Automating Our Invoicing Database

[HonkyCat]

Help!!!

I have been assigned the task of automating our invoicing system and I feel as though I am drowning!! Any amount of help would be appreciated!!

I would consider myself an intermediate FileMaker user...I have been using FileMaker Pro for about eight years as a straight data entry person, but for the last two years I have become more familiar with scripting, defining fields, creating relationships, and some light calculations. I have created some basic solutions for my company, but my solutions end up being a bit crude...but they work.

Let me give you a brief run down of what our company does. In a nutshell, we are a lab and we test compressed breathing air. Our customers send samples to us, we analyze the sample and then provide a report to the customer which outlines the contents of their air.

Some customers are billed for their report AFTER services are rendered. Every customer has a different billing code and price. At the moment, someone manually creates an invoice for the customer using certain information from the report and information from our main customer file. We get anywhere from 30 to 100 samples a day, which means a whole lot of wasted time for someone to handle each report and generate an invoice.

To make it even more complicated (for me anyway) is that some customers send in multiple samples at one time. Even those reports may have a different billing code and price.

My goal is to create a solution that will automatically create invoices at the same time the reports are printed out. In addition, my boss wants the customers that send in multiple samples to have ONE invoice that shows info. from the multiple reports, NOT one invoice for each report.

I guess the biggest difficulty for me right now is figuring out how to get the computer to recognize more than one report from the SAME customer (or customer #) on a specific date. Also to get the computer to be able to list out specific information from each report onto ONE invoice.

I am ever hopeful that there is someone out there that knows the answer and can explain it to me!

ks

[Vaughan]

My advice; get a good FMP expert in to advise you on what to do. Don't pay them to build it, just to show *you* how to do it. (Make this explicit in your dealings.)

I've done this sort of consulting work and the clients are always very happy. One afternoon of my time (cost is a just couple of hundred dollars) gives them enough ideas and direction to last at least a week. Four of these weekly visits usually does the trick, unless it turns out to be a huge job beyond their capabilities. In these cases the clients often decide to contract the work out, but by that stage they have learned enough to know what they want, roughly what's involved in doing it, and what it's gonna cost them (and why).

I encourage the clients to do as much of the development work as they can themselves because it means they then "own" the system figuratively and literally, it costs them a whoile heap less to build, and they have somebody there that understands the insides of the system so it can be fixed when it breaks and updated when necessary. I see my job as advising them how to do it right first time, simple as that.

Before you ask, I'm in Sydney Australia. If you are interested in working via the internet we could give it a try.

[Kundinger]

Hello Kristine,

I'm very much in agreement with Vaughan. You probably just need another person to help 'guide' you with 'ideas'. You need someone who will take the time to look at and understand what you've created so far. It sounds like you have a 'working' system. Now you need to get ideas on the 'automation' of functions. This is referred to as 'work-flow automation'.

It's always good to get someone else's insights on how to do somethings. If given the task of building a bridge, 10 different engineers would develop 10 different designs. But if you combine the knowledge, experience, and training of the 10 engineers, they would design one 'awesome' bridge. The same is true with information management. Instead of someone redesigning a system that's already working, just get some ideas for improvements.

A 'great' source of ideas is this 'bulletin board' (FMForums). I have found this 'forum' a great investment in my time. That is why I commit myself to an average of one hour daily looking through the questions and answers on this 'forum'. I have found it's info as valuable as most books and magazines on the subject of FileMaker. I have a folder of 'test' files that I have created to experiment with ideas from this 'forum'. There is nothing better than getting better experienced through practice. Think of this 'forum' as 5000+ 'engineers' with ideas on how to build your 'bridge'.

Like Vaughan, I too offer services to clients with new and existing FileMaker systems. I'm not trying to take any business from Vaughan. But... if things don't work out for you and/or you need someone to make an 'appearance' at your organization, visit with your decision makers, or perform services on-site, let me know. I'm located in Bismarck, ND. I do get to the DFW area about once a year.

Good Luck, and thanks for your time...

Bob Kundinger

[HonkyCat]

Hi Vaughan,

Thanks for responding. I think we're going to take your advice and hire a consultant to show *me* how to do it. My boss would like to try and find someone locally...or at least in Texas. If you know of anyone in the Austin, TX. or surrounding areas that could help me, I'd appreciate the information.

Just out of curiousity, if *you* were to try and help me via the internet, how much would you charge?

Thanks again for your advice!!

Kristine

[HonkyCat]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for responding to my question. As I'm sure you read my response to Vaughan, we are going to take you and Vaughan's advice and try and find a consultant here locally (Austin, Texas area). If you know of anyone, please let me know. I would ask what you charge for your services, but I'm guessing that you probably aren't coming to the DFW area anytime soon?!

I think you are right about the fact that I would learn a lot out of looking through the questions and answers on this web site! I'm going to try and make it a practice as you do!

Thanks again for your help! I'm glad there are nice people like you and Vaughan to point wayward FileMaker users like myself in the right direction!!

Kristine