You can now run FileMaker scripts using Apple’s Siri Shortcuts app on Macs, iPhones, and iPads, a move that promises to make it easier for some business users to automate more.
Shortcuts for FileMaker
Apple subsidiary, Claris first introduced support for Shortcuts a few years ago in FileMaker Go, the mobile version of its venerable cross-platform relational database application. The company has now extended this support to Mac users with recent macOS Monterey update.
The introduction of this support means you can run FileMaker scripts just like any other Shortcut, including through Siri.
You need to specify which of your scripts you want to “donate” to the Shortcut, then you can use those scripts in the processes you design. You also need to assign privileges to those scripts to allow access to them. “You can then run a shortcut using the Shortcuts app or Siri voice commands to open the file, run your script, and pass in an optional parameter,” says FileMaker.
This support makes it possible for companies using FileMaker to create voice commands to trigger certain actions. These can include automation, inventory updates, or simply a process launcher.
You can also integrate your donated FileMaker scripts in the workflow of any other Shortcut-enabled application. (This video can help explain how this works on iOS, but make sure your device isn’t listening for the ‘Hey Siri’ command used by the narrator regular during the presentation.)
How would you use this?
What is its effect? Prosaic implementations will include the ability to automatically open specific databases or send business card while more sophisticated applications include the ability to check customer orders, generate reports or get business-critical data. You can ask Siri how many orders your company received last week or yesterday, or check the status of a particular order, for example.
These shortcuts will grow across all the devices you use signed in to a particular iCloud account. They don’t have to be activated by Siri, they can also be location or neighborhood-based and appear as a button (or app icon) on the desktop or Mac’s Home screen.
I think this will work well with the app’s support for Apple’s CoreML.
FileMaker developers were able to use CoreML to add machine learning to the application. This makes it possible to achieve tasks like object/face detection, image classification, text prediction, and more. Together with Shortcuts, it makes it possible to build automated inventory management systems, such as taking advantage of the cameras in iPads and iPhones.
Why is this important?
The most useful thing about this feature is that it is relatively accessible. Although FileMaker Pro is complex, it is not too complex and many businesses worldwide use this application to support their work.
That’s because it’s becoming a prime example of a low-code solution that can be configured to meet real-world business tasks and can also scale to cope with demanding business needs. more complex demand. We know that low-code and no-code environments will become increasingly common in enterprise IT, especially as demand for developers continues to grow. Reflecting this, Gartner claims the low/no-code market will be worth around $13.8 billion this year.
This is partly because these types of options allow businesses to quickly build and deploy solutions to meet changing needs, without competing for (expensive) developer time. In part, the relatively relaxed yet robust development environment matches the expectations of Millennials and Generation-Z employees. The idea is that you scale as needed, but most routine tasks should be easy to automate.
“Globally, most large organizations will adopt many low-code tools in some form by the end of 2021.” Fabrizio Biscotti said, vice president of research at Gartner. “In the long run, as companies embrace the tenets of a composable business, they will turn to low-code technologies that support innovation and application integration.”
Against this backdrop, Claris’ move to embrace Apple’s Shortcuts technology aligns with emerging business needs. It also suggests that Shortcuts itself should evolve as a business-focused solution that serves more than a primary consumer need.
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