Custom Plugin Development for Mautic

I came into contact with Medizen.digital (thanks to Leuchtfeuer). The requirement was clear. We use the Custom Objects plugin and accumulate custom customer data in it. The plugin and API work great, but we have problems with campaign decisions and segment filters. What we need is either almost impossible or impossible to implement with such a generic plugin. Therefore, we need a custom solution and migrate all data from the Custom Objects plugin into it. It's great for general use, but for our specific needs, we need something that allows us to work better with our data and integrate it into our campaigns and segments.

Custom Objects Plugin

It was developed as a proprietary solution for Mautic that allows users to create and manage custom objects and data. Its main goal is to provide flexibility and customization options for various user needs. However, its generic nature can be a limitation for specific requirements, such as those we have.

It was designed to be as universal as possible, which means it may not be optimized for specific scenarios or needs. This can lead to performance issues and complexity when trying to implement specific features that are not directly supported by the plugin.

Originally, it was only available for the enterprise version of Mautic, but later became available for the community version as well. Even after years, I'm among the top contributors and I remember quite a bit from the time when the plugin was still in its early development stage.

Custom Solution

Originally, we agreed on an hourly rate with the understanding that we would review progress after a week. I was a bit pessimistic and even counted on it taking twice as long. Mautic itself is an event-based platform, which brings certain challenges, but also practically unlimited possibilities. Everything can be hacked through events.

After almost four days, I had nothing left to do. I found many things deep in my memory. The plugin has test coverage through functional tests, which is great because it allows us to quickly iterate and try different approaches without worrying about breaking something. Thanks to this, I was able to quickly implement new features while making sure everything works correctly.

In the End

It turned out that my concerns, even in the past when I received email requests to work on Mautic, were unnecessary. I simply preferred to decline that work. Now, after years, I was faster and more efficient than I thought, and the client was amazed. So was I :-).

Do You Need a Custom Solution?

I think this is a typical scenario where a custom solution is appropriate. If you have specific requirements that aren't well supported by existing plugins, or if you need better performance and integration with your data, developing a custom plugin might be the right path. It's important to consider the costs and time required for development and maintenance of a custom solution, but if it brings significant improvement to your running business, it can be a very valuable investment.