Knowledge
There’s no doubt about it: The modern workforce is changing more rapidly than ever. With millions of workers going remote and dozens of businesses transitioning into the online world, the need for high-quality, professional digital workflow tools is increasing.
As one can expect, this has spawned a resurgence of technological breakthroughs worldwide, with dozens of online solutions releasing over the past few months.
Of these, SeaTable and Airtable are some of the most popular choices amongst many organizations — both conventional and remote. Their modern tools advertise a streamlined approach to spreadsheets and data entry, amongst other features.
Still, you might be wondering which one is best for you and your operation: with so many factors to consider, the process can be a little daunting.
So, stick around as we compare the two options and help you make the most informed decision possible!
Most closely compared to Excel, SeaTable is a data organization tool designed to absorb a diverse range of business information, including e-mails, checkboxes, shortcuts, images, documents, and much more.
Though this extensive storage capacity is worth celebrating in itself, perhaps the tool’s most worthwhile feature is the fact that it can be edited entirely from a user’s web browser.
Since its release in early June 2020, the platform has garnered more than one-hundred-thousand downloads, signifying it as a true contender within the market.
So, which features make SeaTable a winning choice for so many individuals? A few notable ones include:
*Tables and Bases: *These enable users to organize tasks, projects, and other loose ends into one central channel for hassle-free project management.
*Collaboration Tools: *There’s no “I” in team! As such, SeaTable makes it possible for colleagues to easily collaborate on projects and tables simultaneously, leaving things like comments and notifications along the way.
*Visual-centric Interface: *Say goodbye to complex data input with SeaTable’s simplified visualized interface. Users can add graphics, images, and more to make navigation a breeze.
*Quick Data Input: *With the platform’s built-in browser interface, users can easily enter their data through API, forms, or one of the service’s own integrations.
Automation Capabilities: Save time and energy with SeaTable’s Javascript & Python automation tools! Set up recurring processes to occur automatically in just a few clicks.
Though you should always assess the capabilities of a new software first and foremost, its pricing scale will also play an important factor when deciding if it’s right for you. As such, let’s review SeaTable’s current monthly plans.
A direct competitor to SeaTable, Airtable is another digital tool crafted to help businesses and other operations avoid the drawbacks of using spreadsheets as databases.
As this description suggests, the platform enables users to store complex data — as well as their data relationships — into one manageable channel to improve their workflows. With these capabilities, an organization can organize a large amount of information easier than ever when compared to conventional tools like Excel.
The developers of Airtable have crafted a collection of enticing features, including:
*Data Visualization: *Extensive tracking software keeps projects and other data centralized in one channel, all presented in a visually pleasing interface that allows for hassle-free management.
Data Syncing: Larger workforces can easily transfer data from one team to another with Airtables’ data sharing capabilities.
*Interface Customization (Beta): *Users can create their own unique data interface to personalize workflows as much as they wish.
*Information Reporting: *From complex charts to simplified graphs, users can report their data to Airtable through a variety of methods.
*Automation Capabilities: *Finally, Airtable wouldn’t be a software contender to remember if it didn’t offer extensive automation capabilities. Users can reduce clutter and automate multiple processes within the platform.
Now that we’ve reviewed how Airtable compares to SeaTable in terms of capabilities, let’s look at its pricing options. Currently, its monthly plans are as follows.
Ultimately, both SeaTable and Airtable are compelling choices for any modern business. Their features are designed for maximum workforce productivity, collaboration, and — most importantly — intuitive data management.
With that being said, there _are _a few aspects each solution performs more effectively when compared to the other. So, to help you with your decision, we will list some final considerations.
Reputation: **Airtable by far **has the longest track record between the two, as it was first launched in 2012. Because of this, it boasts thousands of 5-star reviews and a developed support community.
Security: SeaTable’s security capabilities win this round, as it is hosted on-premises rather than in the cloud. This makes it easier for users to access full control of their data and identify the locations it is being transferred to.
Performance: **Users can expect **Airtable to offer a stronger performance output, as it has undergone years of fixes and updates to create the most efficient systems possible.
*Cost Effectiveness: *If your business has special budget considerations in mind, SeaTable’s cheaper monthly plans might be enough to sway your decision. This doesn’t mean it’s not a quality product, however: Despite being a more cost-effective option, it is still comparable to premium alternatives with its industry-standard features.
*Support: *SeaTable’s troubleshooting resources are _slightly _better, as users can chat over the phone with a sales representative about any issues — something Airtable doesn’t offer. However, neither of them have 24/7 support.
AirTable and Seatable have shaped the data management software market since their release. In conclusion, organizations need to thoroughly assess their needs, capabilities and expectations to decide which option best fits their goals. If you're still not sure which tool you should work with or would like to learn more feel free to contact us here.
Cloud Integration, iPaaS, SaaS, BPA… Ough, hard to keep track of all these terms. They are currently used frequently (and increasingly) in the context of automation, and it is sometimes difficult to make a clear distinction and distinction. We have already written blog posts on the terms iPaaS, SaaS and BPA, but we’ll take them up again here to make the difference.
But let’s start with cloud integration, because that’s the central umbrella term in which we embed all the other technologies in this blog post.
Arrange a free cloud integration consultation now
Arrange a free cloud integration consultation now
To illustrate these advantages, an example is suitable that we know well from our everyday work as an automation agency:
The central data to be used here is the data of a major customer. This can be the simplest information, such as the address. This address is required in numerous but completely different processes in the company: on the one hand, for correct invoicing in accounting. On the other hand, in the CRM system, where all the data of the large customer is also stored. But the address is also important in sales, for example, when employees go to the sales meeting on site.
Now the customer announces that the address of the company has changed after a move. This information will reach you by e-mail. There are now two options:
01. The e-mail is forwarded to all affected departments, accounting, sales, customer service, marketing… All persons open their corresponding program, CRM, accounting software, marketing tools (such as newsletter marketing) and change the data already stored there of the customer. This means that in multiple applications, different people do exactly the same thing: change one address.
02. But there is also an alternative: By connecting your applications, thus by integrizing them, the customer’s e-mail, or rather the information it contains about the address change, is automatically passed on to all affected applications: CRM, accounting, marketing, ERP. This does not require any clicks, because the cloud integration detects a trigger, i.e. address change, and thus automatically starts the process.
What sounds unimpressive in a single process becomes more effective when such a process occurs several times a day or weekly. Because there is a lot of data that is available in different applications and should always be correct. If these applications are cloud applications they are suitable for cloud integration.
But cloud integration doesn’t just happen. There are now a variety of applications that enable and implement this. Such tools usually allow us to link the relevant cloud applications on a central platform and define clear rules on when, how, where, how much data should be passed on and what happens to them.
To realize cloud integration, there are various applications and technologies that are sometimes used interchangeably.
We have made a first distinction between iPaaS and BPA here.
We explain the term SaaS in more detail here.
Cloud integration is rather an umbrella term that includes numerous technologies, such as SaaS, iPaaS and BPA, and this is also absolutely necessary. Cloud integration is a concept that is made possible by appropriate technologies.
However, all terms share the commonality that they are cloud-based and thus offer enormous potential for growth and scaling. In addition, they are often cheaper to implement and maintain because changed requirements are easy to implement.
As an independent automation agency, we implement cloud integration according to your requirements. We use a variety of SaaS tools and iPaas (strictly speaking BPA) software. Together we find individual solutions that are flexible and scalable.
