The customer needed an application for tracking and managing tenders, with automated document retrieval and controlled file sharing among team members. The goal was to streamline the tendering process from submission to final decision while ensuring that tender documents remained easily accessible to authorized users with automatically managed permissions.
We developed a FileMaker-based application that automatically retrieves tender information from a web portal via API and facilitates its management. Users can express interest in specific tenders, and upon confirmation, the system creates a dedicated folder on a cloud storage platform (Google Drive or OneDrive) and uploads all related documents. The folder is then automatically shared with assigned team members.
Each tender progresses through multiple stages—from interest and proposal preparation to the final outcome (successful/unsuccessful). Completed tenders are archived, and access to their files is restricted. If needed, archived documents remain on the cloud but are hidden from regular user interfaces.
Users can upload their own documents directly from FileMaker, which are then automatically stored in the cloud instead of the database, preventing unnecessary storage load.
To manage cloud authentication, we implemented JSON Web Token (JWT). Since FileMaker did not natively support JWT at the time, the integration was handled via a custom PHP script.
This system automates tender management, reduces administrative workload, and ensures secure document access for authorized users only.
