FCC Mix Program help you build a successful FileMaker Project

Caltec is here to announce a new program dedicated to the users of the FileMaker platform: the FCC Mix Program - FileMaker Training, Strategic Consulting and Coaching.

FCC Mix is a program with a personalized approach: not only we will be teaching you FileMaker best principles but also reorganizing your existing database in a more professional way as well as mentoring and helping you step-by-step to achieve the goals defined.

Our objective is to help you build a successful FileMaker project!

Take action! Start now your new database!

FCC Mix Program is suitable for you if:

• you need to create a more professional database but dont know how to start; 

• you have already developed a database but realised that there are some important concepts that you dont master and you are insecure to move on;

• you have not followed the evolution of the FileMaker Plataform and you need to get updated to start a new project.

Based on our experience, we often see many users/developers with the right vision for their database but without enough knowledge/technical skills or motivation to achieve their objectives. This frustration leads to let their FileMaker databases/projects get behind their current needs, becoming obsolete and useless each day.

So come and join our program and get to the next level of your FileMaker skills! For more information, contact us!

"Ten Commandments" to keep you FileMaker Server solutions healthy and stable

Keeping our clients FileMaker systems healthy and fully operational on servers is now becoming a major task and responsability.

Sometimes, it feels like being an anesthesiologist or ER doctor monitoring a patient during a major surgery.

We have to evaluate…

• OS security upgrades; 
• Minor OS upgrades
• New OS versions; 
• Mobile OS versions
• Java upgrades; 
• FileMaker Server updates
• FileMaker Client updates
• Browser compatibility with WebDirect
• Anti virus upgrades

and deal with…

• Installing and maintaining certificates and domains
• Viruses, malware and reckless use of browsers
• Universal hardware flaws

Not an easy task. We are paid to take good care of the systems we adapt/develop . Our job is to keep those systems running peacefully, smoothy and fully functional. 

Here are 10 “Commandments” for safe server management....

1. Never install a new operating system on the first day of official release. Wait a few weeks for other trustful sources to confirm that FileMaker Server version you use is running smoothly. Never risk upgrading and causing problems to clients operations.

2. Have the last 3 versions of JRE available to uninstall/install. It’s not correct to always blame it on JAVA but problems with the Admin Console arise often from the new versions.

3. Get used to manage your server from the command line interface including stopping and starting Apache, FileMaker Server and your solutions. Understand the power of SUDO…

4. Issue a formal warning to your clients, so you know in advance about the intentions on buying new equipments/servers and new operating systems. They should not expect that their systems automatically work with new OS.

5. Be prepared to uninstall and install the last 2/3 FileMaker/ FileMaker Server upgrades. When you uninstall from the installer, the Files and locations remain the same. Remember to export your schedules and settings to import them again after the reinstallation. Practice this process. It’s much simpler than it seems. Read the readme files.

6. Have a second server for trials and tests before any major upgrade. Don’t forget that testing and evaluating takes time. Make sure the solution you designed, is in production, and running the company operations, is ready for the upgrade.

7. In case of disaster have a plan B and C. Be prepared to have your clients systems up and running in a safe containment in 30 minutes. Conduct disaster drills.

8. When looking for solutions online , get to know how to filter ad extract the important news from the general noise.

9. Advise your clients properly. Nurture them, make their life easier. Protect them from the “scare them to sell, tactics” very common nowadays. Do not build fortresses or extensive defenses, where the threats are minimum or non existent.

10. Make all these points clear to you clients. Get proper payment for these services.

Luis Calcada, Caltec

How to manage a Sports Federation in 2017

Managing a Sports Federation is really a complex task. Every single day a large amount of data is generated from various sources and events and all these data should be stored, organized and transformed into information and knowledge for better decisions.
Unfortunately the most common solution is the use of spreadsheets or various software to store and organize data. There's no integration of information or strategic criteria, just grids of rows and columns, that are assembled in a PDF when needed.

But why is it so bad?

First, because these documents are locally stored on a PC, almost always, without an emergency plan or classification criteria and security!
Second, spreadsheet files allows changes without trace. No audit is possible, so you can't be sure your are looking to “real” information or not. 

The need for printing documents that “die” (no longer updated) when leaving the printer is not compatible with organizations that have to be live, dynamic and paperless.
Third, the problem when consolidating information from various  software packages that do not talk to each other,  from various operating systems creating a huge mess no one knows exactly what, where, or who has the right information.

A  Sports Federation must be a centre of command, reference and coordination, so a live ecosystem of information is needed. That's why we created SuperFederation solution!

The sports federation management team should have information “Live” or “On Live”. The directors, many times, have no knowledge but only a few ideas of what is really going on.

Caltec has expertise in implementing a smooth transition to a modern information system, so that your team can begin to use live tools as early as next season, or even in this one, if feasible.

Contact us and know what SuperFederation can do for your Sports Federation!

FileMaker training - learn how to build a database from scratch

A great opportunity to learn how to build databases with the team of FileMaker experts from Caltec. Our training is focused on years of experience in database projects for all sorts of activity

If you have an idea or the need to organise your information, come to  build your own database at Caltec!

FileMaker Basic - 12 hours

You will learn basic concepts of FileMaker and get the best route to sucessfully build a database to organise and share your information. 

Where: Carcavelos

Classes: up to 6 students

Personalized teaching

Price: 290 euros + VAT

Ask for the program here!

ENAD, Angola and Caltec's integrated solution for schools and institutes

The National School of Administration in Angola - ENAD uses iSchool a school management solution developed by Caltec, based on the FileMaker platform, to manage their administrative, educational and financial areas: all in a integrated solution.

Inaugurated in 2008, ENAD has the goal to offer high quality courses to train and qualify professionals from the public and private sectorin Angola. 

The new school of administration was designed to be a centre of excellence and qualification. It's mission is to contribute to the development of the Republic of Angola, through the training of specialized skills required to increase quality, productivity, modernization and efficiency.

Caltec's solution was implemented in 2010 and covers various areas of the daily life of the institute.The integrated management system stores information in a central database in order to optimize the operational processes and at the same time obtain a global and strategic vision of the organization.

Caltec solution at FileMaker.com website: Made for FileMaker

Caltec team is very proud to have its solution for school management accepted to be listed at FileMaker.com/Made for FileMaker website. A professional solution designed in 2015, highly automated to take any institution to the next level! 
The solution is in portuguese but can be easily translated to english, spanish or french.

Please send me your price list! Sorry, but we don't have one!

Here at Caltec we often receive requests from companies asking for the pricelist for a software solution.
They say, “Please send me your price list”.  The person who asks the information is almost always a secretary...who's is also usually the designated person in the company to collect price lists and select IT solutions from a Google search! We love secretaries, but dont understand why the most important acquisition that impacts business should be selected by un unqualified professional!

In this kind of company, there’s no one responsible for iT, just a free lancer that does Anti-virus or Operative Systems reinstallations when needed.  People are still working with a pre-technological mindset: long hours, repetitive tasks, non-productive operations using general software tools available to any company. Average leading to average.

In these companies the computers are like type machines, files in the desktop are like papers and the folders are also full of printed documents. Managers are still asking for updates... and waiting for it, instead of looking at information real time whenever they want. They even think “organized information” means "documents stored in files"...And how do they share information? By email, by pen, by printing papers that can be easily lost or never traced back.

We are living in the XXI century, the information age.  Is it possible to believe that any company will still be alive and competitive in the future without an outstanding personalized information system? And is it clear that these information system should be carefully and properly selected and deployed and more expensive than that meeting room table made by that famous designer! Isn't it obvious?

Automate your school with SuperSchool! ILNOVA experience

Caltec’s SuperSchool Institutes solution helps the Language Institute of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ILNova) manage their daily administrative, pedagogical and finantial operations.

ILNova was founded in July 2006 as an institution dedicated to teach foreign languages and also languages for specific purposes. It provides service to all undergraduate, masters and postgraduate courses of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and also to the public in general, companies and organizations. It has over 1,000 students and offers over 30 languages courses.

As a result of the process of implementation of SuperSchool Institutes from Caltec in July 2014, ILNova’s data and information was reorganized in the modular platform, customized to fit their specific needs.

SuperSchool provides online pre-enrollment of courses to the issuance of invoices, payments and ATM codes and certification of portuguese Ministry of Finance. The innovation of the Situation Room Panels ( exclusive of Caltec ), customized to the Administrative Direction, Educational and Financial with LIVE information on all courses, helps ILNova supervise all aspects and give solid support for rapid decisions.

Teachers also benefited from an easy interface for inserting students grades via browser. Other modules like the "Teacher Availability Module" allows ILNova staff to schedule teaching periods more accurately depending on the availability of the teachers. The "SMS Center Module" allows you to reach all students, teachers and contacts in just one click!

SuperSchool Institutes is hosted in a MacMini computer with OSX Server in the IT department of the NOVA University of Lisbon and through FileMaker Server provides remote access from various contributors anytime and anywhere. Access can be made via PC, Mac or browser.

Maria Augusta Guerreiro - IlNova
According to Maria Augusta Guerreiro, coordinator of administrative services at IlNova, "the new solution has increased the speed of processes, promoted greater efficiency, better information management and accelerated responsiveness. We congratulate Caltec for their professionalism, guidance and monitoring throughout the whole process and also for the rapid support response."

SuperSchool Institutes continues to expand and keep pace with the evolution and growth of ILNova, with the adaptation of more modules to manage all the information in a safe, efficient and innovative environment.

We like to give total control and the best information for those who decide.

Screen-shot of our Issue Tracking System SolutionA great customer service is key to any successful business.

It means rapidly presenting the best offer and service. But are you sure you are looking to the right information? And its not fair if you are taking your daily decisions based on "half-trues" or incomplete data. We build solutions to support you. And that's where you will find the added value of Caltec's information systems.

To personalize and assemble your platform, we dive into your processes, identifying weaknesses and potential. We use the best technological practices to redesign operations and leverage change. We assemble new workflows of information that will influence positively your daily activity and give powerful support to your decision making process.  

We make solutions that lasts and evolves. Caltec has clients using 14 years old systems that are never obsolete because are transformed, updated and redesigned to face new challenges.

We like that. Fiercely protecting your data and giving total control and the best information for those who decide. We are here to offer you the opportunity to step forward and invest in the growth of your business.

Paper Database

Since January 2011, the WWF (World Wide Fund) has an online paper database.

And what’s a paper database?

It’s an online database to help buyers to find paper products with the lowest environmental impact.

It’s doubly useful: a compilation of organized information in a database, easy to maintain, update and search, combined with a low environmental impact when making purchases, paper purchases.

The Check Your Paper database assesses the environmental quality of paper products based on various information, from forest management, use of recycled and recyclable fibers, CO2 emissions, amount of waste produced to water pollution.

This is another way to reduce your environmental footprint by using online databases.