  • Regularly updated and supported by its creator, Claris, a subsidiary of Apple.

  • Rigorously designed and tested.

Integrates well

  • FileMaker integrates with anything that has an API (REST or SOAP), with SQL databases, ODBC sources and many other systems and standards.

  • Offers a seamless user experience focussed on the needs of the user.

  • Readily accessible to developers of other systems using the FileMaker Data API.

Find out more about Decent

Our team Why work with us?

How we work with you

Concept

We start by digging deep into how your business works, your aspirations, and what you want to achieve. This thorough understanding is a critical first step – the secret to transforming your business. 

Design

We gain a detailed understanding of the business processes that the software needs to support and look for ways to streamline and improve them. We then design your new system. 

Build

Our UK-based software developers build your system, testing it carefully to ensure it meets your business needs – while keeping ease of use uppermost in mind. We often create and launch one module at a time, so you see results as soon as possible.

Release

We install the new FileMaker system, help with implementing it and ensure any issues are solved. This process is handled with great care to minimise disruption.

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Why not use an off-the-shelf product?

If your business model is very standard, an off-the-shelf software system could be right for you. But if you’re a growing, evolving business, or you have your own particular ways of working, or you like to innovate in your sector, then you will find an off-the-shelf product constraining. And customising an off-the-shelf product is often difficult.

If you want a system that can grow and change as your ways of working evolve, you’ll want a bespoke system, preferably built on a platform that’s powerful enough to do what you need it to do. You’ll also want a design and development partner who can continue to update and evolve your system.

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Why Claris FileMaker might not be right for you

  • You have large numbers of desktop users (500+) all requiring constant connection to the system as their main software tool
  • You do highly specialist work which already has a software package designed for it, or use existing off-the-shelf software that perfectly meets your needs. 
  • You are building the front end of a public-facing website – although FileMaker may still be perfect for the back-office operation

If you’re not sure what kind of business system you need, it’s important to consider your overall IT strategy carefully. This is something we are well placed to advise on, whether you need FileMaker solution or something else.

More on consultancy
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Looking for an alternative to FileMaker?

If you’re looking for an alternative to FileMaker, the problem is probably that your existing system has been badly implemented. We can fix it for you. 

A great deal of our work involves taking existing, badly set up FileMaker systems and transforming them into tools that work brilliantly for businesses. 

So before you go to all the expense and disruption of introducing an entirely new system, talk to us about how we can rescue your FileMaker system.

Find out more here
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Work with leading Claris FileMaker developers

Decent Group are the UK’s leading independent Claris FileMaker experts. We have built systems on the FileMaker platform for many years and have a deep understanding of how it works and how to get the best out of it. Our expertise has been recognised through our Platinum Claris partner status, and we are certified FileMaker developers. You can be confident that any FileMaker work we do for you will be the right solution for your needs.

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of FileMaker?

The benefits of FileMaker include its unmatched performance, reliability, and ease of use, making it the perfect platform for building bespoke business systems.

Discover how a Claris FileMaker system can transform your business operations
What are the limitations of FileMaker?

FileMaker may not be suitable for scenarios involving a large number of desktop users (500+), highly specialised tasks already covered by dedicated software packages, or front-end development for public-facing websites. If you're facing challenges with your current system or unsure about the best solution for your business needs, we are your business software specialists, speak to us today.

Contact us
Is Claris FileMaker any good?

Yes, Claris FileMaker is an exceptional database system and application development platform, offering solid foundations for building tailored solutions without unnecessary functionality.

Find out more about the Claris FileMaker platform here
Does FileMaker still exist?

Absolutely! FileMaker is a robust and actively maintained platform, continuously evolving to meet the evolving needs of businesses.

Find out more about the Claris FileMaker platform here

We’ve worked with some great people

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Case study

New system drives big growth despite small size of team

FileMaker system transformation and training for IT team

Reinventing a FileMaker system produces big efficiency gains

Bespoke inspection app and web portal help put playground safety first

Keeping the Blackpool Illuminations switched on

Bespoke software optimises a business’s entire processes

Hungry to grow, this specialist furniture company needed a comprehensive system to replace improvised Excel and Dropbox solutions. The system has driven strong growth, and we continue to work with them to make it even more powerful.

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A complete overhaul of an existing FileMaker system allowed our property finance lender client to streamline all its business processes. We also recruited and trained an IT team to bring systems and solutions skills in-house for ultimate efficiency. 

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We transformed this aluminium die casting manufacturer’s existing FileMaker system, giving them instant access to detailed real time order and production data. The system has virtually eliminated errors, improved efficiency and helped the business to grow. 

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Our solutions for managing playground safety inspections enable RoSPA Play Safety to provide an industry-leading service. The process improvement has delivered impact impossible with an off-the-shelf product.

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When you have £10 million worth of world-famous equipment in your warehouse, you need to stay on top of where it all is, what it’s all worth, and how to switch it on and off. Our bespoke software system makes all this instant and effortless for Blackpool’s Lightworks workshop.

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This food business needs to keep track of hundreds of very different products to ensure great customers service. We created their system from scratch – a perfect fit for each of their processes. Since then the business has grown – without increasing staff numbers.

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Each month the Decent Group newsletter delivers practical insights into how software systems can help you run a better business. It’s a quick way to check on your progress, identify business benefits you’re missing, and gain inspiration for the road ahead. 

We typically explore how SMEs can (and should) leverage business systems to achieve tangible benefits. We dive into a recent project and what it delivered for our client, with lessons for businesses like yours. We'll also highlight the new tools and solutions our team has been developing and the impact they’re having on our clients (and ourselves). And we cover any relevant FileMaker news and what actions you can take in response.

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