Advertising Sales
Client: Roll Call Newspaper, a subsidiary of The Economist, is published four times per week and focuses on events and issues in the American Congress.
Objective: In the late 1990s, Roll Call was using a combination of a flat-file database, Word and Excel documents to manage their advertising sales business. To grow their sales revenue, they needed a solution that would improve on their existing sales tracking database by reducing redundant and incorrect data entry, provide more accurate information about the status of advertising contracts, and simplify reporting to improve overall ad sales management
Solution: Colibri Solutions developed Ad Sales, a display advertising sales management solution that integrates all aspects of the Roll Call sales process into a single application. Roll Call upgraded to Ad Sales version 4 in 2008 to maintain compatibility with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. The solution allows sales executives and management to:
- View an account and all associated sales contracts, insertion orders, appointments and calls
- Print all contracts are printed directly from the solution
- Send mass and merge emails to accounts and their ad agencies with messages, special notices, contracts or insertion orders directly from the database
- Sell and manage advertising on the companion Roll Call Daily website in a subsequent update
Business Impact: This solution allows sales executives to track an advertising contract throughout its lifetime and make sure that all contract requirements are being fulfilled by and for the client. It makes the traffic manager’s job easier by tracking automatically what ads are cleared to print in a given issue. It gives managers complete control over the assignment of new accounts and provides sophisticated reports at the click of a mouse.
Technology: FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Server 9.
Creative Services and Studio Management
Client: Shoot Digital, a leading, full-service digital photography studio located in New York City.
Objective: Shoot Digital had grown to the point where its data management tools could not keep up with the business. Separate tools for calendaring, job management, inventory management and accounting did not communicate with each other and required a large amount of double entry of all types of data and information.
Solution: Colibri Solutions developed a comprehensive management solution incorporating calendaring, contact management, job estimating, job and inventory management, and purchasing. This solution:
- Improves on the functionality of the existing systems
- Offers QuickBooks accounting integration
- Makes extensive use of latest generation FileMaker Pro features such as print-to-PDF, window and tab control management, custom menus and the new plugin API.
Business Impact: Shoot Digital was able to replace their disjointed set of applications with one solution, drastically reducing data entry and errors, increasing staff and company capacity, and producing a marked positive effect on the bottom line.
A modified version of this solution has also been licensed to a sister company, Seed Reps.
Technology: FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Server 9; FileBooks Link 4 plugin for QuickBooks integration; QuickBooks Enterprise 8.
Marketing and Promotions Management
Client: PMD Promotion provides marketing and promotions services for the entertainment industry in 13 major cities across the United States.
Objective: PMD Promotion needed an integrated solution to manage a large number of marketing campaigns across a large geographic area. PMD also wanted to reduce redundant data entry caused by the proliferation of tools, and generate greater data accuracy and operational efficiency.
Solution: Colibri Solutions developed an integrated database solution that could simplify data entry, improve staff scheduling, repurpose data for a range of outputs, and replace a combination of Word, Excel, Quark Xpress and Photoshop documents. The solution also serves as an archive for thousands of photographs taken each day to document PMD’s activities on behalf of its clients.
Business Impact: Colibri’s solution allows PMD to have an accurate and up-to-the-minute picture of campaign progress, costs, and staff performance. The solution also allows PMD to more efficiently plan upcoming campaign activities, report to its clients, and pay its staff and contractors. Ultimately, PMD is able to focus on providing better service to its clients and to further expand its operations.
Technology: FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Server 9.
Real Estate Sales
Client: DLC Realty, Inc. is a commercial and mixed-use real estate sales firm based in New York City.
Objective: DLC Realty needed a new real estate listings database that was compatible with the firm’s updated IT infrastructure and added features required by the sales force.
Solution: Colibri Solutions designed a new workgroup database solution with a simple yet comprehensive interface to manage its clients and listings. Each sales executive can see all listings currently available yet maintain their own set of contacts and history. Among its other new features, the solution incorporates multiple property photos. The solution also sends listings and property photos directly to potential buyers via email or fax and integrates with each user’s contact list in Microsoft Outlook.
Business Impact: DLC Realty’s real estate listings database is now compatible with the new IT infrastructure and has been upgraded for compatibility with Windows Vista. The solution enables the sales force to send listings via email as well as fax directly from the database and records all correspondence with clients and other contacts automatically.
Technology: FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Server 9; Exchange Manipulator plugin; MS Exchange.
Non-Profit Management and Fundraising
Client: RugMark Foundation USA is working to end illegal child labor in the carpet industry and to offer educational opportunities to children in South Asia. Retailers sell RugMark-labeled carpets that guarantee to the consumer that no children were exploited or enslaved to make their carpet.
Objective: RugMark Foundation USA needed a management system that combines traditional non-profit and fundraising functions with their own unique licensing and invoicing process.
Solution: Colibri Solutions updated an older FileMaker Pro database to provide the ability to:
- Track licensing payments, fundraising campaigns and revenue
- Incorporate a full contact management module with communications and donations histories
- Communicate with the RugMark website
Business Impact: The solution improves Rugmark’s ability to communicate with its licensees and donors, and does a much better job of tracking license payments and donations.
Technology: FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Server 9.