The Business Agility Blog

If you’ve been reading The Business Agility Blog, you’re well aware of our new AppStore. The AppStore (available to the public soon!) offers all kinds of widgets, themes, and application add-ons that can be used in any application built on the Mendix platform. The Google Maps add-on is currently the most popular in our AppStore, so why not discuss this little gem a bit further. Here are some interesting ways it is sprucing up applications powered by Mendix.

1. Track and Trace

The Google Maps add-on brings a heavy dose of visual functionality to any application. Addresses entered into the application populate the ever-expanding map automatically. Using this add-on as a track and trace module, supply chain managers can get visual representations and real time updates of their shipments. Shipping logistics can now be measured within the application and used in conjunction with another popular app – the Carbon Reductions Suite.

2. Track Asset Ownership

In many industries, accurately managing and reporting who owns what is elemental to successfully providing value to their clients. For example, an underwriter may want to see what kind of risk they are insuring for their client who owns multiple assets. Now these applications can segregate the who, what and where of assets being tracked in the system. And because these applications integrate with any IT environment, any preexisting enterprise systems will now gain this feature.

3. Territory Heat Map

Another great use for the Google Maps add-on is, albeit simple, the territory heat map. Want to know where your customers are located? Hook this feature into your Mendix CRM system and you have a regional heat map of where you do business. Need to know which regions your sales support is going to? Now you’ll have a visual display of spend activities.

I am sure that our insightful users will think up more ways to use this add-on, and as more developers get creative with map functions, the Business Agility Blog will aptly report them. Check back for more updates on the Mendix AppStore and the infinite ways our users are reaching new heights in business agility.

The Mendix AppStore was launched only a month ago, with dozens of prefabricated apps, widgets, and themes. Developers using the Mendix platform have these add-ons at their disposal to help them improve ROI and shorten time to market. Though the AppStore is currently only available to Mendix partners, it will be opened to the public soon.

Three of the most exciting entrants in the Mendix AppStore portray the vast array of industry verticals these developers are working in. Each piece of software will allow application developers to speed up their process and increase their ROI. Mendix Partners, in addition to the Mendix services division, have aptly shared their creations with the Mendix Community for the betterment of agile software development.

Google Maps

Business engineers and developers can now incorporate the world into their applications. The process of adding Google Maps into a web application has been demonstrated in front of a live audience in only minutes. Adding this functionality to a Mendix-built application is as simple as looking up the Google API and downloading the free add-on via the Mendix AppStore. The uses for this feature are nearly endless, ranging from CRM mapping to logistical routing in a user friendly interface.

HR On-Boarding

A human resources On-boarding solution has also been added to the AppStore. The On-boarding portal enables a shorter time to maximum productivity, increased employee retention, and a more engaged employee overall by creating an automated, single point of entry for new employee intelligence. The application offers the supportive tools to automate basic processes such as form completion, email reminders and benefits enrollment – making human resource data management simple. Additionally, the Mendix platform allows this system to work on top of preexisting SAP applications.

Carbon Reduction Suite

Initiatives in environmental sustainability are at an all time high, and information technology solutions to track these initiatives are a priority to many developers using the Mendix platform. A Carbon Reduction Suite, created by Cape Groep, has been provided to the Mendix Community via the Mendix AppStore.

The Carbon Reduction Suite consists of four central components: The Carbon Product Footprint provides insights into the real cause of CO₂ emissions. The Carbon Corporate Footprint explains the cause of CO₂ emissions within a company as a whole. This is useful for setting up a CO₂ administration for minimizing your carbon footprint.

The Carbon Product Indicator calculates expected CO₂ emissions, providing a method of determining the most sustainable choice of transportation. Finally the Carbon Product Forecast offers customers insight by using their order history simulations to show the effects of their transportation choices in relation to CO₂ emissions.

These three examples are just a few of the highly functional applications available in the Mendix AppStore. Mendix will continue to focus on growing its partner network, and expects the AppStore to grow in parallel.