"When I started to build the original database, many of the systems I evaluated were too complicated. I dig in deep and see where I come to. With FileMaker, I had no trouble at all. I started experimenting and have built a system comparable to those that cost thousands in terms of training and programming."

SWS Solutions

Database Developer Drives Smooth Workshop Operations

SWS Solutions is a small, family-run business based in West Sussex. Founder and managing director, Steven Wright, has been in the motor trade for a number of years and started out by creating a simple database system using FileMaker, to remove the duplication of effort in manually creating and issuing invoices/estimates at the garages he worked for. "There were other systems available, but typically, they were expensive," says Wright. "On the recommendation of a friend, I installed FileMaker, and quickly had a basic invoicing system up and running that saved my employers a lot of time."

When his car audio accessories and radio decoding business took off, Wright went on to develop the system further and began supplying other garages with a free version of his software. Within six months, he had received numerous requests for additional features. What had started out as a home-grown project, soon developed into a full-time business that today serves 1,500 clients.

Driving business development

Now known as 'Garage Assistant' (GA), the system was originally developed to run on a single PC and allow users to capture customer and vehicle details, invoice line items (parts and labour) and create, print, issue and retrieve duplicates, as required. This software was soon superseded however, by an updated version offering additional reporting, data backup/restore and information tracking capabilities. "FileMaker is so quick and easy to build, adapt and make changes, that I rebuilt my whole system within three months. There's no way I could have done this in any other language," says Wright.

More recently, and in response to increasing demand for a networked application, SWS Solutions became a member of the FileMaker Business Alliance (FBA), enabling it to offer GA2, which is based on the latest version of FileMaker Pro (currently v.9). Supporting a network of up to nine simultaneous users, GA is designed with ease of use in mind. "The majority of our users are not from a computer background (e.g. mechanics, technicians etc.) so the key point to our system was to make it easy to use and require as little human interaction as possible," Wright explains.

All data is entered on the same screen, eliminating pop-up windows and confirmation dialog boxes, while folder tabs provide easy access to the required invoice section. Users can create an invoice with minimal details and, by entering a vehicle registration number, are presented with a complete history of a customer and their car – a huge time saver when compared to searching through handwritten records.

Plugging into new capabilities

Using FileMaker Pro as its foundation, SWS has been able to tailor GA to the needs of the motor trade and expand its functionality with other features. By integrating a developer system from C-Code for example, he was able to provide a booking system for mechanics providing full scheduling abilities. Another plug-in enables users to send emails from any machine without the need for an email client. GA has also been linked to the DVLA's online database, allowing users to look-up a vehicle registration and automatically populates the FileMaker database with the information provided.

Such has been the success of GA that SWS Solutions has established an active online community via its website. Launched in 2004, it has some 980 members and provides a forum for the exchange of advice and ideas, as well as providing testimonials to prospective customers.

For SWS, FileMaker's simple yet powerful development capabilities have proved essential. "When I started to build the original database, many of the systems I evaluated were too complicated. I dig in deep and see where I come to. With FileMaker, I had no trouble at all. I started experimenting and have built a system comparable to those that cost thousands in terms of training and programming."