I have a possible solution for a large database with up to aprox 40,000 different slow moving stock lines at any time, 60,000 customer details and 20,000 components at any time. We would need to be able to calculate stock levels regularly and run aged stock reports in particular we would need to be able to run this for previous dates not just today.

Would FileMaker crack or is there some way of getting this easily? The best thing is if we could run calculations of things like stock quantity and value. I am not sure if I should take this on because of the speed of performing some calculations. I have not worked with Filemaker form some time, I did a lot in the days of FM5 and 6. I would be eager to if I could manage the brief. We work in a very specialised business and our currnt software supplier has gone out of business and I don't know of anyone creating this type of product any more.

Judging purely by the # of records, that is squarely in FM's comfort zone.  Speed depends largely on design.  I would stay away from calculated fields.  Inventory should be transactionally updated through scripts.

Thanks for replying Wim. This is a complicated business model as there is Manufacturing and buying from other manufacturers, retailing in multiple branches, sometimes importing from other till systems. For this reason FileMaker is going to be a winner as it is so flexible. My biggest worry is that calculating stock while the levels can be updated, we will need to be able to create reports that look into stock this day last year compared to today, broken down by department or possibly by Brand. In order to achieve this I anticipate using a movements table to work out stock levels with date of movement, branch,quantity delivered, quantity transferred, quantity sold, quantity used in manufacture, quantity corrected, opening quantity, Value etc, I anticipate 100,000 records a year or more as time goes on.