If you are working with SuiteCRM and SugarCRM, you know how crucial it is to have efficient, optimized, and secure code for seamless workflow. But let's be honest—CRM development can often be a repetitive, complex, and time-consuming task, leading to frustration and potential errors. This is where Outright Utils comes into play for streamlining the development process and boosting productivity. Now I’m sure a few questions arise in your mind, like what exactly are outright utils? Why should I use it? And most importantly, is this secure for my SuiteCRM instance? In this guide, you will get all the answers to these questions—let's dive in and uncover its full potential.


The Need for Outright Utils


Before diving into the dive, let me share a little background about myself. As a passionate developer with extensive experience in SugarCRM and SuiteCRM since 2007—I have spent a long time in CRM development. During this time, I have encountered numerous challenges in optimising CRM workflows. In 2017, I worked on a project that required extensive automation where I had to manage multiple business rules tailored to each customer. Writing the same code again and again became inefficient and prone to human error. One of the most time-consuming and frustrating tasks involved executing SQL queries manually using the traditional SQL execution method. If I have to run an SQL query before the introduction of outright utils—I was writing like this:


global $db;
$sql ="select user_name,first_name from users where last_name ='Dwivedi' ";
$row = $db->query($sql);
$final_result = array();
while($res = $db->query($row) ){
$final_result[] = $res;
}

Key Challenges in Traditional SQL Execution


The above-given SQL query, we have been using for years—did you notice some errors within this?


  1. Risks of Errors: As a human being, it is easy to forget to add deleted = 0, leading to issues with retrieving incorrect records.

  2. Repetitive Code: Each time I needed to execute SQL queries, I had to define multiple variables—this redundancy in code increases the likelihood of errors. 

  3. Time-Intensive Debugging: In this code, I need to pass all the variables, including $sql, $row, $res, and $final—a single typo or assigning an incorrect variable may lead to extensive debugging efforts. 

How Outright Utils Enhance CRM Development


To overcome these challenges, I developed Outright Utils, which refers to a set of resources designed to simplify SugarCRM and SuiteCRM development. I have added a function in outright_run_sql($sql) in Outright Utils—one of its core features that eliminates the need for repetitive SQL execution logic. Here is how it transforms the traditional approach:


$final_result = outright_run_sql("SELECT user_name, first_name
FROM users WHERE last_name ='Dwivedi'");

  1. Automatically add deleted =0 if missing, reducing the risk of retrieving incorrect records. 

  2. Eliminating the need for manual looping, it will return final results—a structured array instead.

  3. Reduce repetitive declaration of variables that encompasses faster development. 

Addressing Security Consideration


Security in CRM customization is not just an option—it’s a necessity. We here at Outright Utils developed CRM while keeping security concerns in mind, ensuring it meets industry best practices and guidelines:


  • Open Source and Free to Use: Outright Utils is accessible for SugarCE, SugarPro, and SugarCRM without additional costs. 

  • No Backlinking: The code runs independently and eliminates the need for external servers, ensuring full data privacy. 

  • No Hidden Security Risks: The system is designed purely to optimise development, eliminating the potential risks of data leaks and vulnerabilities. 

  • Community Tested and Approved: A wide range of developers trust us with complete confidence—the tool is compatible and reliable with real-world applications. 

Conclusion


Outright utils have become an effective tool for enhancing the SugarCRM and SuiteCRM development processes, addressing hundreds of repetitive mistakes, and significantly improving efficiency. The tool allows developers to create more efficient and streamlined CRM solutions by automating repetitive tasks, reducing errors, and enhancing security. This blog is just beginning—future advancements will delve deeper into additional features and best practices like Bean/relationship/Emails-related functionalities for using Outright Utils effectively. Stay connected with more valuable insights—elevate your CRM experience today!