Category: Custom Applications

There is no office these days that is not filled with technology, from computers to tablets to the smart phones that sit on our desks. That means there is more opportunity than ever to be respectful of your colleagues' possessions, especially when it comes to something as sensitive as technology.

In a recent poll done by Robert Half Finance and Accounting, more than 75 percent of human resources professionals found that breaches of office technology etiquette can have a negative impact on the career prospects of an individual. You need to be careful when it comes to technology!

Here are a few tips to help you out:

• Keep laptop usage to a minimum in meetings: When you are meeting with other people in the company, it is best to stick to pens and paper to take notes. You will be more fully engaged in what is going on and not distracted by all your computer has to offer.
• Never unplug a charging device: If something is plugged into an outlet that does not belong to you, do not unplug it before talking to the owner first. You never know how much juice a person might need in their phone or computer for the day.
• Only wear headphones at your desk: You should never walk around the office with your headphones in. This will reduce your level of concentration and will not allow you to meaningfully interact with those around you when necessary.

If you are looking to improve the technology in your office, be sure to try custom database software from KYO Logic. Check out the rest of our website to learn more about business software solutions that we offer.

In this day and age, even companies in some of the oldest industries can benefit from state-of-the-art technology to improve their operations. In November, this blog reported on how a New Zealand firm that helps vintners find workers has boosted its efficiency by using FileMaker to track grape picking. Back in the U.S., another agricultural company has found similar success using the relational database software.

Chelan Fresh Marketing, a fruit seller based in Chelan, Washington, adopted FileMaker 16 months ago and began replacing a laborious and much less practical paper-based system. Chelan Fresh has furnished its sales reps with iPads so that they can easily access checklists, inspection logs and order information when they’re working in the field. By the end of this year, the company hopes to be 100 percent paperless.

They started with a test run during the 2013 cherry season, and it was so successful that they contacted a FileMaker developer to help them create customized apps for their various products. Beyond simply making all the data that used to be on paper available digitally, the iPad allows employees to do things they couldn’t before, such as take photos of the fruit and upload them directly to the database.

“You can add a lot more depth to your data because of the flexibility of the tool,” said CIO Sam Godwin to The Packer. “Let’s say I get an order rejected at a market far away, I could type in that order number and it would bring me all the information about that fruit and that order.”

Certified FileMaker consultants are available to help companies make the most of this software by creating customized apps that meet all their reporting needs.

Since May 2013, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh has sought to prevent tragedies like the building collapse that left more than 1,100 fatalities at a garment factory last year. About one third of the country's textile factories are covered by the agreement, which was signed by labor unions, non-profits and the international retailers that outsource their manufacturing to Bangladesh.

One of the stipulations of the accord was the performance of comprehensive safety inspections to detect construction and fire hazards that may need to be addressed immediately. Baltimore-based Hughes Associates has carried out over 1,000 such audits over the past six months, and it has done so with the help of a FileMaker app developed by fellow Maryland company Anvil Dataworks.

Like Kyo Logic, Anvil is a member of the FileMaker Academy, serving the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas and with additional offices in Melbourne, Florida, and Seattle. Their experts created the app for use on iOS mobile devices. It allows inspectors to easily note the condition of the buildings, upload photos and generate reports to send them worldwide.

"We didn't have time to report using handwritten notes and disjointed photos," says Hughes' director for codes and standards, Brian Rhodes. "We needed much more efficiency and consistency to handle a task this large in such a short time frame. I don't believe that we could have completed this critical project on time and within budget without our FileMaker solution."

The seven members of the Academy assist businesses with FileMaker development and training, helping them streamline operations and improve data gathering. A customized relational database can save hours of work and simplify previously complex processes.

In the corporate aviation industry, operators use safety management systems (SMS) to ensure their compliance with national and international standards. However, the frequent updates made to those standards make the job of cross-referencing an SMS a time-consuming and complicated one. Now, thanks to a former corporate pilot and current auditor who used FileMaker to simplify the process, there's an app for that.

iIS-BAO is designed to the requirements of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), which is maintained by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). It also conforms to the U.S.-based National Business Aviation Association and runs on FileMaker for both Mac and Windows as well as on FileMaker Go for iPad. Operators, SMS services providers and auditors can all use it to check compliance.

"Now IBAC is requiring cross-referencing in all its audits," said Phil Fountain, the app's creator, to Aviation International News. "I've included a place for operators to cross-reference each of their requirements to the manual. They can export it to an Excel file and email it to the auditor. The auditor can [input] all his questions and comments… and when he gets into the audit he can have all his questions prepared."

Connecticut FileMaker developer Kyo Logic helps local companies create their own customized business solutions using this highly versatile software. FileMaker's relational database capabilities simplify the process of cross-referencing large volumes of complex information. With professional instruction, users can easily learn how to manage and update their own apps to ensure that they're always keeping track of their business data.

The New York County District Attorney's office has announced that New York Police Department officers and vehicles will begin to receive high-tech devices as part of the NYPD Mobility Initiative. Each of the approximately 35,000 officers in the nation's largest police force will receive a smartphone, and 6,000 rugged tablets, designed to sustain tough field conditions, will be installed in police vehicles. The $160 million investment will be covered entirely by a financial settlement from French bank BNP Paribas.

The devices will be loaded with several apps to make the officers' jobs easier, including a mobile version of the Domain Awareness System, a surveillance platform that was first instituted by the NYPD, which will soon begin licensing it to other law enforcement forces. Officers will be able to access 911 data such as location and even notes from the call-taker, and future planned functionality includes fingerprint scanning and GPS.

Besides modernizing the police force, some observers believe the high-tech solutions could also increase accountability and help prevent abuses. To that end, both Los Angeles and New York City have recently begun equipping officers with personal cameras.

"We must have 21st-century tools to deal with 21st-century threats, and this infusion of new resources will arm our officers with the technology and information they need to fight crime and protect the city against terrorism more efficiently and more effectively," said mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference.

The modernization of law enforcement also opens up new possibilities for software developing companies. Police departments can't afford to lag behind in technology, and they could benefit greatly from the use of apps designed specifically for their purposes.

While custom application development is on the rise, it is sometimes easy to forget about the apps that never reach the public. Now, with mobile operating system iOS 8 already in the hands of developers and, due to reach consumers with the iPhone 6 later this month, Apple has listed the top 10 reasons why app submissions are turned away. The information does not include details on what percentage of apps are rejected.

At 14 percent of all rejections, by far the number one reason for denial during the week of August 21-28 was simply a lack of sufficient information on iTunes Connect, the platform where apps are uploaded and described. A few of the most common causes for rejection are related to apps not being ready for release, because they still have bugs (8 percent), feature placeholder text (4 percent) or are labeled as beta, demo or trial versions (2 percent). Most of the top reasons are specific violations of Apple's guidelines, such as having excessively complex interfaces, irrelevant or false information or incorrect audience ratings.

The top ten reasons account for 58 percent of all rejections, and Apple has not detailed the remaining 42 percent. But for fledgling application development companies, this information can serve as a useful checklist of mistakes to avoid and actions to take before submitting an app. The company has made it clear that the screening process is quite stringent, and developers should not expect to be able to get away with a flawed or unfinished product. Indeed, the post states that the main motivation for its publication was "to help you better prepare your apps before submitting them for review."

Developers would do well to take heed, and ensure that they are putting out quality products that will succeed in the age of iOS 8.

There are many reasons why a company would choose to create a new database. In many cases, it depends on what the organization is trying to accomplish, and that can be a substantial task. For example, according to a recent article from the Los Angeles Times, Anthem and Blue Shield of California are partnering to create a massive database of patient medical records.

The goal is to create a more comprehensive collection of information. Now doctors and nurses will be able to access the medical histories of nearly 25 percent of all California residents with a few clicks of the keyboard. It will create faster, cheaper and better health care by reducing repetitive tests and procedures. Imagine an ER doctor that is able to access a patient's medical records instantly.

"We need to bring healthcare into the digital age, and by doing so you can really improve the quality and cost of care," Paul Markovich, chief executive of Blue Shield of California, told the news source.

However, there are challenges to having the $80 million system online by the end of the year. The biggest one is the lack of standardization is data. Companies have different kinds of data, definitions and fields, adding to the complexity.

With the growing use of digital technology, the amount of data that is available continues to increase. To improve the analysis of this information, a custom database software solution can help businesses organize their data in a better way that speaks to their specific needs.

When you think about athletics, databases are likely the furthest thing from your mind. However, analytical may soon be as big a part of sports as the swish of a basketball net or the arc of a perfectly thrown football pass. 

Sports are about performance, endurance and grace, but they are also in many ways about information. When competing at the highest levels, it's critical to be able to identify strengths and weaknesses, and think about them in a way that minimizes the latter and spotlights the former. With the sort of databases that are currently available, any athlete or team that does not seriously consider how structured analysis can improve their chances of winning is doing themselves a disservice. 

However, simply investing in data is not very helpful if the organization has no context for, or ability to understand it. Drawing the correct conclusions from information can be an intricate process, so it's critical to have the proper support in place to ensure that the process is as worthwhile as possible. 

One of the epicenters for analytics in sports is MIT's Sloane Conference, where interested parties the world over come to discuss the latest and best in the field. Writing for its website, Professor Benjamin Alamar highlighted the need for careful consideration with sports databases.

"The push in sports—as in business—to use analytic tools comes from advances in computing power and the availability of massive amounts of data to both teams and the public, which create an opportunity for competitive advantage. Having access to information that competitors do not has a long history of providing teams and businesses with advantage," Alamar explains.

By consulting with reputable FileMaker developers, any athlete or organization can improve performance. 

Choppy waters don't exactly have much in common with an office environment. One thing they do share, however, is that the principles behind Big Data can apply equally well to both. In fact, it was those ideas that propelled Larry Ellison to an incredible win in the America's Cup.

In a sense, it's not surprising that Ellison should have sought to marry analytics and sailing. His company, Oracle, is one of the biggest technology companies in the entire world. It was this savvy that he was able to apply to the design and tactics of his chosen boat for one of the most prestigious races in the world.

Oracle's victory was one for the use of analytics and custom database software. Both of its boats had hundreds of sensors, which recorded thousands of variables. Some of the data points were so discrete that they were measured six hundred times per minute. The sailors themselves were given electronic tablets to use, as well as wrist displays and wireless capabilities. All of this information allowed designers to better understand how the boat could handle different conditions, as well as how close it was to operating at peak efficiency at all times.

All of this data-gathering yielded some valuable insights. Instead of the longer 80-foot trimarans, the team deduced that 72 feet was the largest boat they could easily control. By deciding on a catamaran, they were able to achieve high speeds without sacrificing the necessary portability — boats must be capable of being transported in shipping containers and reassembled within two days. 

There's a valuable takeaway here, even for those not inclined towards the seas: the more information you can process and analyze, the more of an advantage you'll have. 

Schools around the country have seen FileMaker support their education efforts, providing meaningful data on student achievement and helping teachers contextualize performance and provide help when necessary. But in order for the software to help students, they have to show up to school in the first place.

Can a database drag a student out of bed and into the classroom? Not quite, but it might be able to do the next best thing.

That's the ambition behind an initiative by the Arlington County school district. Administrators have tapped ten teams of data scientists to analyze anonymous information and extract any meaningful trends that could help them to address their dropout rate. A panel of educators and analysts will judge the most compelling submission and offer up a huge cash incentive: $10,000. 

Arlington's truancy rates aren't terrible: they've been slashed from 13 percent in 2008 to just 6 percent this year. But the county is anxious to do more, understanding that every student should be put in a position to succeed. Crowdsourcing insights from outside data teams is a step in that direction. 

"Increasingly, people are considering this [data] a public resource. At the end of the day, it was created with public dollars," said Chris Kingsley, a policy analyst at the Data Quality Campaign. "If we can publish it and let other people come in and look at it, we can derive more value out of this data."

The teams will get access to information on assessment scores, schools attended, courses taken, grades, absences, demographic information and graduation status. If they're able to extract salient takeaways, it could push Arlington County's dropout rate even lower, a powerful benefit in its goal of providing a quality education for every student.