Web Application Frameworks - make the hard work easier

The is the first thing that makes Concord as a web application framework so good.  Concord provides a web application and database framework that is accessible to the end user.  People like you and me can create or modify fields and relationships, just like in Access, which creates a powerful tool.  It offers generalization through simplicity, and can be quickly deployed with specific functions by non-technical users.  This is not rocket science, but potentially revolutionary stuff for businesses that can see the potential.

I think of it like a web enabled Microsoft Access for the web.  Like Filemaker, as a database management tool, Concord's advantage is that it is cross-platform, but doesn't carry anywhere near the price of Filemaker. 

With Concord as an application framework, we have been able to build advanced solutions quickly and cost effectively.   Solutions we have built with Concord (among others) include:

• an aggregator database between Plan Australia's legacy Plansys system, powering online child sponsorship
• a subscription management system for Asian Geographic
• a national member database for the Optometrists Association of Australia
• an Intranet user management and application authentication framework for the Australian Health Services Alliance
  
• a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) for Accord
• a document, records and configuration management system for a large financial services organisation
  

Concord can be set up easily as a contact manager, but isn't highly specialised like SalesForce or SugarCRM, which can be a good thing if you feel restricted by a "one size fits all" solution as CRMs often can be.  But the same things make it more difficult to sell than an out of the box solution which is aimed at a particular marketplace, so we offer our application framework as a niche solution to the right set of requirements.

But most importantly, a good web application framework should make it easy for the end user, the database administrator to manage.  If people can't or won't use the application in practice, then as easy as it is to deploy and customise, it can be rendered useless.  This is where reporting engines become critical.  Where application frameworks like Access have queries, Concord has a reporting system which is general and versatile as MYOB or Quickbooks, but not as specialised as an accounting package.   To address this, in Concord we built a user friendly report wizard, which takes users through a series of steps to extract the data they need for their day-to-day duties.

A database management system should feature a records and user management system, capable of jurisdictional access to records and a moderation and logging of edits.  This all sounds a bit technical, but from a business perspective it means that we can apply this to web solutions so that if someone edits their profile through a website, then it can be approved by an office admin person before the changes are made to the database and that the admin person can only see the records they have permission to access.  These are the things that many databases find hard to do, but Concord manages out-of-the-box.

It is also important to customise a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for your databases and applications.  We offer a set of widgets to extend and customise the Concord interface.  It can be skinned and branded to look and feel integral to your organisation.

Recognising the importance of records management to enterprise content management we often use Concord to extend the user management functionality of our enterprise content management system, Freestyler.  This enables us to deploy advanced, dynamic extranets and Intranets which offer rich user interaction, personalisatiobn and more detailed data management.  Based on the success of this approach, we are in the process of integrating the two systems to building Concord's functions into the next generation of Freestyler CMS to offer more Web 2.0 and community driven web experiences.

The power to create your own applications and interfaces with an application framework like Concord in the wrong hands can be a recipe for disaster, so advice is always important.  While applications can be created by non-technical people, Systems Analysis and Design is a highly specialised field, which typically involves an independent review of your business processes.

With Concord, consultants can deploy the applications without the assistance of programmers, which is extremely useful, as much useful information often gets lost in translation between the two.

We have the know-how to help our customers to realise their visions and a web application framework such as Concord helps to reduce the time and cost in making them a reality. 

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