Customer stories


The Deal

A busy financial publisher increases efficiency with an ever-expanding FileMaker Pro database system

Keeping pace with the ever-changing world of business and high finance requires a financial publisher to keep pace with the technological times. That's why at the offices of The Deal, they've been using FileMaker Pro to organize their regular information-management challenges for more than a decade. And that's why they're enthusiastically looking forward to FileMaker Pro 7, the latest version of the award-winning database software application from FileMaker, Inc.


Business challenges

Covering the latest developments in the "deal economy,” that interconnecting web of M&As, IPOs, restructurings and bankruptcies that keeps billions of dollars in constant motion through the corporate world, The Deal is an entire family of timely, event-driven publications for those who want an information edge. "We have daily and weekly publications, and more specialized publications on a bimonthly and quarterly basis,” comments systems manager Andrew Sasaki. "All of our products are available in print or electronic formats.”

With all this need for immediate, up-to-date information, a flexible, powerful, scalable database application is a must. "I've been using FileMaker Pro since it first became FileMaker Pro,” Andrew comments. "I've used every version of it up to the present. I've also used FileMaker Pro Server since version 4.0 and FileMaker Pro Developer for the same amount of time. And the FileMaker Pro 7 family is definitely on my must-have list.”


Successful solution

From start to finish, each of The Deal's publications moves through FileMaker Pro. "We use FileMaker Pro to track the flow of potential articles for our publications, store web clippings and news sources, catalog all our logos and commonly-used artwork, manage our customer service department, and run our circulation department,” enumerates Andrew. "We needed an inexpensive, cross-platform database system, and FileMaker Pro had no serious competitors and a proven track record. The ease and speed of creating new databases in FileMaker Pro clinched it for us.”

With a system of 72 different databases in constant use, FileMaker Pro is also busy in The Deal's IT department, human resources department, and facilities management. "We use FileMaker Pro all day every day,” Andrew emphasizes. "It seems like there's a need for a new database every time someone stops to think about it. FileMaker Pro keeps several departments running smoothly, and gives us the flexibility to manage complex information without hiring a team of database experts. FileMaker Pro makes us a better company.”


"When we switch over to FileMaker Pro 7, our development work will be cut in half. We'll be able to spend more of our time on implementation and development, and adding features that our users have been clamoring for."

Andrew Sasaki, systems manager, The Deal


Customer benefits

With years of successful FileMaker Pro development on the record at The Deal, Andrew's already enthused about the new features of FileMaker Pro 7. "When we switch over to FileMaker Pro 7, our development work will be cut in half,” he predicts. "For large databases, workarounds start to consume a greater proportion of development time, and FileMaker Pro 7 does away with most of that. We'll be able to spend more of our time on implementation and development, and adding features that our users have been clamoring for.”

Andrew's especially excited about the improved relational features in FileMaker Pro 7. "The absolute best feature is that FileMaker Pro 7 is truly relational,” he declares. "There's no need to use workarounds like join files to pipeline relationships. The new Relationship Graph allows complex data to be displayed simply, with far less development effort." The integrated application structure in FileMaker Pro 7 also draws plaudits. "It often makes sense to have data in a table rather than a whole separate database,” Andrew notes. "This feature will cut the number of databases we serve in half.

As Andrew explores the new features of FileMaker Pro 7, he's already thinking of ideas for implementation, from enhancing database security to simplifying user interfaces. "The new features let us do things we never could before, and lets us make global changes in a fraction of the time it would have taken in previous versions,” he concludes. "FileMaker Pro 7 makes us faster, better, and more efficient.”



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Andrew Sasaki
Systems Manager
The Deal
917-939-5086
asasaki@thedeal.com
http://www.thedeal.com


Filemaker Contact:

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


Overview
  • Publisher of The Deal and associated electronic and print publications covering news of the "Deal Economy”
  • Based in New York, NY
  • About 170 employees
Industry
  • Creative Markets
  • Information Technology
  • Printing/Publishing
Solutions
  • Track flow of potential articles for publications
  • Store web clippings and news sources
  • Catalog logos and commonly-used artwork
  • Manage customer service and circulation departments
Benefits
  • Improved ability to develop new databases internally without outside consultation
  • Reduction in development time due to new relational features in FileMaker Pro 7
  • Ability to add new features in response to customer requests