Customer stories


Computer Expressions

Computer Expressions Grows From Basement to Big Time

 It's the classic American success story. A small operation starts out in a basement with a unique product or service -- and climbs to a successful niche in the business world. That's how it happened with Computer Expressions, Inc. -- and as the company grows, it finds plenty of use for FileMaker Pro, the award-winning database software application from FileMaker Inc.

There's a good chance you have a Computer Expressions product just inches away from you at this very moment. They're one of the leading manufacturers of imprinted novelty mousepads -- a business they pioneered back in 1986, when Bennett Beer began turning out the pads on a T-shirt press in a Pennsylvania basement. Computer Expressions still manufactures mousepads in a vast range of designs, along with a wide assortment of media-storage products and leather goods. You'll find their merchandise at over a thousand well-known retailers nationwide.

For nearly a decade, FileMaker Pro has been an integral part of Computer Expressions' success, handling a wide range of business functions. Order tracking, production, inventory -- FileMaker follows them all. From a series of basic home-built databases in 1993, to the present smoothly-running, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)-compatible information network, FileMaker has kept pace with Computer Expressions' explosive growth. 'With a two man IT team we have programmed in FileMaker Pro 5 a suite of EDI and enterprise resource planning (ERP) databases which rival those found in software solutions which hover in the $75,000-$100,000 range,' comments Dave Walsh, the company's Vice President for Purchasing and Operations. 'From these solutions we conduct customer management, order processing, fulfillment, purchasing, stock control, and detailed logistics.' All told, Computer Expressions runs 116 FileMaker databases -- containing a combined total of more than a million records.

FileMaker Pro does all this while straddling platforms. With explosive growth since the mid-1990s, the company has increasingly turned to NT-based servers and other PC-platform applications. But FileMaker also bridges the gap between Macintosh and Windows. 'Because our company is extremely design-heavy, we still maintain a larger-than-normal Macintosh ratio,' Dave explains. 'But with FileMaker, we've been able to seamlessly support both platforms.'

As new challenges appear on Computer Expressions' horizon, FileMaker constantly rises to the occasion -- and the benefits are tangible. 'We have become more competitive using FileMaker because we have been able to do more in less time,' declares Dave. 'In an era of increasingly tight budgets and rapid change, we have been able to meet all demands and create systems usually found only in companies three to five times our size.'

Faster response to orders, better customer service, smoother day-to-day office functions -- for Computer Expressions, it's onward and upward every day with FileMaker Pro



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Dave Walsh
Vice President, Purchasing & Operations
Computer Expressions Inc
215-487-7700
dwalsh@compexpress.com
http://www.compexpress.com


Filemaker Contact:

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


Overview
  • It's the classic American success story. A small operation starts out in a basement with a unique product or service -- and climbs to a successful niche in the business world. That's how it happened with Computer Expressions, Inc. -- and as the company grows, it finds plenty of use for FileMaker.
Industry
  • High Technology
  • Small Business