FileMaker Pro 11 IconFileMaker Pro is a complex software application that includes a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) and Rapid Application Development (RAD) tools. If you decided to develop a custom data management system for your company (or replace the existing one) and you are considering doing it with FileMaker Pro, here are some initial questions that you will probably ask yourself:
Why FileMaker Pro?
FileMaker Pro is a well-recognized and widely popular brand. By 2010 there were 15 000 000 registered users of this software ranging from companies included in the Forbs list of most profitable ones (such as Lukas Film, Dream Works and UBS) to small business (40% of users). There are numerous reasons for this, here i will just mention a few:
And so on, i really loved FileMaker Pro from the start and my list of reasons for using this platform could obviously go forever. Most important is that it proved as a reliable and solid base for growing and maintaining the business, it is developed easily and employees use it gladly.
Which steps are involved?
There are a few steps usually involved in the process of creating a custom DBMS solution. A RAD (Rapid Application Development) platform such as FileMaker Pro allows you to install some basic solution, a template, or a readymade ("business in the box") solution and start immediately, then develop the system as you work on the daily basis. This is really a great feature for some business environments as it uses minimal planning in favor of rapid prototyping. Unlike when using the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) or "Waterfall methodologies" which is the opposite method, with RAD you could practically see your system as it is developed, adjust things as they occur and change them quickly when you want to. However, there are a few phases in the process that shouldn't be skipped in order to get to the better organized system: It is important to mention here that, although RAD methodology provides a good framework for faster project development, successful implementation often depends on project type, schedule, software release cycle and corporate culture. The RAD systems are often advertised as an "easy ride" towards getting a sophisticated database management system, which seams wrong, not only in my opinion. This methodology definitely facilitates the process and it is easier to understand and deploy, but to get to the really functional system you will still need a serious approach, with a lot of planning and a lot of hard work. Some of the largest software vendors, such as Microsoft and IBM do not extensively use RAD in the development of their flagship products and mostly still rely primarily on the more traditional "waterfall methodologies" with some degree of "spiraling", more related to RAD.
How much will it cost?
The cost of developing and implementing the DBMS using FileMaker Pro application platform will depend on the size of the project and the preferences of the user. However, you might consider some guidelines in regards to what your expenses might be. There are six groups of products/services that you will have to consider when developing the system:
How much time does it take?
What kind of a time span should you expect before your system is installed, deployed and ready to go. Again, this depends on the complexity of the project. The good thing about RAD platforms, such as FileMaker Pro, is that they can be installed and deployed before the system is completely finalised and the employees could start using the system to some extent even if it is not completely functional. As an example, lets say we have a company with 30 employees. It is necessary to spend at least a week (more likely 2 weeks if there is more then 10 computers and more then one room in the office) in planning and installing the hardware and necessary basic software (mentioned above) and testing the system. While this is done, database developer can go over fases 1 and 2 mentioned above (Consultation and Requirements planning) and start with designing the software. If during the first 2 fases of the process you figured out that you can start with any of the predeveloped solutions (and, as mentioned, there is a number of them on the market), phase 3 (User Design) can start as soon as the hardware is installed and should not last more then a week, mostly 2 weeks. So, after 1 month you could have a system installed in your office ready to store your data and do the most important tasks. Then, in  phase 4, you have to develop it further to the point where everything is working fine and as expected, all the documents are imported and merged, emailing system is setup etc., and this usually takes about 2 months. Most of the work belonging to phase 5 would be done by now and you may give yourself a month more to polish everything. So, in the good case scenario you would have to plan about 4 month before the system is completely functional and tested. If you build from the scratch, it would take a month or 2 to develope all the fields and layouts. After this is done, you usually have a database administrator employed on the regular basis to deal with fixes, backups, additional requests, plug-inns, document changes, records exporting and importing, graphs, stats and the system should be able to grow and upgrade without major changes over time. You could then easier add a department or a sister project to the already existing one, as most of the hard work is done in terms of consultations, design, programming and deployment.