3PL Advantage, Inc.
A one stop shop, Chris is able to wear many hats in his business because FileMaker Pro keeps him organized.
Running a company that handles the many aspects of logistics for other firms, Chris Brenner relies on a powerful database solution to manage the different facets of his business.Business Challenge
Chris says his business strength is in systems and customer service. "Without the use of a database to provide timely and accurate reporting I would be out of business," he says. "I started using FileMaker in the past year and have found it 1000 times easier to program and maneuver around than MS Access. I use FileMaker to track shipments and provide tracking and proof of delivery reports as well as creating forms such as bill of ladings and packing slips. I also use it for inventory tracking, aging and management to help my customers stay on top of every function of the supply chain."Successful Solution
Chris runs a very tight operation. "Basically as a small business owner I wear all the hats of the organization from salesman, operations, customer service and accounting. I use FileMaker Pro10to help me manage all of those functions so I can focus on growing the business. Without FM I would never be able to run the entire business as one person.Chris is really enthusiastic about FileMaker Pro’s10's new features. "I absolutely love the new enhancements," he says. "One of the things I found is that before whenever I'd add something like a button, and I had to add a new record with a script behind it, it never quite looked like it belonged. Now that it is built in, it flows very well and - as it's a native addition -- I do not have to worry about the scripts etc. I love the new themes and I'm planning to transition my database so I can enjoy their full effect!!
Customer Benefits
Chris has really put FileMaker Pro 10 to the test - he's used the script triggers, dynamic reports, the save finds functionality, Google maps for customer locations, and sending email via SMTP. "The Google maps are fantastic for my sales calls," he says, "as I no longer have to go to map quest for directions etc, I can pull them all out of my database before I go on the road."The one area that I am most excited about is sending email via SMTP and setting up email to trigger at certain times of the day," Chris continues. "Until now I was manually triggering emails and repots to my customers multiple times a day in order to give them the most recent information. However, by sending via SMTP and triggering the reports to run at a certain time every day, I no longer have to man the computer to send the reports, FileMaker can do that for me and allow me to focus on growing my customer base and not worry about if I sent a report or not."
For Chris the latest version is already making a big difference. "With FileMaker Pro10 I can easily see how the new functions are going to make my job as a small business owner that much more streamlined and efficient," he says. "It will allow me to continue to grow my business without having to bring on additional people or work more hours to get the work done, and the new user interface makes it much easier for the average user who does not have extensive experience in database management to get around and build a powerful database tool."
"FileMaker Pro 10 … will allow me to continue to grow my business without having to bring on additional people or work more hours to get the work done, and the new user interface makes it much easier for the average user who does not have extensive experience in database management to get around and build a powerful database tool."
-- Chris Brenner, 3PL Advantage, Inc, Brownstown, MI
Contact information
Contact Info for Customer:
Chris Brenner3PL Advantage, Inc.
Brownstown, MI
734-717-3230
chris.brenner@landstarmail.com
http://3pladvantage.com
FileMaker Contact:
Kevin Mallon
Public Relations Manager
FileMaker Inc.
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
http://www.filemaker.com