Ideal Projects and Prospects
We all manage projects. When the process becomes
too cumbersome, overwhelming or repetitive, it’s
probably time to explore alternatives. Here are some
examples of how customized systems can benefit companies and
organizations:
A
large events company has 1200 contractors, most with
multiple skills, to match up with their master party plans.
As many as 300 contractors are required for some affairs.
There are three divisions within the company, each with
different preparation and party rates. Payroll reports need
to be generated to pay the contractors. So a "real-time
inventory" database system is developed, with the
contractors as inventory. Buttons and scripts instantly
calculate the number of waiters, captains and bartenders
"Needed" and "Staffed" for a given event. Multiple layouts
accommodate the different divisions’ rate structures
once the master calculations are developed. "Start" and
"Finish" times input in the original master plan database
are used to calculate payroll.
A
law firm is required to submit various government forms,
either hand- or typewritten. They also send form letters
requiring minimal personalization, and need envelopes &
labels for their mailings. A client/case tracking system is
designed to generate all of these elements from within the
database. Once the master case file is opened, its data
automatically populates the appropriate forms and letters.
All correspondence and forms for a given case are stored
electronically, in a set of related databases.
A
freight broker arranges transportation for just three types
of commodities. They’ve apparently become the “go-to”
guys for transporting these materials, because they move
tons of them across the country. And they don't even own
trucks. They track dispatches, advances, call logs,
confirmations, invoices, COD’s and settlements with a
Filemaker Pro database developed by the proprietor. But they
need help taking it to the next level. Summarized reports
can smooth operations. And the databases can easily be
utilized as the “back end“ of a Web site that
allows drivers to bid on trips by inputting origin and
destination cities in a simple form.
A
pediatric practice implements a Filemaker Pro database
solution developed by a fellow pediatrician. They look
forward to migrating to electronic storage of patients’
records because they’re running out of room. They
maintain six growth charts for each patient, and Filemaker
Pro doesn’t have sophisticated charting capabilities.
But Excel spreadsheets can chart each patient’s
growth. Instead of manually plotting height, weight and
other statistics on paper charts provided by the
pharmaceutical companies, data is entered into a single
color-coded Excel spreadsheet that instantly generates the
required charts. Growth data from the Centers for Disease
Control is part of the template, so it’s easy to
determine whether a patient is within the averages. Charts
are printed on an as-needed basis only. The charting
spreadsheet resides on each database record in a Filemaker
Pro “container,” essentially a link to the Excel
document unique to each patient.
An
ad agency generates task lists for its creative staff twice
daily, manually inputting project data into color-coded
Excel spreadsheets. Employees submit timesheets via email
for manual data entry into the accounting system. Even
looking up an old job number is cumbersome. The solution? A
job-tracking database that generates daily lists with the
click of a few buttons. A Web-based form that captures
timesheet data directly from employees for the accounting
department. And consolidation and migration of old job data
into a single, user-friendly database.
No matter how intricate the development, our goal is to design low-maintenance systems that allow users to make simple modifications and revisions without outside intervention. A demonstration of this concept and the solutions outlined in the above examples can be arranged on request.
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