Think fast

10 Microsoft Access Alternatives for 2025

Microsoft Access is one of the most popular database solutions for businesses of all kinds. However, many businesses are seeking out more modern alternatives, with the rise of new technologies including NoSQL tools, big data, AI, low-code development, and more. Despite this, countless businesses still use Access. Indeed - and to its credit - it’s been at the center of all kinds of solutions for decades. But, today we’re exploring some more modern alternatives.

Ronan McQuillan

Feb 20, 2025

How to Create Forms for SQL Databases in 3 Steps

Databases are vital for every business. But as soon as you create your database, a question arises. How can you maintain the information you store? Of course, you could write out queries manually, but you’ll also want a way for less technical staff to enter data. This means building forms. Today we’ll look at how to create forms for SQL databases. You can also use forms to limit access to your database.

Ronan McQuillan

Oct 3, 2024

How to Create a Data Entry Form for Google Sheets in 7 Steps

Obviously, Google Sheets is great for collaboratively managing all sorts of data. There are big downsides here too though, especially if you’re working at scale. One solution is using a form to enter data into Google Sheets. Today, we’re going to look at exactly how you can do this in Budibase. There are a bunch of other ways you could do this too, of course. We’re biased, but we think Budibase is the best option.

Ronan McQuillan

Oct 1, 2024

How to make an App from Excel Spreadsheets

We love to hate spreadsheets. They’re everywhere. We use Excel for everything from planning our vacations and weddings, to managing inventories, payroll, and just about any other business process under the sun. But, like any blunt instrument, spreadsheets are almost the most elegant solution. Today, we’re going to look at a better way to manage data, calculations, and workflows. That is, how to make an app from Excel spreadsheets. You see, spreadsheets offer a huge amount of flexibility - there’s a reason why they’re so ubiquitous.

Ronan McQuillan

Sep 21, 2024

Implementing an Enterprise Data Catalog

Businesses today sit on larger volumes of data than ever before. The benefits of this, including for automation, digital transformation, better-informed decision-making, and even machine learning, are well known. However, managing and administering complex data sets so that they can be leveraged to provide value to end users is incredibly challenging. That’s where enterprise data catalogs come in. Today, we’re diving deep into what data catalogs are, why they’re used, and the specific benefits they bring.

Ronan McQuillan

Jun 18, 2024

How to Create a Data Model in 9 Steps

Knowing how to create a data model is the first step toward building a successful app. This is the foundation of how you’ll transform your business requirements into reality. In fact, all other elements of your app build on your data model. However, coming up with an effective data model presents a few key challenges. This is a complex process, involving end-users, technical teams, and other business stakeholders. Today, we’re going to look at exactly how you can create a successful data model.

Ronan McQuillan

May 22, 2024

How to Build a Data Collection Form in 5 Steps

Data collection forms are critical to countless workflows - as diverse as client onboarding, field services, project discovery, incident responses, qualitative research, product surveys, and much more. In fact, they’re the building blocks of any data-centric process. Today, we’re diving deep into everything you need to know. Specifically, we’ll be covering the basics of what data collection forms are and where they’re used - as well as what our priorities are for creating effective solutions.

Ronan McQuillan

Feb 29, 2024

How to Send Form Data to an API in 4 Steps

Populating API requests is one of the most basic, universal use cases for web forms. However, building forms to do this manually can be a laborious, time-consuming process. It’s also beyond the skills of most non-developers. But there is a better way. Today, we’re checking how Budibase can be used to send form data to APIs. Specifically, we’re going to see how we can create and store dynamic REST requests, along with custom UIs, to populate them in a matter of minutes.

Ronan McQuillan

Feb 19, 2024