What Is Quickbase?

Quickbase is a low-code platform designed to make it easier for businesses to build custom software solutions. It's an accessible alternative to traditional software development. Users can create the bespoke software solutions they need without the hefty price tag or lengthy time-to-market when building an app from scratch.

The Problem Growing Businesses Face

Every growing business faces the same problem: the need to scale systems to keep up with success. When you launch a company, you build the systems you need with what you have. And for everything new that comes along, you use a combination of spreadsheets and employees filling out manual tasks.

It's a clunky, inefficient, and expensive way to run a business that puts you at unnecessary risk.

After a while, most businesses reach a point where the growing demands of their customers and team force them to rethink how they operate.

The problem is that the best solutions are often software solutions. That's because computers simply do things better and faster than people can. And so, many businesses add more and more applications to their tech stack.

Issues with Bespoke Application Development

When businesses can't find the custom solution they need for their business, they're forced to their tapper their expectations and use an off-the-shelf platform, or they pay for a custom application build.

But traditional application builds are usually expensive. There's also a lot of risks involved*: Will the app work? Will it meet the needs of my employees and customer? Will it be relevant by the time it's finished?

As a result, most growing businesses have to be very selective with which custom applications they decide to create. They don't have the IT budgets of established enterprise companies.

So, they can't chase after every custom app they can to give them the edge. And this puts them at a competitive disadvantage with larger organizations with massive IT budgets.

Low-code platforms like Quickbase level the playing field.

How Can Quickbase Build My Business?

Quickbase gives growing businesses a way to build custom applications faster and cheaper. In short, it's a SaaS platform designed with the end-user in mind: growing businesses that don't want to burn through their IT budget endlessly building custom applications to stay competitive.

With Quickbase, anyone in your organization can quickly learn how to build apps in the low-code interface. This moves app creation out of the IT department, freeing up resources, and giving your employees more say in which apps get created.

Let's say you needed a way to automate your procurement process. Using Quickbase, you could quickly build a custom system that collects and manages invoices, inventory, ordering, vendor relationships, and more.

And you can do this without trying to find money in your IT budget to get started or waiting a year for the project to roll out.

It really is that simple.

What Does Low-Code Mean?

Low-code means you don’t have to be a developer to create new applications.

Most businesses employ major applications to govern CRM, sales, HRM, and other enterprise solutions.

But there’s a problem with using these major platforms...

Companies have to adapt their departments around these structures. And if something doesn’t fit into the software platforms these businesses use, they usually have two options:

1. Pay for expensive customization or integration to connect an application to these platforms
2. Use spreadsheets to collect information that can then be manually inputted into these systems

Quickbase's low-code platform is a third (much better) solution.

Using a cloud-based software platform like Quickbase, allows users to customize applications and connect data from multiple platforms into one source. All without needing to know how to code.

How Does Quickbase Work?

With Quickbase, users can simply select applications from over 880 currently offered applications and integrate them into their ERP or create their own from scratch.

This is done through an easy to navigate browser that allows anyone with access to connect with other departments across an organization. With this visibility, employees can communicate and share information from anywhere.

This transparency creates a clearer, more organized view of activities across the company. And because Quickbase integrates with other platforms and automates many services, it frees up time previously spent on menial tasks.

As a result, employees can take on more complex tasks such as focusing on customer service or providing insights that can improve the organization.

It also removes the errors that occur from transferring data from one platform to another, meaning that it provides a far more accurate image of any business.

What Solutions Does Quickbase Offer?

Having been in the customizable database platform business since the company began in 1999, Quickbase has had time to create and reflect on solutions.

Its greatest asset is in its ability to connect departments together by bringing staff and data in one place. Additionally, Quickbase is easy to use and extremely customizable as a cloud-based platform.

As a result, Quickbase brings value to the following use cases:

• Process Management: Connect team members together across platforms for effortless, dynamic communication. See insights in real-time and target areas for improvement. Streamline processes with one central authoritative database.
• Financial Management: No more wasted time on budget management. Rapidly process forms, quickly find documents needed for audits, and keep track of any relevant financial processes all from one platform.
• CRM & Sales Management: Access clear, complete customer data from one interface. Improve accountability while directly reaching more customers. Automate workflows, share databases with your sales teams, inform stake and shareholders easily with built-in report filing.
• IT Management: Remove backlog and streamline the ticket processing and handling times. Allow IT to stay on top of requests and quickly move through problems with a management system tailored specifically to your business.
• Marketing: Implement a more cohesive and dynamic marketing structure with coordinated efforts based on accurate and complete data. With one, central database, you’ll have access to a single customer view to improve campaigns.
• Customer Service: Provide your team with instant access to the data they need to build lasting customer relationships with consistent and rapid answers to customer inquiries.
• HR/Employee Management: No more paper forms. Streamline onboarding and offboarding processes while keeping track of PTO, records, training, employee data, and other aspects of HR Management.
• Training Management: Centralize every aspect of employee training, from qualifications to certifications and much more. You can also control who has access to which files while protecting all this data through security built directly into the cloud-based platform.
• Field services: Avoid errors, missed deadlines, and wasted efforts by providing your teams with the information they need in one easily accessible location.
• Project Management: No more spreadsheets. Remove tedious, manual tasks. Connect team members together over the cloud in a secure environment for easy collaboration.

What Applications Does Quickbase Work With?

Integrating your systems opens up many doors and can streamline your processes, saving both time and money. Quickbase also has a robust API and can integrate with nearly any SaaS system out there. This makes it the perfect solution for any growing business looking to scale its systems.

Not sure what integrations are or how they can work for you? This guide will give you all the answers.

What Are Quickbase’s Features?

Quickbase offers a range of features to help businesses find success through automations. These features help streamline business connectivity, making it easier for your company to achieve success.

Here are a few of Quickbase's offerings:

1. Customization: You can choose apps from the Quickbase Exchange, create custom forms and fields, run unlimited reports, brand your interface, and access a developer sandbox to test new apps.
2. Workflow Automation: Set a schedule that processes tasks automatically across all your apps, generate reports, and set reminders that guide, not interfere with business processes.
3. Integrations: Sync data from spreadsheets or text files into one, central database by connecting Quickbase through a variety of APIs and Webhooks.
4. Mobile: Run your business and all its integrated apps from any mobile device using Quickbase’s native mobile app with managed sessions that automatically log users out after inactive periods.
5. Roles & Permissions: Achieve the governance you need by allocating access to systems for pertinent parties only. Customizable roles mean that each user sees a different dashboard that only allows them access to the information they need. Test access as a specific user to make sure the relevant permissions work for that role.
6. Security & Compliance: With nearly endless security features, you’ll have access to Two-Step authentication, log audits, Identity Management Systems, Advanced-Data Encryption, and others.
7. Support: Find the help you need with the Community and case-based support as well as Support SLA that ensures your requests are handled in a timely manner.
8. And more: Quickbase allows users to add on additional features that can further benefit their businesses. Additional apps, audit logs, advanced data encryption, app restore assistance, and training and certification are a few of the other additional features you can add on.

Keep in mind that full access to these features depends on what subscription you have with Quickbase.

What Is Quickbase’s Pricing Structure?

To begin with, Quickbase offers a 30-day free trial. It’s a simple sign-up process that allows your business to experience the platform. And with no credit card details required, you don’t have to worry about any payment anxiety.

Quickbase offers three pricing tiers for businesses. And while they do offer monthly rates, the yearly subscription offers a significant discount. (All prices below are billed annually, and are current as of 01.01.2021.)

• Premier ($500 per month): Up to 50 custom business applications, Quickbase Automations, Mobile-ready applications, and data/app integration.
• Platform ($1,600 per month): Up to 100 custom business applications, all Premium features, the option to integrate with IAM systems, audit logs, Premium support & SLA.
• Enterprise (contact for pricing): Fully customizable to meet your precise company needs.

For more about their pricing structure, you should speak with an integrations consultant to see what would work best for your company.

Where Can I Learn How to Use Quickbase?

If you’re looking for more information on Quickbase, and you’d like to see how the platform works, then Quickbase makes it easy. They offer a helpful tutorial that guides users on how to best use the app. Their video sequence also makes it easier to follow along and learn how to use the features Quickbase offers.

Another great way to learn about how to best implement Quickbase automations into your business is through a value-added retailer. These professionals have a background in the application and how it can best serve your business. And they can build the custom solutions you need faster and more efficiently than training someone to do it in house.

How Can Quandary Consulting Group Help My Company?

At Quandary Consulting Group, we have a staff of integrations specialists ready to take your business to the next level. We understand the frustrations that come from businesses attempting to fully automate aspects of their businesses. We also know the immense difficulty of scaling your growing business.

As tech consultants, we with your business to find out your specific business needs. We'll show you where low code platforms like Quickbase and others will best serve your company. And we'll help you build a roadmap for business process optimization and bespoke application development that will give you an edge against your competitors.

It’s time to cut costs while growing your business through automations. Reach your customers using more complete data and leverage integrations to grow your business by contacting Quandary Consulting Group for a free consultation.