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In today’s fast-paced business landscape, staying competitive means embracing innovative technologies that streamline processes and boost efficiency. One such synergy gaining significant traction is the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Low-Code Development platforms. This fusion heralds a new era of automation, enabling businesses to propel themselves forward with unprecedented speed and agility.

Intelligent Process Automation

Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) represents a paradigm shift in how businesses approach automation. By marrying AI with low-code platforms, organizations can automate not just routine tasks, but also complex processes that traditionally required human intervention. For instance, AI algorithms can analyze unstructured data sources such as emails or documents, extract relevant information, and trigger subsequent actions within low-code workflows. This not only accelerates process execution but also ensures accuracy and consistency, reducing the risk of errors inherent in manual operations.

Moreover, AI-driven automation continuously learns and adapts based on historical data and feedback, allowing for continuous optimization and refinement of business processes. This iterative approach to automation enables organizations to stay agile and responsive in the face of evolving market dynamics and customer demands. As a result, businesses can unlock new levels of operational efficiency, cost savings, and scalability, positioning themselves for sustained growth and success in a rapidly changing landscape.

Enhanced Decision-Making

In today’s data-driven world, the ability to derive actionable insights from vast volumes of information is crucial for informed decision-making. AI-powered low-code platforms offer advanced analytics capabilities that go beyond basic reporting and visualization. Through techniques such as machine learning and predictive modeling, these platforms can identify hidden patterns, correlations, and trends within complex datasets, empowering decision-makers to anticipate market shifts, identify emerging opportunities, and mitigate potential risks proactively.

Furthermore, AI-driven insights enable businesses to personalize their offerings and interactions with customers, leading to more meaningful and impactful engagements. For instance, AI algorithms can analyze customer behavior and preferences to deliver targeted marketing campaigns, product recommendations, and support services tailored to individual needs. By leveraging AI-powered analytics within low-code environments, organizations can gain a competitive edge by making data-driven decisions that drive growth, foster innovation, and enhance overall business performance.

Customization and Personalization

In an era where customer expectations are higher than ever, delivering personalized experiences has become a cornerstone of competitive differentiation. AI and low-code integration can empower businesses to create highly customized applications and interfaces that resonate with their target audience on a deeper level. By leveraging AI algorithms for natural language processing, image recognition, and predictive modeling, organizations can develop intelligent applications that adapt and respond to individual user preferences, behaviors, and contexts in real-time.

Moreover, low-code development accelerates the delivery of personalized solutions by simplifying the application development process and reducing time-to-market. With intuitive visual interfaces and pre-built components, developers can quickly prototype, iterate, and deploy custom applications tailored to specific business requirements. This agility not only enhances customer satisfaction but also enables organizations to stay ahead of evolving market trends and customer expectations. By harnessing the combined power of AI and low-code development, businesses can create immersive and engaging experiences that drive customer loyalty, foster brand advocacy, and fuel long-term growth and profitability.

As we venture further into the digital age, the synergy between AI and low-code development is set to redefine the way businesses operate. From streamlining processes and enhancing decision-making to delivering unparalleled customization, the benefits are undeniable. Embracing this convergence isn’t just a competitive advantage; it’s a necessity in today’s dynamic marketplace. By harnessing the synergy of Artificial Intelligence and low-code platforms, businesses can chart a course towards sustained success and innovation.

Start-ups are fast-paced, scrappy, and innovative. As such, they value impactful ways to accelerate growth while minimizing costs. If a platform, program, or process that can scale, provide competitive advantages and doesn’t break the proverbial bank– it’s a must-have for start-ups. It’s exactly why we’re seeing these early-stage companies adopt low-code and no-code platforms. They provide an approach to application development that’s revolutionary within the tech landscape overall, but the benefits are particularly aligned with the needs (and limitations) of startups.

There are three primary reasons startups are embracing low-code platforms on a massive scale:

Accelerated Development

Startups operate in a dynamic and competitive ecosystem where time-to-market can be the difference between success and obscurity. Low-code/no-code platforms emerge as a game-changer in this scenario by significantly reducing the time required to develop and deploy applications. Unlike traditional coding methods, which require meticulous and time-consuming hand-coding, low-code/no-code platforms offer a visual development environment. This enables startups to quickly build, iterate, and adapt applications in response to market feedback or changing needs. By streamlining the development process, these platforms allow startups to maintain agility and stay ahead of the competition.

Cost Efficiency

One of the biggest challenges faced by startups is managing limited resources. Hiring a team of experienced developers and investing in infrastructure can drain a startup’s finances, leaving little room for other critical activities. Here, low-code/no-code platforms offer a compelling solution by reducing the need for extensive coding expertise and infrastructure. Startups can leverage these platforms to create robust applications with minimal investment, thus democratizing access to technology. By lowering the barrier to entry, low-code/no-code platforms enable more startups to bring their innovative ideas to life without the burden of prohibitive development costs.

Flexibility and Scalability

As startups grow, their needs evolve, requiring solutions that are not only flexible but also scalable. Low-code/no-code platforms cater to this requirement by enabling startups to build applications that can easily adapt and scale alongside their business. These platforms provide a range of customization options and integrations, allowing startups to modify their applications as needed without starting from scratch. Additionally, the ability to scale operations efficiently without significant investment in development resources is a critical factor that helps startups sustain growth and respond to increasing demand.

The rise of low-code/no-code platforms is a testament to the evolving needs of the modern business landscape, where agility, cost-efficiency, and scalability are paramount. For startups, these platforms offer a strategic advantage, allowing them to navigate the challenges of early-stage growth while positioning themselves for future success. As the business world continues to embrace digital transformation, it’s clear that low-code/no-code development is not just a passing trend but a fundamental shift in how companies approach technology and innovation.

If you’re part of a startup and want to learn more about how low-code platforms can work for you, you can reach out to Kyo Logic here. We’ll be happy to set you up with a free consultation

The Kyo Logic team is back from Claris Engage, and it was an absolutely incredible year to experience the expo. Claris Engage is an annual conference organized by Claris International, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. It’s a gathering focused on the FileMaker platform, which provides tools for creating custom apps for businesses. At Claris Engage, attendees can participate in workshops, seminars, and networking opportunities to learn about the latest developments in the FileMaker ecosystem, discover new techniques for app development, and connect with fellow developers and industry experts. It’s a valuable event for anyone involved in building custom apps or interested in leveraging the power of the FileMaker platform for their business needs.

There was plenty to learn about the future of Claris and its offerings, the ways in which we’ll be seeing low-code platforms expand and grow, and unsurprisingly… plenty of talk about AI. Here are some of our key takeaways:

• Everyone is investing in Artificial Intelligence. We’re seeing all the usual suspects in tech racing to innovate in the space. Even companies like Bloomberg are spending serious money to develop AI investment tools. This industry is going to grow at a rapid clip, and all this investing benefits everyone. It’s considerably cheaper to buy or rent an existing AI model than it is to train one from scratch. Some of these companies will be offering their models to the public, and that competition in the space can only lead to further innovation.
• What does AI have to do with low-code platforms like Claris/FileMaker? AI is a great compliment to low-code platforms (and vice-versa). They’re similar in that they’re making things faster, more efficient, and more accessible. We anticipate seeing AI-powered low-code solutions in the near future that will help build things like databases, websites, and apps at the press of a button.
• ChatGPT can generate custom code for users, and developers can effectively ingest this code with their own low-code platforms. This can all be done without sending the users data or sharing any confidential or proprietary information.
• ChatGPT can integrate directly with FileMaker– there’s no special tools or updates needed. Use cases include generating custom charts or having AI do a custom find.

Of course, Kyo Logic was there with our own presentation on Kyo Sync II– an innovative way to be able to sync databases even without consistent internet or cloud access. You can read more about Kyo Sync II here.

Claris Engage is always an amazing experience and a great way to learn more about what Claris is doing and how other teams are innovating. We’re excited to see how AI trends continue to develop and what Claris Engage will look like in 2025!

9/20/2023 – This month, Robert Naud we will take us through an Admin Api demo file published by Soliant, and discuss possible use cases and customization ideas. We will also discuss some things to know about the API itself, especially concerning the authentication, and will look at the available documentation. Meet with us and add yet another tool to your toolbox!

 

1/18/2023 – This month, Oliver Reid will be giving his critically acclaimed “Low Cognitive Load” presentation of MongoDB. Its purpose is to provide an overview of how MongoDB works, which is informative while not diving too far into technical details. As always, please feel free to come with any topics that you would like to discuss or present.

 

12/7/2022 – This month, we will be discussing how to set up a Linux Server for FileMaker and what options are out there for Cloud Hosting. As always, please feel free to come with any topics that you would like to discuss or present.

 

1/19/2022 – This month Jeremy Brown of Integrating Magic will be presenting on JavaScript integration with FileMaker.

 

12/14/2021 – This month Robert Naud will be presenting on FM-HAM, a free security module published by Charles Delfs.

 

When you are working from home, it is fairly easy to wake up, reach for your laptop and get on with your workday from bed. But do you want your bed to be your office? We would rather not. If you played sports in school, you knew that you had to prepare before every game; by having your lucky socks on, taping your strong dominant wrist or ankle, or even having a team ritual for good luck. Some of us who are gym enthusiasts also know that to prepare for a trip to the gym you had to make sure you packed the protein bars, towels, headphones, and even an extra change of clothes. But as COVID-19 sent our daily routines into havoc, we, at Kyo Logic took the opportunity to adapt to the situation and make the best of it for the team. How do we make the best of the quarantine? We plan our day with purpose and take each stride with resolution.

• Your Morning Routine Does Not Have to Change

Why break the morning routine to jump right into action? We find that it is so vital to continue a morning routine even during these unpredictable times. While we put on the first pot of java every morning, some of us walk our dogs as it brews to take in some fresh air and if the sun is out it gives us a chance to get some fresh vitamin D. As we walk in the door, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee welcomes us back home and urges us to get the first sip to get the day going, if not coffee, a delicious cup of English Breakfast will do, too. Since commuting is no longer part of the routine, before your shift, we highly recommend extra time to enjoy an activity that can improve your mood, whether it’s your favorite hobby, exercise, a conversation with a loved one, or a nice bubble bath to do the trick. Because nothing trumps a positive mood even at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning.

• Stay Looking Good for Yourself & Those Lengthy Zoom Meetings

How can we work around no barbers and hairstylists to help us groom the infinite hair growth? For starters, it is a challenge for women to cut their own hair, so we won’t even get into that. But if you are a man brave enough to challenge your self-grooming skills, nothing a 20-dollar hair buzzer, a mirror, and steady hand cannot fix. You might be surprised how good it turns out.

Maintaining good hygiene habits and dressing appropriately for work is a way to demonstrate to yourself and your team that you value your job as much as you did three months ago. Now, we certainly do not expect anybody to walk around the house in a three-piece suit, but a pair of kakis and a polo seems most appropriate. Combine a free haircut with decent clothes and you would be surprised how good it can make you feel once you’re working a full day’s shift from home.   

• Breaking Away for a Few Minutes Will Not Harm Your Productivity

Productivity is essential in the workplace, but how do we find a balance between productivity and emotional health? It is easy to get absorbed by a long task; however, those breaks you took at the office to grab a snack or another cup of joe can apply to working from home. Free up the overload of a lengthy task by reading up on the news, a topic of interest or simply kicking back for 5 minutes and enjoying your favorite song. Because reducing your daily stress can have a significant impact on how efficiently you will achieve your daily goals.

• Staying Healthy is Key to Feeling Great

Now that many of us have cut back on take out for lunch, it is a great opportunity to implement a healthier diet. Your health is extremely dependent on your eating habits and now that your commute was cut to zero minutes, take the time to prepare healthy delicious meals by preparing them in larger quantities to reheat throughout the week. A delicious lean steak or pan seared chicken breast with sautéed kale or salad will go a long way, a turkey chili with vegetables can also pack a lot of flavor for a healthier option instead of the philly cheese steak from the deli by the office. No reason to not cheat here and there with two scoops of your favorite ice cream and homemade cookies for happy taste buds.

Many who would dedicate time at the gym after work, have been really affected by the quarantine. The opportunity to buy some workout equipment hasn’t been more convenient than now, without breaking the bank. Others prefer to go out for a run, a hike or riding a bike, all while maintaining social distance.

An absolutely valuable asset is to stay relatively active while consuming a healthy diet of lean proteins, vegetables and whole grains. Increasing your energy and improving your quality of sleep will prove that practicing these healthy habits will make a better version of yourself.

• Add Value to Your Organizational Skills

According to our Senior Developer, Christian, a fantastic strategy that helps get your day going without mental interruptions, is creating a list of any non-work-related activities you would like to accomplish during the day. He explains that coming up with that list helps him focus on the work at hand, without getting distracted by the thought of those non-work-related tasks. Knowing early in the day that you can accomplish a specific task, will organize your planner and thoughts, so that you can make the construct of time work in your favor.

Creating a list of tasks not related to work is just one tool to maintain your focus, but how do you organize your day? How do you not deviate from your work plan? At Kyo Logic, we do not only focus on our pups, coffee and haircuts. We are also implementing strategies that will help us get through the day successfully and with the least amount of stress possible. Our Lead Developer, Justin, exercises a tool that many of us use partially and subconsciously, but he puts it into perspective for us. This method is called the Pomodoro Method, and it consists of drowning out the noise while working on a task and taking short breaks without interruptions. The interruptions meaning no phone, no email, and no Slack notifications.

Before you begin a Pomodoro in your schedule, you should “visualize how a problem will be solved before starting.” Breaking will enable you to reset your ideas with a clear head and prevent any cognitive overload. A valuable aspect of the Pomodoro Method, is not allowing yourself to get into quicksand, and essentially staying ahead of your workload to enable you to determine the urgency of the task at hand and to ask yourself: “Is it realistic for me to take on more tasks at the moment?” Successful Pomodoros must be organized in order of priority and what brings the most value to your work and to the company. It may sound “easier said than done,” but with the Pomodoro Method you will find yourself completing a task and moving onto the next one in an organized uninterrupted fashion. If you would like to test your Pomodoro skills, try a tool like “http://www.tomatotimers.com/.”

Pomodoro Steps:

1. Set a Routine
2. Create a List
3. Plan your tasks into blocks (Pomodoro)

• Moving to the Cloud

What happened since we went fully remote? Well, FileMaker has graced all users around the world with the ability to work with FileMaker Server and FileMaker Cloud, which provides the ability to maintain and manage all FileMaker solutions remotely. Without many setbacks, the Kyo Logic team has been able to maintain consistency in providing support for all of our clients while adjusting to the drastic changes of the quarantine.

• Kyo Logic is Staying Strong

            At Kyo Logic we continue to maintain our team cohesion through daily communication amongst ourselves because we understand the work we do as a team is substantially more valuable than tackling tasks and issues individually. We also hold conversations about the foods we cooked, the independent projects and hobbies we work on outside of work, and we also enjoy bringing some spontaneity to our Zoom video meetings with the virtual background feature from Zoom. Which in case you did not know is in the video tab under the “virtual backgrounds…” option. We look forward to hearing about your Pomodoro skills and what new dishes you have cooked that have sparked fireworks for your taste buds, keep rocking and FileMaker on!

What is it?

The Session Table is a utility table created for each individual instance of a user’s access to a file. It is created upon entry of the file (OnFirstsWindowOpen script trigger) and closed out upon shut down (OnLastWindowClose script trigger) of the file.

This is a sample of what a Session Table would look like in the Database Manager:

Why Should Every File Have it?

• Helps to track Users Entry and Exit from File – It is critical that administrators know who is entering and how often and how long they are staying in the file. This can be useful for analytical purposes as well as for security. If you know that something malicious happened in a file during a specific period of time, you can go to the Session table to find the users who were in at that exact time.
• Collects User metadata – Using FileMaker’s built-in calculation functions, you can acquire metadata about the user such as the type of device they are using, how they are accessing FileMaker (FileMaker Pro Advanced, FileMaker Go, WebDirect, etc.), the user’s IP address and many more pieces of information. Being aware of all of this can help the file administrators analyze what kind of user is spending time in their file in order to help make decisions.
• Can be utilized to track user actions – If it is imperative that all user actions are tracked (an example being for HIPAA compliance) then the session table is where this can take place. You can create a login in the Session Table by using script triggers on fields and layouts.
• Can be utilized for Creating Session-Based Tables – There may come a situation where you have to build a report or list that combines multiple data into one table multiple users can access this at the same time. As a result, there needs to be a way to distinguish which records are for which user session to make sure that one user does not see other users’ data. The Session table comes in use here. By utilizing the user’s specific session ID, you can determine which records are for that user’s list/report simply by including their session ID. This can be quite complicated, so we will have a blog in the future based solely on this topic.

How can you add it to your file?

After creating the Session table, you must make sure it is connected to your files GLOBAL, SYSTEM, or UTILITY table (this table should be the table in the file that contains all global fields).

At Kyo Logic, we like to name our global table the SYSTEM Table. (We also like to use three-letter codes as part of the names of our tables to make the table occurrences in the relationship graph easier to understand). And we connect SYSTEM (SYS__Sys) to SESSION (SYS_SES__AC) through this simple relationship:

Now that we have the infrastructure in place, we need to build the script to create the Session record.

The script that we have built, “Startup,” we have running OnFirstWindowOpen.

This script first creates the user’s unique SYSTEM record and then creates their unique Session record. It then sets all of the metadata fields that you would want to acquire. Finally, it sets the user’s Session ID to a SYSTEM global field so that the file can obtain the user’s session ID at any time.

We also include the “shutDown” script OnLastWindowClose to set the logout metadata field.

And, there you go. You now have a session table that you can use to track your user access into the file and so much more!