Businesses from all walks of life can benefit from custom application development. Every operation has to keep records of valuable information from warehouse inventory or client data, but many organizations still use outdated means of storing it. Using FileMaker database software, one company was able to turn a very time consuming niche service into a thriving business.
PMD Promotion, a window poster advertising company, was able to get a nearly instant return on investment after it ditched inefficient manual data entry for a custom FileMaker-based iPod touch application.
"Our display representatives are our 'feet on the street' so to speak, installing the displays in more than 35,000 storefronts nationwide," Dean Stallone, PMD's chief executive officer said for an article on FileMaker's website. "They work to exacting standards, remove the poster displays when they are out of date and coordinate all activities with the establishment owners."
PMD creates client-specific 200-page PDF reports that include upward of 500 pictures and information about the advertising campaigns they've been hired to carry out. In the article, Stallone explained that the representatives had previously recorded and composed these reports with clipboards, paper and personal digital cameras.
"Now, on a simple mobile device, [PMD's reps] have a richer, more convenient experience – and all the information they send and receive is centralized in one database," he added.
The company's CEO estimated that they'll save $40,000 a year using the application. Reporting time was lowered by 80 percent thanks to improved speed and accuracy of data entry and a more organized way to match photos with that information.
If you believe you could streamline your business's everyday operations in a similar way, talk to a FileMaker consultant who can work with you to develop custom software with a user-friendly interface that can increase productivity and possibly even save a lot of money.