FileMaker Replacement & Migration
for businesses in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US.
FileMaker is still supported, so this is rarely about the software dying. It is usually about per-user licensing, a solution only one person can change, and files old enough that current versions will not open them.
- Independent No licence commission, no reseller agenda
- 18+ yrs Building business software
- Fixed Price scopes, no surprises
- AU NZ UK US Perth-based, working remotely
It is not end of life. It is end of patience.
Most FileMaker replacements we are asked about are not driven by the platform failing. They are driven by licence renewals that grow with headcount, a solution that only the original developer can modify, or a database that has quietly become the system of record for the whole business without anyone deciding it should be.
We will tell you if staying on FileMaker is the right answer. Sometimes it is, and the actual problem is that nobody has tidied the solution up in ten years.
Your FileMaker project, end to end
Three stages. Scoped and fixed-price before anything starts, delivered by the founder, and your existing system stays running until cutover.
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Week 0
Read the system as it is
We go through the existing application and record what it actually does, including the parts nobody documented. You get a written inventory and a fixed price before any build starts.
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Weeks 1-N
Rebuild and run in parallel
The replacement runs beside the original until the numbers reconcile. The old system stays untouched and switched on the whole time.
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Cutover
Go live and hand over
Cutover on a date you choose, then thirty days of support. Source code, documentation and credentials are handed to you, in your name.
What the work actually is
A web application that does the same job without the per-seat cost
We work through the layouts, scripts and calculations, then rebuild the solution as a web application. Data moves into a standard database so your other systems can finally reach it.
What you have now
- .fmp12 or older .fp7 files
- Layouts and scripts
- Container fields holding documents
- Per-user licence renewals
A web application that does the same job without the per-seat cost
We work through the layouts, scripts and calculations, then rebuild the solution as a web application. Data moves into a standard database so your other systems can finally reach it.
See how a project runsWhat you end up with
- A web application with role-based access, priced per project rather than per seat
- Data in PostgreSQL or SQL Server that other systems can reach
- Documents moved out of container fields into proper storage
The 5 pieces of FileMaker work we are asked for
Most engagements are some combination of these, and most start with the first.
Map the solution
Tables, layouts, scripts and calculations documented, including the scripts that run on open and nobody remembers writing.
Handle old file formats
Older .fp7 solutions need a staged conversion before anything can be read cleanly. We deal with that rather than telling you it is impossible.
Rebuild as a web application
Same workflow, accessible from a browser, with role-based access instead of a per-user licence.
Get the documents out
Container fields holding quotes, photos and signed forms moved into proper file storage with the links preserved.
Connect it to everything else
Once the data is in a standard database, integrating with your accounting or job system stops being a special project.
Where you are now
It works, and nobody will touch it
- Licence cost rises every time you hire somebody
- One person can change the solution, and they do not work here any more
- Other systems cannot reach the data without an export
- Older .fp7 files that current FileMaker will not open directly
After
Supported, documented and yours
- Priced per project, not per person on staff
- A codebase any web developer can pick up
- Data in a standard database that integrates normally
- Access from a browser on any device, without a client install
Scoped and quoted before you commit. You own the code, the documentation and the credentials at the end of it.
Get a fixed-price scopeFileMaker questions
Should we actually leave FileMaker?
Not always, and we will say so. If the solution is sound and the licence cost is manageable, the better project is often tidying up what you have. We would rather tell you that than sell a rebuild you did not need.
Our solution is in the old .fp7 format. Can it be read?
Yes, through a staged conversion. Current FileMaker will not open .fp7 directly, which is where most people stop. The path exists, it just takes an intermediate version.
What happens to files stored in container fields?
They come out into proper file storage with the record links preserved. This is worth doing on its own, because container fields make backups large and awkward.
Will our team have to relearn everything?
We keep the field names, the screen order and the workflow. The aim is that somebody who used the FileMaker solution on Friday can use the replacement on Monday without a manual.
Can you integrate FileMaker with Xero or MYOB instead?
Yes, and sometimes that is the whole job. If the real complaint is rekeying invoices, an integration is far cheaper than a replacement.
Sending your details…
You can stay on this page while we send it.
Tell us what you are running
What the system does, roughly how old it is, and what is forcing the question. We will come back with a straight answer and a fixed-price scope, even if the answer is to leave it alone.
Prefer a quick chat? Call 0425 531 127. We answer the phone in Perth.
