We were faced with the need to connect an existing project management system with a newly developed web interface designed for customers. The internal system already tracked all development requests, their history, comments, attachments, and status changes. Our goal was to allow customers to not only monitor the progress of their projects through the web portal, but also to actively submit new requests, comments, or upload attachments—without needing direct access to our internal system. The portal was designed to offer a simplified structure and a lower level of detail compared to our complex and highly detailed project management system (PMS). Another goal was to ensure the portal would remain available even during PMS downtimes, which occur regularly due to maintenance and updates.
We implemented a two-way integration between the internal system and the client portal, which is based on a Claris FileMaker database. The client portal serves as a user interface for customers, displaying only the relevant information from the internal system—such as tasks, comments, attachments, or the number of hours spent on a given task. Customers can also use the portal to add new comments, upload files, or create new tasks, which are automatically written back to the internal system.
From a technical perspective, the client portal communicates with the FileMaker database using the Data API and OData. All new customer inputs are stored in a queue within FileMaker, which is processed every minute. The relevant data is then transferred via API back to the internal system. On the other hand, data from the internal system to the client portal is managed through log journals and special tags on comments that mark content intended for the customer. This content is also written to FileMaker and immediately displayed in the web portal for the customer.
This solution has provided a reliable environment for information exchange between us and our customers, offering clarity, efficient communication, a full interaction history, and a shared single source of truth for both parties.
