A neon question mark in a pedestrian tunnel with graffiti on the walls.

Why Get a Custom FileMaker App?

Anthony Lambert

February 26, 2021

Why get a custom FileMaker app? What problems does a custom app solve? What are the benefits?

I’m often asked, when I meet people and talk to them about what we do, “why get a custom app?”. Or, more directly, “why would anyone buy a custom app?” I then take a sip of my drink as I know that this question is usually followed by its evil twin, “aren’t they expensive?”

These are actually two very good questions to ask, and the answer is often yes. Custom apps can be expensive, if your only point of comparison with a piece of off-the-shelf software is the sticker price. However, you need to assess a custom app based on the efficiencies and savings it is designed to achieve. 

To illustrate this point, let’s look at a typical example of a manufacturing process in a company that makes plastic toys:

A Typical Manufacturing Process

Scheduler
Uses a scheduling app to place an order on a specific machine on a particular date and time.
Prints the order details from the scheduling app on the relevant day, along with all of the other orders for the day.
Supervisor
Walks to the office and collects the order details from the scheduler.
At the relevant time, walks to the manufacturing area and gives the order details to the operator.
Operator
On a paper order log, writes the time and the counter number from the machine. The operator then starts the order.​
As the order is made, writes on the order log the time of any stoppages (such as for breaks or machine breakdown) and the quantity of any scrap that is produced.​
When the order is complete, writes down the completion time and gives the order log to the supervisor
Supervisor
Walks back to the office and tells the scheduler that the order is complete.
Scheduler
If necessary, manually adjusts the remaining order schedule in the scheduling app, moving every order to accommodate the changes.
Supervisor
Walks to the computer in their office and types the details of the order into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet works out the rate at which the product in the order has been made.
Copies the order data to a second spreadsheet that contains order data grouped by operator, so that the productivity of every operator can be evaluated.
Copies the order data to a third spreadsheet that contains order data grouped by machine, so that the productivity of every machine can be evaluated.
Copies the order data to a fourth spreadsheet that contains order data grouped by day, so that the productivity of every day can be evaluated.
Emails the spreadsheets to the manager.
Manager
Performs different analyses on the various spreadsheets and compiles additional summary spreadsheets: for example, weekly, monthly and yearly figures that can demonstrate whether productivity targets have been met.

The Results

This process is not in any way uncommon and results in a number of problems:

Excessive Paper Use

It uses a significant amount of paper, often to move data from one system to another or to get it to places where there are no computers (e.g. beside the production machines). For example, the scheduler gives orders to the supervisor and the supervisor hands the details of a particular order to the operator. In addition, time spent on the order and any scrap produced is first recorded on a paper form.

App Fragmentation

Each of the different software applications, from the order production schedule to the various spreadsheets, are separate and disconnected.

Inefficiency

And there are a few different roles involved, from the production scheduler to the supervisor to the operative and on to the manager. The supervisor has to provide some of the connections, walking from office to manufacturing area and back to collect data from the scheduler, give it to the operator then return data to the scheduler and ultimately the manager.

Data Duplication

As a result, there is considerable duplication of data, as pieces of information are copied from one medium to another. This provides numerous potential points of failure, such as the possibility of errors through manual data entry or even the misplacing of data. And this manual data entry and duplication is clearly labour wasted. 

Management Reports

And finally, the manager is unable to get production summaries until the relevant data have been processed through numerous spreadsheets.

The Solution is a Custom App

The solution is to have one custom app that incorporates all the functions needed to support the order production process, one that meets the needs of every role in the process:

Scheduler
Uses the custom app to place an order on a specific machine on a particular date and time.
Supervisor
In the same custom app, on an iPad next to the relevant machine, selects the order.
Operator
In the same custom app on the iPad, taps the start button, the stop button if taking a break, then the 'complete' button. The operator also enters any scrap.
Scheduler
Sees the progress of the order in real-time in the same custom app. When the order is complete, the app auto-adjusts the remaining order schedule (though the scheduler can also move orders manually).
Supervisor
Sees real-time progress on all production machines in the same custom app, on an iPad or back in the office on a computer. The supervisor can therefore spot any problems early.
Manager
Uses the same custom app to see summary data grouped by product, machine or operator; and daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. The manager can do this at any time and see real-time, up-to-date numbers.

The Benefits of a Custom App

The benefits of a custom app are:

  • The manager and the supervisor used to spend a lot of time entering data into various spreadsheets, but they don’t with a custom app.
  • This means that the scope for errors is dramatically reduced.
  • Production problems are spotted much earlier so wastage, machine stoppages and faults are reduced.
  • Issues with order completion are spotted earlier so the scope for missing delivery deadlines is reduced.
  • Production data are available in real-time so the production process can be better managed.
  • Production data are validated on entry so production data errors are reduced.

So the benefits are clear: a custom app would be helpful to any organization. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!

A sign stating 'Answers 1 km' on Granite Island, South Australia.

A sign stating ‘Answers 1 km’ on Granite Island, South Australia. Photo by Hadija/Unsplash. Photo of neon question mark at top of page by Emily Morter/Unsplash.