Customer stories


Alabama Eye Bank

One of the top providers of corneal tissue finds new problem-solving power in FileMaker Pro 7

 From the heart of Alabama, vital components in sight-saving surgery go out to patients around the world. The Alabama Eye Bank provides corneal tissue for transplantation, for research, and for medical education. It's a task with prodigious data-management demands, and a task that will take full advantage of the advanced capabilities of FileMaker Pro, the award-winning database software from FileMaker, Inc.


Business challenges

 The Alabama Eye Bank began its work over thirty-five years ago, and Scott Howard, director of Administration and Information Services, has been developing FileMaker Pro solutions to improve the flow of that work for more than seven years. "We manage tons of data as we screen potential eye donors, procure, place, and evaluate eye tissue, track receivables, and direct mail campaigns, evaluate hospital participation in eye donation, and plan for marketing and public relations,” Scott explains. "Data are entering our system constantly, and FileMaker Pro literally revolutionized our operations.”


Successful solution

 

Some fifty FileMaker Pro databases handle a wide range of tasks at the Alabama Eye Bank, serving workgroups in the Administrative, Technical, and Hospital Development/Public Relations division, as well as the remote marketing representatives who log in over the web. "We looked at other eye-banking database systems,” notes Scott, "but they would have forced us to change the way we work. FileMaker Pro allowed us to create a solution that fit our workflow. I currently use the entire FileMaker product line—FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Developer, FileMaker Pro Server, FileMaker Pro Unlimited, and FileMaker Pro Mobile. I'm always looking for ways to improve our operations, and FileMaker Pro has been the main tool to accomplish this.”

This powerful system operates across a diverse system environment, with Windows NT 4, Macintosh OS 9.2.2 and OS X 10.3.2 machines all running FileMaker Pro applications. And plans are afoot to expand its web capabilities through the use of the Advanced Web Publishing features of FileMaker Pro 7. "I'm learning XML and XSLT,” says Scott, "so I can leverage FileMaker Pro 7's new, more robust features for our web interface.”


"The huge file sizes now possible in FileMaker Pro 7 will allow me to do several things I've only imagined doing with our solution."

Scott Howard, director of Administration and Information Services, Alabama Eye Bank


Customer benefits

 Scott is just beginning to explore the potential improvements made possible by the exciting new features of FileMaker Pro 7. "I like what I've seen,” he declares. "After eleven years of growing with FileMaker Pro, I know how it thinks and how to solve a problem with it. One great benefit I'm looking forward to is simplifying the way our system handles microscope images. Without the 2 GB file size limit, I'll be able to make these images available to everyone on the network rather than just the PC connected to the microscope. The huge file sizes now possible in FileMaker Pro 7 will allow me to do several things I've only imagined doing with our solution.”

Scott's also looking forward to discovering the improved relational capabilities in the new FileMaker Pro 7, and is very excited about the improved graphical interface. "To have access to all my tables, fields, and relationships in one place is very helpful,” he enthuses. "It'll be quicker to set up a solution's structure in FileMaker Pro 7, and to play with it once set.”



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Scott Howard
Director of Administration and Information Services
Alabama Eye Bank
205-942-2120
showard@alabamaeyebank.org


Filemaker Contact:

Kevin Mallon
Public Relations Manager
FileMaker Inc.
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
http://www.filemaker.com


Overview
  • One of the leading facilities handling human eye tissue for surgical and scientific use
  • Based in Birmingham, AL
  • www.alabamaeyebank.org
Industry
  • Healthcare/Medical Services
  • Scientific Research/Biotech
Solutions
  • Track receivables
  • Manage direct mail campaign
  • Track and manage data and images
  • Manage data across platforms
  • Share data across the web
Benefits
  • Reduced data entry time
  • Increased efficiency of administrative functions