| A business accounting software solution is not an | | | | program. However, companies hoping to gain a |
| investment to be taken lightly. Perusing any major | | | | quick return on their business process |
| technical journal will acquaint you with the | | | | improvements can take advantage of a FileMaker |
| common vendors like SAP, Oracle and Infor, each | | | | Pro solution. FileMaker offers companies a |
| earning billions of dollars annually in licensing, | | | | business accounting software solution that doesn't |
| professional services and maintenance revenue. | | | | require a significant investment and can be easily |
| These vendors pride themselves on their ability to | | | | tailored to meet any company's needs. This |
| seamlessly integrate numerous business solutions | | | | flexibility allows a company to improve without a |
| from customer relationship management, asset | | | | serious cash investment. The technology approach |
| management, manufacturing and financial | | | | is one of the FileMaker plug-ins that target specific |
| accounting into a massive application called | | | | business needs like accounting, inventory and |
| enterprise resource planning (ERP). The | | | | reporting. The underlying FileMaker database |
| implementation of these monolithic systems are | | | | makes it easy to share the data with anyone |
| often referred to as engagements due to their | | | | inside or outside the company. FileMaker plug-ins |
| length and complexity, which is similar to a | | | | are customizable so that companies can modify |
| courtship leading up to a marriage because a | | | | them to meet a particular process. A common |
| company will be so firmly tied to this ERP vendor | | | | business need is accounting invoicing software, |
| due to the investment and cost of uninstalling | | | | which FileMaker offers as a plugin. FileMaker also |
| such a system. There are alternatives to such | | | | offers numerous templates, which are often free. |
| investments and companies poised at | | | | These templates for such functions as invoices, |
| implementing an ERP should carefully consider the | | | | also customizable, capture important details about |
| underlying businesses processes and ERP | | | | the invoice like tasks, descriptions, costs and |
| implementation roadmap before initiating such a | | | | customer information. |