Overview
A backoffice application in this context is a web based application that is used to handle some, most, or all of the company's day-to-day business tasks. Most popular scripting engines like Coldfusion, ASP, and PHP are well suited to this type of application due to their affinity for processing data. A web based interface eliminates the need to install a third party application as the backoffice runs in a web browser. A web interface also means that the application can be made to be accessible from any internet connected computer. It can also be locked down on a corporate LAN or intranet, or even reside on a single user machine in some cases.

Common uses
In a web based, client-server setting, common uses of a backoffice application include product and inventory tracking, purchases and sales, project management, customer tracking, employee tracking, wage calculation, service management, invoicing and billing, etc. These are all common, every day business practices that most companies large or small will have to deal with on some level. The last two items mentioned (invoicing and billing) go beyond the pure backoffice concept and connect to the customer via the invoices, bills and subsequent payments that are generated.

Design Considerations
Generally speaking, most backoffice applications should follow some simple rules of thumb. The application should be as simple as possible. Unnecessary complexity is the enemy here. An application that is too complex, for no good reason will not be used. Since the application is usually created from scratch, completely tailored for the business, it's easy to exclude unneded features and functions. Layouts and data presentation layers should be simple and "to the point". You want the user to be able to get in, do what he needs to do, and get out so that he can get on with running his business. Since this is a backend system, we're not concerned with hits, pageviews and other aspects of SEO. Another important aspoect of good backoffice design is security. Budget permitting, you should make sure that functions are restricted to only those who need access to them. Obviously the client's budget will impact this, but at a minimum you will want to sufficiently hide the application from the public, and have at least a single layer of security.

How we can help
Nerdcorps can create a custom, one-off, turnkey backoffice application. No matter if you need a simple customer database, or an inventory tracking application, we've got you covered. Need to track your products and services, no problem. Need to track employees' hours? We can do that as well. We can design, implement and host nearly any backoffice function you can think of. So before you decide that your business is too complex for us to handle, fill out this form and let us know what you need. Chances are we can help you.