Ebase 2.0 Review

Ebase is a free membership and donor management database supported by TechRocks. (For an overview of the product, read the article "An Introduction to ebase .") Originally developed for a small group of nonprofits, ebase has changed from an application customized for a specific set of needs to one that attempts to fulfill the needs of a varied user base. At the time of this writing, ebase has been downloaded 27,000 times, and TechRocks estimates that there are 4,000 to 5,000 installed users of the application.

Slightly shifting its target audience, TechRocks now aims ebase at mid-sized organizations that have an explicit division of duties in the staff, including an IT staff responsible for database administration. Targeting mid-sized groups is sensible given the more advanced technical knowledge necessary to fully configure the software.

The most significant change in ebase is its development model. In past versions, it was a confused mixture of proprietary control and community development. On the one hand, ebase users were encouraged to provide support and develop new features for the user community, but on the other hand, there were few mechanisms provided by the software or the ebase team to do so. The new development model brings ebase much closer to a true community-supported "open source" application.

Simplified Design

The most obvious change to ebase is the new graphical user interface. TechRocks has improved the usability of the interface with a more readable design. The new design puts the main navigation on the left and uses a white background to enhance readability. The footer contains a navigation bar containing core database actions, such as find, print, and delete. The overwhelming number of colors and buttons used in the past has been eliminated.

TechRocks has redesigned the back-end structure of ebase. It now contains fewer than half the number of tables that were used in version one, so it's easier for users to understand and modify the database. Ebase 2.0 also presents developers with a relatively easy process to incorporate add-on modules. Whereas in version one, developers often had to edit the core application in order to add new features, ebase 2.0 has data-driven menus that allow developers to change menus and navigation by making changes to a data table.

Reduced Features and User Configuration

Ebase 1.0 was plagued by "feature creep"; user requests for more and more features bloated the program into a large, unwieldy application. In addition, there were more features than TechRocks could adequately maintain.

Ebase 2.0 eliminates many features available in version one (mostly in the area of reports) and puts a stronger emphasis on user configuration and customization of information tracking and reporting. This way, TechRocks can concentrate on improving the core application, and the growing community of users and developers can work on customizing the program.

TechRocks replaced missing features with a tool that allows organizations to code information and relationships that ebase does not already provide for, and to do this without requiring advanced database development skills.

Improved Web Site Community Support Features

TechRocks has made major enhancements to the Web site systems that allow users and developers to collaborate and exchange information. A new bug tracking system provides a systematic way for registered users to submit problems. A file upload section allows users to share modules and code sets. While these Web tools are still somewhat difficult to use and provide only basic features, they provide a central location for open source collaboration.

Ebase as "Relationship Management" Software

Many of the improvements in this release have been in the area of "relationship management" features. For example, users can now link contact records based on a number of relationships. The main contact screen has a section for tracking "Community Links." Each individual can be related to another individual or organization in a variety of ways – by family, member of household, employee, employer, or other criteria the user specifies. Contacts can then be notified as a group or individually. Thus, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, being linked to the same Smith family, may receive mailings either to the family or separately to each individual.

In addition, TeckRocks has improved the export function for letters and reports. In order to make reporting and letter production simpler, ebase's export function can send data into word processing and spreadsheet applications, including Microsoft Office applications, for better letter formatting and more involved data analysis.

Code Sets: Functionality Abstracted

TechRocks has enhanced the system of "source codes" from version one, now called "code sets" in this version. Each code set consists of a number of "items." Items essentially represent an organization's significant business processes to be tracked. Outside of basic contact, contact relationships, and payment information, all other information to be tracked (volunteers, skills, issue interest areas, events, donors, etc.) is left to the user to configure as "items" and then to assign to contacts as required. Each item is comprised of eight sections, called "code buckets," which allow the user to organize each item in relation to the others. In this way, a nonprofit can link any number of items to a given record, tracking a variety of relationships that contact has with processes of the organization, or tracking profile information.

The code tool also offers a unique potential for open source exchange among users. Code sets can be readily configured within one NPO sector, and then potentially shared with other users from that particular sector. Land Trust organizations, for example, may have similar business processes, and thus could benefit from sharing codes with one another. While the facilities for easily importing and exporting codes are not yet provided (or at least not yet documented), this system nevertheless opens up the door for an exchange of information that does not require expertise in building FileMaker applications.

It is strongly recommended that codes be planned and configured prior to implementing ebase. The code set (especially used with the initial "code tutorial") is a great first attempt by any database product to help walk users through the process of translating organizational business practices into an effective database tool.

The one significant drawback to codes is that organizations with several business processes may require many codes to track them. The more expansive an organization’s information management needs are, the more cluttered the system can become with codes, which can create a system that is hard to navigate. In addition, most organizations will need to spend time converting their business processes into codes before downloading the application. Users who do not plan ahead, but instead create codes in the course of their daily work, are likely to create an unorganized system of codes that becomes very difficult to parse into reports later.

To the credit of the ebase community, power users and developers recognized early on that the planning around code sets can be prohibitive for many NPOs, and they are planning to release an "EasyStart" version of ebase that gives users a generic ready-to-use code set. While this does encourage an end-run around proper planning, it also provides an easier learn-as-you-go approach to working with ebase.

E-mail Integration

Ebase 2.0 integrates an e-mail client within the program. This eliminates problems inherent in getting the program to work with a variety of e-mail clients, each with its own limitations and capabilities.

By integrating an e-mail client, TechRocks was able to add new features. For example, the ebase system will automatically record who received an e-mail, and it can track responses to the e-mails. Ebase can also maintain e-mail announcement-style lists, and will process list subscriptions and cancel subscriptions automatically via e-mail.

On the downside, this integrated system does reduce organizations' flexibility to integrate ebase with their existing e-mail systems. Organizations that maintain e-mail systems using a client other than ebase will have two separate repositories for e-mail, which introduces problems with duplicated data and communications tracking. Instead of preserving the option for the user to integrate an outside e-mail client, TechRocks opted to remove this feature. Organizations must custom-build this component or do without a database e-mail capacity to preserve a central e-mail system.

Web Interface

Ebase, through the Web Companion available in FileMaker 5 and later, can be hosted on the Web. FileMaker Pro severely limits the amount of traffic a database can accept – only ten unique IP addresses in a twelve-hour period. Groups that want no restrictions on traffic must purchase FileMaker Unlimited (which costs $1000 as of the publication date of this review). There are some Web hosting vendors that offer FileMaker hosting services – the typical costs range from $30-$60 per month.

The FileMaker version 5 Web Companion has several major security holes that allow for easy access by non-authorized users. While these may have been fixed in the recent release of FileMaker version 6, potential ebase Web users should be consider carefully the importance of their data and evaluate Web security solutions prior to hosting ebase or any other FileMaker database on the Web.

The FileMaker Platform

The ebase database platform remains a major limitation. Ebase is developed to work with FileMaker 5 and greater. FileMaker offers a database development environment that is among the easiest to learn and can be run on both Mac and PC systems. However, the platform is less stable than competing database software, especially when used without the FileMaker Server in a multi-user environment. To its credit, TechRocks reveals this limitation directly on its download page and in its FAQs, and they do not recommend peer-to-peer ebase setups.

TechRocks is taking the platform issue seriously, and it is looking for developers interested in porting the program to more stable and robust platforms. This effort is still in the very early stages, but it may succeed as TechRocks continues to build a community of power users and developers.

The Support Challenge

Nearly all but the most well established community-driven software programs fall short on support options, and ebase is no exception. The community of professional FileMaker developers is much smaller than those who work on competing platforms (such as Microsoft Access), and the percentage of FileMaker developers who are familiar with ebase is quite small. TechRocks currently provides some support for ebase on a case-by-case basis and has plans for rolling out some support programs, but their support capacity is limited, and all indications are that they will continue to rely on the independent consulting community to fill this need.

The need for training is greater in this new release. As codes are one of the most complex features of ebase, it is critical that organizations understand how to assess code functionality with respect to their business processes, how to use codes, and what is required to configure a quality set of codes. TechRocks has developed a series of workshops aimed at beginning and advanced users of ebase. These workshops are a support option for those in the Bay Area, and may provide ideas on training methodology for independent trainers. Ebase 2.0 provides a fairly comprehensive set of documentation, including a user and administration manual, FAQ list, and bug tracking for registered users.

The support listserv still provides the best resource for on-demand support, and has improved its rates of participation and responses over the past year – questions that used to wait a day or two for a substantive answer are now often answered on the same day. This is testimony to Techrock’s growing attention to supporting the user community, as well as to the growth in community participation.

Recommendations

While ebase 2.0 is a great improvement, it should still not be considered a "ready-to-use" product. Any users considering ebase should carefully evaluate what ebase can do for their organization without any extra work configuring the product, and what ebase can do for them if they are able to configure it. Information requirements that fall outside of contact management, relationships, and basic payment information will require configuring codes or other means of customization. Most importantly, potential users should carefully plan for the reports they need from an information management system – ebase does not come with many pre-designed reports, so reporting requirements may require both codes configuration as well as FileMaker customization, and both will increase the effort and cost involved.

Ebase 2.0 is appropriate for an organization that has internal IT staff capable of administering and configuring the application, and coordinating database policy and user support issues. A smaller organization without a division of staff roles or dedicated IT staff may find it more difficult to implement and maintain the system without ongoing help.

A major concern with ebase 1.0 was its promotion as a "free" product, while for the majority of users, there was a significant cost in terms of software, hardware, and the planning and configuring required to be able to use the features. Those interested in downloading ebase are now taken to a FAQ that details multi-user requirements and recommends testing the database prior to use.

Ebase is uniquely applicable for organizations working with all Mac or mixed Mac/PC systems. Smaller and mid-sized organizations working in this environment have very limited options for low-cost database platforms that are relatively easy to learn. The FileMaker/ebase combination provides a strong solution, and in many cases, providing the lowest total cost of ownership when compared to other cross-platform options.