A vacation you'll never forget, in a setting that takes your breath away. That's the goal at Nimmo Bay Resort — outdoor playground in the Great Northwest. And seeing to it that all that fun goes according to plan is the goal of FileMaker Pro — the award–winning database software application from FileMaker Inc.

Business Challenge

Located 200 miles north of Seattle, in the wilds of western British Columbia, Nimmo Bay Resort isn't a destination for the faint–hearted — no sit–around–and–watch–TV types need apply. This is the real world. And at Nimmo Bay, they're out to make that world as exciting as possible."We offer four–day packages where private helicopters are your magic carpets," explains Steve Davis, the resort's Vice President for Media and Communications. "Although there are many heli–skiing and heli–hiking resorts that cater to groups of over 100, and split helicopters between guests, there are no other resorts in the world that focus or specialize in exclusive helicopter adventures. We take you to river raft, kayak, fly fish, whale watch, spelunk, rock climb, and hike. Your soaring with the eagles and dancing over the river valleys and mountain tops are interrupted only by our gourmet fine cuisine, adventure massage spa, and lavishly appointed private cedar chalets."

Successful Solution

Behind the scenes, FileMaker Pro plays a vital role — managing all communication with guests and resort suppliers, tracking guest preferences, managing booking information, and ensuring that all those activities happen when and where they're supposed to happen. Nimmo Bay Resort turned to FileMaker Pro in 2001, and the software is now an indispensable component in the resort's system of customized service. "We considered other basic CRM packages like GoldMine and ACT! but found them too cookie–cutter like and not suitable for our needs," comments Steve. "On the higher end, custom solutions done in other databases like Oracle and Microsoft Access proved to be either far too expensive and rigid or to limiting in custom feature sets. FileMaker Pro has benefited us with a high level of customization while still being very low cost. Productivity has been improved because input/output layouts can be customized on a per user basis. We have been able to handle more people in a more efficient manner."

Using FileMaker Pro allows the Nimmo Bay staff to instantly make necessary adjustments in scheduling, to add or delete customer preference information with just few keystrokes, and to ensure that those who need this information can get to it — quickly, smoothly, and with no hassles. "Our entire solution is made up of approximately 26 related FileMaker Pro databases, containing anywhere from a few hundred records to over 100,000," Steve notes. "We have one main workgroup of about 5 people using the system, based out of our booking office."

FileMaker Pro has benefited us with a high level of customization while still being very low cost.

— Steve Davis, VP/Media & Communications, Nimmo Bay Resort