Claris' FileMaker is presented as a Workplace Innovation Platform, and is used to create a custom app. Manual processes can be automated with Claris FileMaker Pro, and apps can be created to manage contacts, track inventory, organize projects, etc.
$21
per month per user
HubSpot CRM
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
HubSpot’s CRM enables growth-minded businesses to optimize their relationships with leads and customers. Through harnessing the power of carefully crafted sales, marketing, customer service, content management, and operations tools, the software aims to make it easy to unify team strategy and drive conversion. Additionally, the software allows users to connect with over 875 integration apps, APIs, and solutions partners to create a customizable user experience that suits the way teams work.…
I've also used Copper, Avectra, and Wintouch as well. Please refer back to my earlier comments about how Hubspot is (mostly) a superior platform. However, the Hubspot subscription is quite expensive, so expense should be worked into the equation
We selected HubSpot CRM because of features we were not happy with at a previous company. HubSpot CRM won out because of customer reviews, the team, and the features offered.
If your company is really small, I can understand the need for a product like this. However, I would go for MS Access... FileMaker Pro can not be integrated with other systems (like MS Access can at least be handled by C# for instance, and can be integrated with MS Excel or even SQL server). I'm really not sure in what scenario one would choose for FileMaker Pro. If your application or company grows bigger, you're going to have a problem to move to another environment. Also, the fact that only one person can work with the backend at any given time is a problem in a somewhat larger company.
I am giving it a 9 rating out of 10 because it has saved my job and helped my team to cracks very big deals. Last year, we were supposed to give a presentation to a client as we were about to sign him for a project. The client asked for our numbers in a real meeting, but we hadn't prepared them for our presentation. I logged in to HubSpot CRM and created a small report that included the relevant numbers. This turned out to be a very good decision for our company, as we subsequently signed that client.
The relational database management system makes the program highly customizable to fit the needs of any product. You can add a ton of information to each record and update your inventory on a regular basis with an Excel import or manually inside of the record. It has the capability to incorporate barcoding, which can manage your available inventory with ease.
The scripting language allows FileMaker to automatically calculate complex algorithms automatically or generate report outs with the click of a button. This allows for greater UI, especially with active users who are not familiar with writing code. Almost all of our internal data is linked to the FileMaker database
The server license allows many users to update the database in real time, which is handy if your inventory is constantly changing. We have users with Macs, PCs, iPhones and handheld tablets linked to our FileMaker database and they are updating the information constantly throughout the day.
If you invest some time into formatting and scripting the database, there is a high ease of use for users without knowledge of any programming or FileMaker itself.
Timeline view and conversation log is extremely helpful and an underrated feature; this is in addition to the entire user profile view.
Task management is simple but effective.
Deal and company tracking with stakeholder management inside companies / deals is very handy; we know what is happening even though we might not be directly working on it.
Gmail integration is quite smooth along with email tracking.
Developer features need to be beefed up - namely adding the ability to search code for a phrase or keyword and the ability to do the same in the "relationship graph" in the database.
Add ability for users to edit the same table record at the same time by version control.
Allow Filemaker Server to use more than 1 core; currently multi-processing is not supported and it can be tricky to find just the right server to support the application you've built to the fullest capacity.
More of an integration issue I think than a problem with HubSpot CRM, but we have AirCall integrated for direct phone lines and synching with individual users for outbound calls. Opening Aircall to make an outbound call automatically generates a new client - unattached to a company record as an orphan.
Historical records with activities is awesome but when creating a deal it isn't always a choice to capture last 30 days of history. When it is an option and you click to add that to a deal you can see all the activity items and people who have done anything with the "file".
I would like to see more native options for automation.
It it not really up to me but my opinion does have some weight in the decision and the reason I would renew my use FileMaker Pro 8.5 is because I am finally getting used to it! Now that I have been working with the program, tasks have become quicker and projects are getting done faster. File Maker Pro 8.5 really is a versatile tool and I think we are just scratching the surface with it's abilities.
Thus far, our company has found HubSpot CRM to be a reliable service that serves its purpose well: a centralized business contacts database, accessible remotely, with a simple and visually-pleasing interface. Issues are non-existent or resolved quickly, and when the service is experiencing interruptions, notifications and/or updates are sent regularly.
It's almost what it should be after so may years and with Apple's longevity and strength behind it. For people who earn their living based on efficiency I think there are too many developer obstacles that waste time and therefore money.
I am giving it this rating because it has helped us keep track of leads, it saved us a lot of time by automating tasks, and it makes it easy for different teams to work together. It is user-friendly and has improved our approach to communicating with customers and closing deals.
The forums are great with lots of helpful experts and the staff monitor them to provide help where needed. There have been a couple of unique technical issues I've had to deal with that I haven't been able to get resolved so I chose to score this a 9 instead of a 10.
Because when I needed help HubSpot responded immediately and provided me with the information I needed which enabled me to realize that HubSpot was even more customizable and easier to use than I thought! And I already thought HubSpot was very user friendly and easy to use, and then Support showed me how to manipulate the settings, columns and the appearance of the tool.
Suggest you use an iterative R.A.D. or AGILE development approach. (i.e. rather than writing a gigantic spec for a system, then building it). FileMaker facilitates quick prototypes. Developing an example, then allowing users to "try it out" is a snap.
If you've had any prior experience with cloud based marketing automation or group communication tools, you can do the implementation without paid outside support. Though getting to a SLA (service level agreement) would be best achieved with the help of a third party who can facilitate
FileMaker is still the quickest way to go from zero to having a minimum viable working solution. Simple solutions can be built in as little as a afternoon of development. It is the only tool I am aware of which allows tech savy end users with domain knowledge to build bespoke apps for their businesses without undertaking professional software development training.
We've been using Hubspot for years and don't foresee making any changes away from it. It has been fully integrated into how our business operates. We ultimately selected HubSpot CRM because it had all the features and functions that our marketing, sales, and operations teams wanted. And it offered those features and functions at the right price point for our organization.
We are a more agile company because of FileMaker. A few of us who are tech-savvy enough to manage the database (but are not professional developers) can make needed adjustments to our database without having to employ an in-house developer or contract with a 3rd party. As our business processes evolve and change, it's easy to update the database to accommodate those changes.
