FileMaker in the Fashion Industry

One of our recent projects was for a client in the fashion industry, who needed to replace a non-FileMaker system that was not meeting the company's business needs. The company decided on FileMaker because of its ease of use, reliability, strong market share and cross-platform capability.

We were able to replace the previous system with a FileMaker system that did everything done previously and more.

Because there was no pre-existing FileMaker database system, we were able to start from a "clean piece of paper". We first reached into our template library for some appropriate files to get us started. Then we spent some upfront time customizing a starter file template to use as the base for the other files that we then created for the project.

As a result of time spent planning up front, the system has a consistent user interface. Plus, the time and effort that we saved enabled us to concentrate on building features and functionality unique to the client's business.

The overall system is built to stand the test of time with a strong set of features:

* Information entered by one department is passed automatically to the next department in the workflow. Communication is enhanced and redundant data entry is eliminated. As needed, data is transformed into other formats using FileMaker scripting for import into a separate mainframe-based system responsible for the accounting and warehouse functionality.

* Images are stored on a file server and displayed in FileMaker in a cross-platform environment. Pictures are visible via the FileMaker system and are available to print out in a variety of catalog formats. Importing batches of images into the database is almost effortless, using AppleScript routines based on a consistent naming convention. Later, these images can be automatically posted to the Web.

* Custom FileMaker-based messaging is integrated into the system, enabling users to send messages to each other that link back to the table, layout record, and portal from which the message was sent. This maximizes users' use of the system and streamlines the collective workflow.

* Security was implemented using a variety of techniques, one of which is that we do not say too much about what we did!