Author: Justin Hesser

With more information readily available online, it is hard to find organizations that are not connected in some way. Even public schools have information online, which was the driving point behind Zynga co-founder Steve Schoettler starting Junyo.

According to a recent TechCrunch article, Junyo was created to solve many of the problems that K-12 schools face, such as being able to understand student performance. A new company product, EdLights, launched two weeks ago. The news source explained that it takes publicly available data points on schools and makes a simple user interface that schools and marketers can understand.

"All in all, this means EdTech companies and school suppliers have access to 650 district and school data points, which aim to help them identify market opportunities across 55 funding categories and 57 expenditure categories that break down where money is budgeted and spent," the article explained. "The new service also comes with mobile access in a web app customized for tablets and mobile devices."

Schoettler gave an example by saying that if a startup that created a math product and wanted to ensure it brought it to the right schools, the company could search for schools that have Title One funding and low math scores.

Furthermore, similar organizations that have had success with similar products could also be identified, helping the startup understand what needs to be done for both parties to benefit.

Companies that have the right custom database software can take mass amounts of information and organize it in a way that is easy to understand and is accessible for numerous users. With tools like FileMaker development, businesses can ensure that they are able to effectively use Big Data to their advantage.

Just because the term is called "Big Data" does not mean that it is relegated to only large companies and organizations. With more information becoming available online and accessible from different computer systems, businesses can fine-tune their marketing approach or even improve inner office operations.

Steve King, a partner at Emergent Research, spoke with Forbes on how Big Data is influencing the business world.

"The growth of the internet, wireless networks, smartphones, social media, sensors and other digital technology is fueling a big data revolution," he said. "Big data was the exclusive domain of statisticians and large corporations but not anymore."

King added that small businesses can also benefit from Big Data. For example, when a company is able to bring sales and staffing data together it can help the organization achieve more cost-effective processes. Scheduling and tracking supplies can be streamlined and a business could cut costs.

Additionally, digital marketing can help companies find the best ways to reach current and potential customers. For example, a study by Catalina found that 53 percent of a brand's sales volume comes from outside its demographic target. The report looked at 10 different types of brands that tried to cater most ads to women ages 25 to 54.    

Specifically, when it came to mayonnaise and frozen dinners, 60 percent of those sales came from customers outside the demographic target.

With custom database software, businesses of all sizes can take advantage of the Big Data trend. Taking in large amounts of information doesn't have to be overwhelming, and can in fact, help companies find more efficient ways to reach out to customers and improve daily operations.

The Chief Information Officer's role is changing in the era of big data. While these executives will still be relied upon to manage business technology and information systems, the way businesses as a whole are using their information is shifting, which means the CIO has to adjust his or her own responsibilities accordingly.

This has become an even bigger issue recently as technology has evolved to a point where many systems don't necessarily require management from an executive. Cloud computing, for example, is typically managed by a third party provider and many other solutions are self sufficient and streamlined, which has led some analysts to question exactly what the CIO does now. 

An article in the online publication Smart Data Collective suggests the CIO has an opportunity now to adjust his or her title as he or she become less about managing systems and more about evaluating the data collected in these systems.

"The best way Chief Information Officers (or CIOs) can regain past glory of their role is to adopt and grow with changing technology and evolve to become Chief Insights Officers," the article says.

But making these key insights to benefit the organization requires help. If the CIO is to be relied on to evaluate company data and make smart decisions based on its contents, there must be a system in place to cater to this need. FileMaker development can help build custom database software systems that give users easy access to information. The CIO will be able to use this information to better his or her own responsibilities.

Recent events in Oklahoma have once again shown the resolve of individuals in the face of a crisis. We are a strong species and when disaster strikes, whether it’s in Oklahoma, Boston, New York or anywhere else in the U.S. or even the world, we come together to find solutions and strategize recovery efforts. Today, much of this initiative is being aided by the use of technology, particularly big data management systems.

A recent Forbes article examined the power big data can have in assisting with humanitarian efforts. Organizations leading the way are able to obtain valuable information, perhaps from a tweet of an eye-witness, and report on it in a way that can map out successful recovery plans.

“Crisis-mapping technology has emerged in the past five years as a tool to help humanitarian organizations deliver assistance to victims of civil conflicts and natural disasters,” the article said. “Crisis-mapping platforms display eyewitness reports submitted via e-mail, text message and social media. The reports are then plotted on interactive maps, creating a geospatial record of events in real time.”

Recovery efforts can not afford to suffer any kind of delay. Organizations must be able to extract pertinent information quickly because time is always of the essence in these types of scenarios. Building a custom database software system can allow users to view the information they need and make proper decisions based on its value. This will expedite a number of processes and allow those assisting with crisis management to get to work right away.

FileMaker is an ideal platform to build this solution on as it allows for developers to create the functions needed to assist with data management of this magnitude.

RadioShack is in the midst of a rebranding strategy that it hopes will erase the stigma of the company being out of touch with today's consumers. 

For years, the electronics retailer has suffered from a poor reputation, which ultimately allowed it to be passed by companies like Best Buy or Apple's retail division. But Jennifer Warren, RadioShack's chief marketing officer, hopes that giving the store a facelift will yeild strong results. Warren spoke with the Dallas Business Journal about her company's strategy and suggested that changing the company's customer experience initiative will allow RadioShack to compete with the leaders in consumer electronics retail.

"Right now we're the stop for people to get products so they can go play in life. But with the redesign, in addition to being on the way to play, we'll be a destination for play," she said. "We're going to look to strike the balance between making sure we stay relevant to our current customer base and broadening and becoming relevant to a younger base as well."

A rebranding strategy cannot happen on a whim. It requires a tremendous amount of planning and data analysis. RadioShack executives likely had to examine the behavior of its current customers and compare it with that of those who shop at its competitors. Compiling this information and managing it requires a system that can allow users to properly analyze data. If RadioShack didn't use the right solution, it wouldn't be able to extract the most value from its data, and its rebranding strategy would not live up to its potential.

Implementing a custom database software system can help organizations in a similar area compile data and use it to their advantage, which will help users make smart decisions throughout the rebranding process.

The ability for companies to communicate with customers is crucial, and requires a software system sophisticated enough to manner in which businesses reach their intended target. Organizations use customer relationship management (CRM) solutions to assist with the process, but in the age of big data, new needs are reshaping the basic functionality of these systems.

Custom application development is a high priority for many organizations when it comes to finding solutions to help engage customers. These individuals dictate the success of the business, so it’s crucial to ensure that no shortcomings are experienced throughout the company’s relationship with them. Thankfully, with the help of complex big data strategies, businesses can strategically build systems designed to cater to customers in a way that ensures positive results.

This trend is catching on, according to a report from Gartner. The research firm projects that big data is going to revolutionize the CRM system. In an interview with Computer Weekly, Gartner Research vice president Kimberly Collins said that while data will certainly reshape the way we work with customers, benefits will only be experienced if information is managed properly.

“In many ways there is a huge opportunity,” Collins said. “But if CIOs and business leaders don’t work together and put their arms around it, they will see a lot of renegade, tactical efforts in their organization.”

FileMaker development can help companies obtain the right solutions to manage the data pertaining to their customer interactions. Building a custom database management system will help companies ensure they are using their information to the best of their ability in order to maintain steady relationships with all their customers.

In case you haven’t noticed, we are big fans of FileMaker around here. Not only are the developers on our team certified in numerous versions of the platform, we are always up-to-date on new product releases and strive to become one of the first organizations to receive certification after they launch.

FileMaker Pro 12 was released in April of 2012. Today, Kyo Logic has four FileMaker development professionals certified to work with that platform. Our professionals have a full understanding of its features and our skill and expertise allow us to get the most out of its functionality. Because we were one of the first companies to receive certification in FileMaker Pro 12, our experience sets us apart from the competition.

While we encourage our clients to embrace innovation and stay current with FileMaker platforms, we understand that’s not a practical option for everyone. That’s why we employ a staff who is certified in a number of FileMaker’s older releases. We have five developers certified with FileMaker 11, four with FileMaker 10, three with FileMaker 9, two with FileMaker 8 and one with FileMaker 7, so even if you’re hanging on to an aging system, you can rest assured that we have someone with the ability to work with your platform.

Going forward, we will be on the lookout for future FileMaker releases. When FileMaker 13 becomes available, you can be sure that we’ll be one of the first companies to study its capabilities and become certified developers. FileMaker is always on the cutting edge of developer platform technology, and we are always taking necessary steps to keep up. Regardless of the version we develop in, you can be certain that each solution we create will be done so with the speed, efficiency and precision our clients have come to expect of us.

Data has always held an important position in the organizational structure of the healthcare industry. Organizations have used information to fuel innovation and find new ways to enhance their patient care efforts, but before medical institutions can move forward, they have to develop a solid base of quality care and patient experience initiatives that they can build off of.

When patients check into a hospital or doctor’s office, they have a number of unique qualities that ultimately distinguish themselves from every other individual who walks into the front door of that facility. The more the organization knows about the specific patient ahead of time, the better they can treat them. This is similar to the way businesses use data to cater their product development and marketing to each individual.

When data isn’t properly managed to help cater services to the individual, the results can lead to poor service and dissatisfied patients and family members. A May 13 article in The Boston Globe features the story of Calvin Hill, a man who went to great lengths to help his father Foster Hill, after he was diagnosed with later-stage prostate cancer. While the younger Hill was doing everything he could to ensure his father’s recovery, he admitted it didn’t feel as if those tasked with helping him expressed the same level of concern.

Hill explained the frustrating ordeal of trying and failing to receive treatment specifically catered to his father’s needs. While he didn’t want special service, he felt as if taking each relevant factor into consideration during the treatment process would have gone a long way toward improving the level of care his father received.

“You show up to the hospital, and it’s like Groundhog Day,” Hill told the Globe, explaining that there were few discernable differences between the way each patient was cared for. “It’s this outdated standard of care created for this hypothetical average patient. But no one’s an average patient.”

However, Hill has the resources to do something about this. His company, GNS Healthcare, processes big data and uses pertinent information about each patient to help generate a specific care plan designed to address certain variables, such as medication allergies and unique symptoms, in conjunction with basic identifiers like age and gender. Couple this concept with the innovative medical practices found throughout Boston and the surrounding area, it’s likely that patients will soon enjoy a level of personalized care they never knew.

While this concept has many in the industry very excited, it’s important to understand that it all begins with the ability to view and manage information quickly and efficiently. FileMaker development can help organizations build a custom database software system designed to process information and design specific strategies based on that data. By using FileMaker, users can ensure their solutions are created properly, which can alleviate the risk of inaccurate information processing. Nothing would be more damaging than creating a system to organize specific care strategies based off of inaccurate information.

Working with a FileMaker development specialist can help guarantee the quality of a data management solution.

On Thursday, May 16, our own Tim Neudecker is set to give two presentations in the Boston area on the subject of FileMaker development and the maintenance of FileMaker-based solutions. Leading off is a discussion with the Boston-Area FileMaker Development Association (BAFDA). Following that will be a speaking engagement with a joint session of the MIT/Harvard FileMaker Developer groups. 

These presentations are a part of Kyo Logic's effort to share ideas and increase each attendee's knowledge about FileMaker and software development as a whole. There are many smart and enthusiastic individuals in Boston and the surrounding area, and a number of them are interested in FileMaker and its features. Tim's speaking event is an opportunity to promote this kind of enthusiasm and present eager learners with an opportunity to walk away with greater knowledge about their applications.

We are always thrilled to partake in situations such as this. As an organization, we are proud to share our experience, enthusiasm and expertise about all topics pertaining to FileMaker development. It's this kind of passion that allowed us to win the 2003 FileMaker Inc excellence award for our support for the developer community. We have continued this level of commitment for the past 10 years and have taken it upon ourselves to encourage other individuals to get on board with FileMaker development and learn the skills needed to ensure they have created and are using a terrific application. 

The topic of this discussion will be virtual lists, where we will explore what they are and why they should be used. We hope each individual in attendance walks away with a better understanding of virtual lists and can go ahead and use that knowledge to improve the way they report and export information in FileMaker Pro. 

In addition to sharing our own knowledge, one of the best perks from these kinds of events is the information we take back from these speaking engagements. In a recent statement, Tim Neudecker expressed his own eagerness to learn just as much from the audience as they will learn from him. 

"I am looking forward to my visit with the Boston area FileMaker developers, I always learn new things from them when I present there," he said. 

BAFDA is a collection of FileMaker professionals around the New England area who come together to share ideas and discuss topics that interest them – some pertaining to FileMaker development and some not. They are a group of individuals who have shown tremendous passion when it comes to using FileMaker for custom application development. Building beautiful database software systems is something that each and every attendee is excited to talk about, so we are thrilled to join in on the conversation.

On the other side of the Charles River, the MIT and Harvard FileMaker developer groups represent incredibly smart and talented individuals who understand the value in FileMaker development and have grown to become passionate about the software and just what it can do to help create new applications. We expect a large number of young and energetic individuals at this event, a group of people that our CTO is excited to talk with.

About Kyo Logic

Based out of Westport, Connecticut, Kyo Logic has been providing the Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts areas with FileMaker development and support since 2002. Kyo's commitment to finding the best possible solution for every FileMaker user, in addition to taking an active leadership role in the developer community, is what sets it apart from the competition. 

For more information, contact Tim Neudecker at 845-279-8108 or tim@kyologic.com

Rebranding is a major venture at any organization but, at times, it is completely necessary. When a company decides its current image has grown stale, or it wants to slightly adjust its offerings to attract new business, rebranding could be in order. However, because this action can make or break an organization, it's imperative that enough effort goes into the project to ensure its success. This includes the collection of a substantial amount of data.

A rebranding effort is designed to change the way a company appears in front of the public. So, it's best to gauge the public's opinion prior to committing to any dramatic change in the tone of an organization. Social media campaigns are popular because they are so easy to manage with today's technology, but there are other ways to reach out and extract data from potential customers as well. The key is to find a way to store and manage that information.

Developing a system designed to pull, sort, view and report on pertinent information can go a long way toward ensuring the success of a rebranding strategy. Suppose an organization wants to change its color scheme and it ran a public poll with three different options to choose from. The company will want to know which scheme received the most votes, so it can incorporate that information into its strategy.

However, it should be noted that information isn't always as cut-and-dry. One color scheme could emerge as the winner of that particular poll, but those who voted on it may not be the target audience. That information will have to be considered as well. 

Ultimately, the amount of data that goes into structuring a rebranding project is vast and it is extremely complex. Using simply systems to manage it won't allow businesses to yield the most value from their information. Using FileMaker to create a custom database software solution, however, will give companies the tools they need to harness the power of their data and orchestrate a truly positive rebranding strategy.