Customer stories


Graffiteria, Inc.

Accomplished Manhattan FileMaker Pro developer discovers powerful new features in FileMaker Pro 8

When high-powered organizations like the Christie's auction house, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and several New York investment banking / financial services firms needed comprehensive, custom-built database solutions, they knew FileMaker Pro developer Karen Stella of Graffiteria Inc. could build those applications. A consultant to a wide range of creative-services firms since 1996, Karen provides both MacOS systems support and full-scale FileMaker Pro development services for a growing, demanding clientele.


Business Challenge

When Karen began her own consulting firm nearly a decade ago, she knew from experience that FileMaker Pro stood out among other database applications for its ease of use and its development flexibility. "In the early 1990s I used something else," she recalls, "but frankly I'd never wish that on an end user looking to have control over the customized functions of their database. When I launched my consulting business, I chose FileMaker Pro exclusively with the benefits for the end-user in mind, as well as my own enjoyment of the development process."

A member of the New York FileMaker Pro Developers Group, Karen designs database tools for a wide range of clients, but they all have something crucial in common – they want power and efficiency, but not at the expense of ease-of-use. And they want to be able to make tweaks and adjustments without having to bring in a professional. For Karen, and her clients, FileMaker Pro meets that challenge. "An end user will have little trouble picking up the needed skills to create simple, elegant solutions for their own business needs. There IS no other choice for a small business on a low budget – and when they're ready to grow, a developer will have no trouble re-molding their system into a more powerfully integrated professional solution tailored just for their unique business."


Successful Solution

Karen specializes in creating job-tracking and billing systems capable of tracing complex tasks from start to finish, systems which vary in size and complexity according to the needs of each individual client. And she depends on a FileMaker Pro database system of her own to handle billing and bookkeeping. "The Job Tracking portion's been customized to incorporate the usual variety of project types and tasks," she explains, "tailoring the project input criteria based on its type. I've been able to easily redesign the project reports and invoicing to meet the needs of each client or project type."

That flexibility greatly enhances Karen's ability to meet the needs of her clients. "For clients purchasing custom databases, the same flexibility is key," she continues. "I can save them money by building upon modules I've developed, customizing the interface to suit their workflow needs, user skill level, and even aesthetic desires. I can incorporate their corporate identity and business form designs created by their graphic designers, maintaining a professional look while increasing efficiency from traditional methods using just standard business applications."

Currently, Karen manages 6 FileMaker Pro solutions including her own, the largest of which contains over 20,000 records. Workgroups of up to 50 people use systems she's designed.


Customer Benefits

With the new FileMaker Pro 8, Karen's discovering even more opportunities for innovative database design, as well as features that really make a difference for the person who matters most: the end user. "The best new advancement for end users is what they DON’T' see," she declares. "Now they can select fields to sort or export from clear lists of only the fields available on the layout. I don't have to keep pushing the user-desired fields to the top of field definitions, and I won't be tarred and feathered the next time I sort the field list."

FileMaker Pro 8's new PDF Maker and Excel Maker are also expected to be user favorites. "It may seem like a simple thing, but the native Excel format is a major feature for a novice," Karen enthuses. "I find many users have difficulty understanding all but the most simple operating system functions on their workstation. They're confused by file formats, and perplexed when they try to open a file directly from email when the OS refuses to open the file. Now I can allow them to export a double-clickable native Excel file, and will spend less time training the users in the use of the other applications on their workstation. It's also wonderful to be able to automatically attach PDF reports to email—my customers, especially those not blessed with Mac OSX, have been asking to generate PDFs for years."

There are plenty of other advancements in FileMaker Pro 8, and Karen's looking forward to exploring them all—from enhanced image storage capabilities to the new, more robust relationship definitions in the Relationship Graph. And every new feature, every new tool means smoother development and more satisfied clients. "FileMaker Pro 8 won't be able to make you a cappuccino," she concludes. "But who knows—the next version might!"


"The best new advancement for end users is what they DON’T' see. Now they can select fields to sort or export from clear lists of only the fields available on the layout. I don't have to keep pushing the user-desired fields to the top of field definitions, and I won't be tarred and feathered the next time I sort the field list."

Karen Stella, President, Graffiteria Inc.



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Karen Stella
President
Graffiteria, Inc.
212-873-7152
sales@graffiteria.com


Filemaker Contact:

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


Overview
  • Developer specializing in database and management consulting services for the creative services industry
  • Based in New York, NY
  • 1 employee
Industry
  • Creative Markets
  • Finance/Banking
Solutions
  • Specialist in creating customized, powerful applications for demanding clients, with solutions custom-built to suit clients' needs. FileMaker Pro solutions also used internally for client billing and job-tracking purposes.
Benefits
  • Development time significantly reduced in FileMaker Pro 8, meaning significant cost savings per project.
  • PDF Maker and Excel Maker features greatly simplify common procedures for end users.
  • More robust relationship definitions improve efficiency of the Relationship Graph and provide a more intuitive interface.