Dear Dan

I just wanted to write a short note of thanks, with regard to the database you have designed and commissioned for us here at Solarsense.

Coming from an admittedly slightly chaotic starting point, the Filemaker solution you have designed from scratch has been a breath of fresh air for our business operations.

The value that it has added to our business is not simply defined – there is the primary organisational impact, which has been immediate and wide-ranging.

The database has streamlined our operations, made customer contacts traceable and easily managed – including all sorts of media, from photos to videos that are related to each job.

More importantly, there is a financial impact from the number of person-hours spent on each job file within our previous system. I would say that by using inputted data to produce relational and standardised paperwork has reduced the number of person-hours spent on each job by at least 10, meaning that we are saving at least 4000 person hours per year  – that’s the equivalent of 5.5 months of a full-time staff member that we no longer have to pay-for. In these terms, I would estimate that we’ll recoup the cost of the database software, design and commissioning within a very short time.

Furthermore, as we get to understand more about how the database works, and what Filemaker can do for our operations (e.g. stock control etc) I am certain we will make more time savings and more inroads into a highly successful CRM system, which will inevitably make a positive change to the bottom line.

Thanks very much for your help Dan, we would be happy to recommend your company to all and sundry.

Mr K.Burns

Commercial Manager, Solarsense UK Ltd

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Is your FileMaker application in need of modification or upgrade?  Do you no longer have access to the developer who created your FileMaker database?

No problem.  Providing you have the master access password details, I am happy to work with existing FileMaker solutions for the purposes of maintenance and upgrades, and have signifiant experience in doing so.  It happens all the time – a previous employee created a database to handle your customers and / or projects, billing etc. but has subsequently left.  Maybe they didn’t document their work, or you want to add additional features or make changes to the database, but don’t know how.

You might be familiar with FileMaker yourself, and need some guidance as to how best to progress with a project, or make changes to an existing database. This is no problem, and once an initial analysis of the database has taken place, the majoriy of this advice can be given remotely, saving you both money and time.  You might be also interested in my FileMaker Question Time service.

Many of my clients have seen either Knowlegde Base CRM or Creative Pro or been recommended to, and have come back to me looking for additional functionality or tailoring of specific features to suit their businesses.  More often than not, the most appropriate option for them is a bespoke FileMaker solution, due to the nature of their business.

Interestingly, a lot of businesses start out using FileMaker for CRM purposes, and for this reason there are a lot of FileMaker CRM solutions around in the market place, many of which are very good.  The trouble is, how many of these do everything you want them to do, in exactly the right way?  Because of the nature of FileMaker, it is not as complex a task as you might imagine to create a bespoke solution tailored to your precise requirements.  Many people, even today, think of the phrase “bespoke software” and think of big companies in plush offices charging tens of thousands of pounds.  FileMaker changes all that, you can even do it yourself!

If you don’t fancy yourself a software developer, or don’t have the time or inclination to learn FileMaker in such a way that it can really make a difference to your business, we should talk.  As a developer with many years experience in developing outstanding, creative FileMaker applications, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements with you, completely without cost or obligation.  Please get in touch here, I look forward to talking to you.

One of the biggest benefits of using FileMaker over any other database platform, is that it’s 100% cross-platform. This is unique. No other non-web-based database platform gives you this flexibility, and The Stuchbury Group can help you to harness this power and turn it to your business advantage.

FileMaker is a graphical platform, meaning we start from a blank canvass and can design your interface the way you want it to be, without being tied to conventions. Of course, if you want your application to look like a program familiar to you, no problem. With FileMaker, and our attention to detail and interface design skills, it can be done.