Frequently Asked Questions
Call for a FREE application consultation.
What will it cost?
There is an initial Setup Fee for a Test Drive. Users can Test Drive your CUSTOM application RISK-FREE for two months as we continue to make the changes you demand. You get immediate hands-on experience with your production application. Not a prototype. Not a bunch of screen mock-ups or a vague design document, but a working production application.
I can set up most CUSTOM database applications on a production Transaction Editor (TEd) cloud server within a week for just $250. A single-table CUSTOM database application can be ready within a day starting as low as $50.
Like Setup Fees, monthly recurring Fees are based on the complexity of the application as measured by the number of Tables, Columns, Users, and other selected features. Transaction Editor applications start at $25/month. The Test Drive will precisely define recurring costs.
Do you build websites?
Transaction Editor renders HTML within an internet browser for the expressed purpose of giving authenticated Users access to transactional data. It can render mobile-friendly portals for customers, vendors, or employees using very specific transactional access controls. Using specific client software, it can provide a broader back-office access to manage transactional content that can restrict User access at the table, row and column levels.
Are these "websites"? Not in the sense most people think, which is what I call "marketing" websites. Marketing websites, like transactioneditor.com, are usually less functional and more informational to attract leads and optimize search engine indexing. They contain a lot of graphics, are mobile-friendly, and will play a video for you. Transaction Editor is a service for developing, hosting, ,and supporting custom database applications. See my Portfolio pages for examples of how Transaction Editor is being used.
Does TEd support modern browsers like Chrome and Safari?
TEd has a history that predates the development of the Chromium browser and uses advanced data caching features that until recently were only supported by Internet Explorer. Coding standards like CSS3, HTML5, and ES6 are supported by the Chromium browser.
Microsoft released their Edge browser ver 88 on Windows 10 in January 2021. Edge version 88 was a rewrite by Microsoft using the Chromium source code that replaced their proprietary Edge Legacy browser (2014-2019). The TEd Portals feature has supported the CSS3/HTML5/ES6 standards since 2014. The CSS3 TEd version 2022.08.28 now fully supports all Transaction Editor(sm) features. The CSS3 TEd version requires a CSS3 account configuration and particular Logon path. Please contact TEd Support for information regarding the CSS3 User configuration.
What is workflow design?
In the context of business database application development, workflow design is coming up with the steps to complete a data entry task. For example, before you can create an order you have to select the products and enter the customer address information. Another example, when creating a manufacturing bill of materials you must first enter the component parts going into that assembly before you can group them under a new finished goods bill of materials.
Transaction Editor enables you to create and edit transactions. The variety and order of performing those transactions (workflows) may vary from user to user. For example, an order is created by first selecting products, then entering customer contact and delivery information. Whereas, a help desk workflow will start by querying customer contact information, then viewing or editing orders. The design of the workflows drive how users interact with the application. Transaction Editor lets users share an interface, while we help them customize their own workflows.
For a more technical definition try WikiPedia's Workflow.
Who owns the code?
Trade secrets are an important asset to a business. How workflows are executed and the business processes and policies that drive them are an important trade secret that may or may not be contained within software. Adaptability and innovation are arguably more valuable than trade secrets. If you figure out a new way to cut costs or increase sales, do you really want software that only lets you perform business workflows in a single way?
The motivation behind most custom software is the ability to adapt to new opportunities that existing software cannot handle. Transaction Editor is a generalized display rendering tool. It works with any data model. So, to answer the question, Konduit, Inc. owns the software behind Transaction Editortm. But your data model, your data, and the workflows you create within your business are yours.
I have written a blog on this topic I want to Own My Own Software - Really?
How many Users will I be charged for Portals?
There are two types of Users with Transaction Editor (TEd): TEd Users and the Visitor User. TEd Users are billed per login. The Visitor User is included in your subscription. The limitation with the Visitor User is they are tied to a restricted workflow defined by the billable JobSteps and Sproc Reports that drive the user interface. This can be used to display a dashboard report or provide a query tool for casual users who do not need to use the general editing back-office capabilities of Transaction Editor. The two most common uses for the Visitor User is (1) to process forms submitted into the TEd database from an external web form, and (2) to create a custom Portal for customers, vendors, or employees to perform a restrictive transaction type.
When the Visitor User is used to create a Portal, another table in your application for Users (or Clients or Vendors or Customers or Employees) holds their authentication information. This gives you complete control over who can access your Portal. We do not support Anonymous User access or unauthenticatred access, and all access is over a secure encrypted SSL connection.
Can you work on-site?
Of course I can, but you'd have to pay travel and per diem charges. The whole point of having an application "in the cloud" is so that we don't have to be on site. I have been working for decades supporting end users and managing servers remotely. I am an adept communicator, and have lots of experience with different types of businesses. Give me a call and you will quickly learn what others know about me.
Email, Skype, phone, texting, screenshots, document scans can all be used to facilitate understanding about your business processes. I deliver most applications faster than most other programmers can quote a project. I havn't met face-to-face with most of my clients in over 15 years, but I know their voices very well.
Will you partner with my web designer?
Absolutely! Our expertise is in streamlining workflows and building secure access-controlled on-line database applications.
A common need is to capture leads from a form on your marketing site's Contact Us page. A web designer can make the form look exactly how you want it to appear. We will provide the "action" link for their HTML form to process the form data directly in your Transaction Editor's database. We can also provide a notification when a form is submitted, as well as redirection to an acknowledgement page back on your marketing site.
How do I export my data?
The Transaction Editor Export feature on the File menu allows you to define the file format and View. The feature is included in the Basic and Business Plans. Export is an optional feature in the Personal Plan. Call for a demonstration of this robust and flexible data export feature.
What types of payment do you accept?
I used to accept credit cards, but auditing a merchant account is a big waste of time. Most online payment services (Paypal, Square, etc.) are just extensions of merchant processing. Lots of fees and little convenience for the merchant. Transaction Editor is a subscription service that is invoiced and paid in advance. I prefer eCheck (ACH) but also accept paper checks in the mail.
Is your site HIPAA-compliant?
If your organizaition is ready to enforce the end-user compliance requirements, and you can afford the effective doubling of your monthly recurring costs, then Transaction Editor can be hosted on a dedicated HIPAA-compliant server for you. HIPAA-compliance requires that even virtual servers be dedicated, so this involves dedicated network and other resources to host your application. There are also heafty Setup charges to get started, so be prepared.
What programming language do you use?
Transaction Editor is written with only vendor-supported languages and components. While we agree that open-source is a great learning tool, we can only support that which we can control. The platform is Microsoft Windows Server, IIS, and SQL Server. Components are licensed only from leading vendors with a track record of support, and replaced as support wanes.
I have written a blog related to this topic There is Nothing Standard About Software.