Small business stays on top of inventory with FileMaker Go for iPhone
Orca Books owner uses FileMaker Go for iPhone to access store inventory while book hunting.
In a store that sells both new and used books, data is key. Stock up on too many copies of a slow seller and the shelves will soon be stuffed. Yet often books must be purchased away from the store. That's why Olympia, WA-based Orca Books built a FileMaker database designed to work on FileMaker Go for iPhone.
Orca Books began by creating an in-store database in FileMaker Pro, running on Windows and Mac computers. "The database runs the store," says Larry Nichols, database developer for Orca Books. "It tracks inventory, customers, store credit, ordering, buying, cataloging, and point of sale." The virtually unlimited customizability of FileMaker Pro means it gives Orca Books views into their data which no off-the-shelf book store management application can match.
Instant inventory in remote locations
It works just as well on the iPhone as it does on the desktop.
Most of Orca's used titles are bought directly from customers who come to the store. But Linda Berentsen, owner of Orca Books, also searches for rarities at garage sales, estate sales, book swaps, and book fairs.
Berentsen has an iPhone and always carries it with her. What she needed was a way to tie her iPhone to her database. With FileMaker Go for iPhone, the store's inventory database is always with her.
Setting up FileMaker Go was virtually effortless, says Nichols. "I did everything I needed to do on the desktop version and just copied it over to FileMaker Go on the iPhone," he says. "It works just as well on the iPhone as it does on the desktop."
With FileMaker Go, Berentsen can check the store inventory on her iPhone to ensure she doesn't buy duplicates. "I created a basic database that lets her search the inventory by title, author, or ISBN," says Nichols. "It gives her stock information and sales history for the books."
"The FileMaker Go database is very helpful when I'm out browsing for books," says Berentsen. "It's a lot more than just inventory. I can check to see if a book that was popular in the past is still a strong seller. Often I run across a book that used to be a best-seller, but now isn't. We may already have 10 copies and don't need any more. The database has all of that information. It keeps up with the waves of book popularity better than I can."
The future with FileMaker Go
Berentsen and Nichols hope to use FileMaker Go to further expand the use of her iPhone. "When I go to conferences, I often see or hear about books that I'd like to add to the inventory," says Berentsen. "Right now, I just write the title down and hope I don't misplace the notebook. I would love to just order or pre-order books for the store from my iPhone or iPad using FileMaker Go."
FileMaker Go could also be used at conferences to sell rare books, says Nichols. "We use sales slips and run credit cards manually," he says. "I would like to use FileMaker Go to streamline that process."