The Complete FileMaker 16 CRM Construction — Part One

What You’ll Learn

In this in-depth course, you will build a powerful contact management system using FileMaker 16. From database structure to advanced automation, you’ll learn to craft an efficient, multi-user solution tailored to real-world business needs:

• Design a robust, multi-user solution with optimized performance and concurrency.
  
  

• Model complex relationships: identify and construct one-to-many, many-to-one, one-to-one, and many-to-many relationships.
  
  

• Create a clear and accurate Entity‑Relationship Diagram (ERD) to visualize your database structure.
  
  

• Apply anchor‑buoy relational design principles for cleaner, more scalable structure—rooted in industry‑tested best practices.
  
  

• Translate real-life business workflows into technical systems using data modeling approaches that align with practical requirements.
  
  

• Build dynamic portals, filtered portals, and filtered relationships—letting your interface adapt to context.
  
  

• Master printing in multi-table environments: work with columns, merge fields, labels, and varied output formats.
  
  

• Produce detailed reports through sub‑summary parts and summary fields to communicate insights clearly.
  
  

• Develop complex automations using scripts that make intelligent decisions based on context, conditions, and user input.
  
  

• Design adaptive, dynamic scripts and modular script structures that help maintain clarity and reuse functionality.
  
  

• Implement error capturing and redirection to enhance script resilience and simplify debugging.
  
  

• Create scripts to temporarily save and restore found sets, improving the user experience during multi-step operations.
  
  

• Compare multiple design approaches to derive solutions that balance performance, maintainability, and clarity.
  
  

• Enforce data consistency and integrity by validating and formatting phone number entries.
  
  

• Navigate record‑locking complexity in multi-user environments, and script accordingly to prevent data conflicts.
  
  

• Understand when to use global fields, variables, or parameters—including their unique behaviors and boundaries in scripting.

By the end of Part One, you’ll possess a fully functional framework for a FileMaker‑based CRM, complete with interface, relationships, automation, error handling, and reporting.

Requirements

To get the most out of this course, you should have a basic working knowledge of FileMaker’s user interface. This includes knowing how to navigate through browse mode (to view and enter records), find mode (to search records), layout mode (to design interfaces), and preview mode (to check print layouts). If you’ve never used FileMaker before, you’re encouraged to complete a beginner-level course prior to starting this one. There are many beginner-friendly FileMaker courses available online, including introductory options on Udemy, which provide the foundational knowledge required for this course.

You do not need to have prior experience in advanced relational database design, scripting, or complex calculations. This course is designed to teach you those topics from the ground up, assuming you’re coming in with only basic exposure. That said, if you’ve already experimented with scripting or understand the concept of relationships in FileMaker, you'll find it easier to pick up more advanced techniques.

You’ll also benefit from having access to a current version of FileMaker Pro (version 16 or later). While this course is built around FileMaker 16, most of the concepts taught will apply to newer versions of FileMaker with minimal adjustment. Using your own copy of FileMaker during the course will allow you to follow along, build your own version of the CRM project, and gain hands-on experience as you go.

Additionally, a willingness to think through problem-solving scenarios is important. As we work on scripting, automation, and relational structure, you’ll be encouraged to compare different design approaches, debug scripts, and think critically about how to make your FileMaker solutions efficient and scalable.

Lastly, a curious mindset and attention to detail will serve you well. Building a complete CRM system requires careful planning, structured thinking, and the ability to learn progressively—skills this course will help you develop and apply.

Description

Embark on a journey through the foundations of FileMaker development with the guidance of John Mark Osborne, the author of Scriptology: FileMaker Pro Demystified. With over two decades of experience teaching FileMaker, John brings clarity to advanced database concepts through hands-on, real-world teaching.

This course comprises the first part of a comprehensive three-part series, where each installment builds on the skills and structures established in the previous one. In Part One, you will develop a Contact Manager (CRM) system entirely from scratch—a choice driven by its universality and flexibility. The Contact Manager offers a familiar scenario, but it introduces foundational concepts that can be extended and repurposed for any custom FileMaker solution you build in the future.

Each stage of the CRM’s development is supported by downloadable working files, allowing you to examine, test, and compare your progress with the instructor’s completed examples. This hands-on method ensures you not only follow along but actively learn by doing. You'll gain insight into why certain design decisions are made, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to build solutions that scale well in a multi-user environment.

In this first part of the series, we focus on core FileMaker techniques that form the foundation for more advanced development in later parts. You’ll learn how to design efficient data structures using entity-relationship diagrams (ERDs) and understand the principles of anchor-buoy relational design—a method that helps simplify complex relationships and ensures maintainability over time.

We’ll guide you through translating real-world business processes into digital systems, showing you how to model data for everyday operations like contacts, companies, communications, and task tracking. You'll understand how to use FileMaker’s relational model to handle one-to-many and many-to-many relationships effectively, including portal filtering and relationship filtering strategies.

A key strength of this course is its emphasis on practical utility. For instance, you’ll build filtered portals to display only relevant information to the user, learn how to print multi-table reports with precision, and design layouts that are intuitive and user-friendly. We will spend time constructing and formatting professional layouts, including those needed for labels, form letters, and summary reports, ensuring your solution isn’t just functional, but also polished.

Another critical area of focus is scripting. You'll be introduced to FileMaker’s scripting environment and taught how to automate repetitive tasks and enhance user interaction. You’ll create decision-based scripts, explore dynamic scripting methods, and learn how to design modular scripts that can be reused across your solution. Techniques like saving and restoring found sets, capturing errors, and redirecting user actions with intelligent feedback will be covered in detail, preparing you to build robust and responsive FileMaker solutions.

We also examine record locking and scripting considerations for multi-user environments, helping you understand how FileMaker behaves when multiple users interact with the same data. These are crucial skills for developing professional applications that are used in live business environments where collaboration and concurrency matter.

To help ensure data accuracy and improve user experience, you'll also explore data validation techniques, such as formatting phone numbers consistently across records, using field-level validations, and standardizing entry across multiple layouts.

By the end of this first part, you will have a strong grasp of the essential FileMaker tools and techniques required to build a solid, real-world CRM application. You will also be well-prepared to advance to Part Two, where we will explore more complex scripting, interface refinements, and advanced reporting features.

Whether you are a FileMaker newcomer with some basic experience or an intermediate user looking to transition into professional development, this course is designed to challenge, support, and accelerate your learning. You’ll walk away not only with technical skills but also with a developer’s mindset—equipped to analyze, plan, and build intelligent, adaptable, and user-centered FileMaker solutions.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for a broad spectrum of learners who are looking to deepen their understanding of FileMaker by building a complete solution from scratch. Whether you're a FileMaker enthusiast, a professional developer, or someone working in an organization that relies on custom databases, this course provides the guidance and structure needed to take your skills to the next level.

It is especially valuable for:

Developers looking to build comprehensive FileMaker solutions
If you're a developer who’s comfortable with the basics of FileMaker—like navigating the interface or creating simple layouts—but you’ve never built a full-featured, multi-table system before, this course is your ideal next step. You'll be guided through the entire process of designing and implementing a contact management system, covering everything from data modeling and user interface construction to scripting and error handling. You'll come away with a professional workflow and a system you can adapt to real-world scenarios.

FileMaker users seeking to transform business processes
If you're a small business owner, office manager, or team lead currently using FileMaker in a limited way—or perhaps relying on spreadsheets or other disconnected tools—this course will show you how to centralize your data and operations into one well-structured FileMaker solution. You'll learn how to turn manual processes into automated ones and create an intuitive, user-friendly interface that aligns with your day-to-day needs.

Professionals aiming to build custom CRMs and workflow tools
Many professionals today seek tools that go beyond off-the-shelf software. Whether you're in sales, marketing, customer support, or project management, FileMaker gives you the ability to create custom apps tailored exactly to your organization. This course helps you understand how to build those tools methodically—from handling contact and company records to filtering data by date ranges, categories, or user preferences. You'll even learn how to build portals that display only relevant data for specific users or roles, something not easily achievable in generic CRM systems.

Intermediate users wanting to move toward advanced development
Perhaps you've dabbled in scripting or created a few multi-table databases, but you struggle with concepts like filtered portals, summary reporting, or relationship graph design. This course covers all those topics and more, offering step-by-step instruction that doesn't assume you're an expert but pushes you toward that level. With clear examples and downloadable files at every stage, you'll gain confidence in your ability to tackle more complex problems and optimize your FileMaker apps.

Learners who benefit from project-based instruction
If you learn best by following along with real, practical examples, rather than abstract theory, then this course is perfect for you. Instead of jumping around between unrelated concepts, we build a single, cohesive application. This approach allows you to see how every design decision impacts the system as a whole. You'll understand how scripts, layouts, relationships, and calculations interact, creating a solid foundation for building scalable, maintainable FileMaker apps in the future.

Educators and IT staff looking to support internal systems
In schools, nonprofits, and small organizations, FileMaker is often used to manage everything from student data to volunteer records. If you're responsible for maintaining or creating those databases, this course provides a framework for designing user-friendly, robust systems that others in your organization can use with ease. You'll learn how to structure layouts for usability, build error-resistant scripts, and format printed output in a variety of formats.

Ultimately, this course is for anyone who wants to move beyond basic usage and learn how to design FileMaker applications that are functional, flexible, and tailored to real-world needs. With a focus on best practices and professional development, this course is a gateway to becoming a confident, capable FileMaker developer. Whether you're building for your own business, your organization, or your clients, you’ll gain the tools and mindset required to succeed.

Course Structure Highlights

This course unfolds across multiple modules that methodically guide you through each pivotal phase of solution development:

Module 1: Planning Your Solution
You’ll begin by sketching your system’s purpose and requirements and then build an ERD and requirements document that define what your contact manager will support.

Module 2: Building the Foundation
Set up your initial solution file, define essential tables and fields, apply consistent naming conventions, and lay the groundwork for importing and organizing your data.

Module 3: Establishing Relationships
Use anchor‑buoy methodology to define the relationship graph, build portals, and explore foundational relationship behaviors including filtered portals and value lists.

Module 4: Prototyping Interfaces and Layouts
Design user-friendly layouts, navigation, and tools including autosizing, theming, list views, buttons, and toolbar customizations.

Module 5: Advanced Calculations and Validation
Build reliable validations and calculations, enforce formatted input, custom functions, hide and conditional formatting, and sync layout elements with logic.

Module 6: Intuitive Scripting and Automation
Use FileMaker’s scripting workspace to automate tasks like record creation, searching, conditional navigation, looping, and process branching.

Module 7: Printing and Reporting
Work with merged labels, columned outputs, sub‑summary parts, and reporting logic to transform raw data into polished reports fit for printing.

Module 8: Multi-User and Error Handling
Manage environments with multiple users through record locking awareness, scripting fallbacks, error catching, and safe found-set operations.

Throughout, you will progress logically from initial design through interface, automation, and reporting—all with practical, labeled example files to guide your progress.

Why This Course Works

• Expert Instruction: John Mark Osborne brings unmatched FileMaker instructional expertise, underpinned by his award-winning legacy and foundational writings like Scriptology: Philosophy of FileMaker. With over 25 years of teaching experience and consulting for clients across various industries, John knows exactly how to bridge the gap between technical detail and practical application. His teaching style breaks down complex processes into manageable, intuitive steps.

• Real-World Project: Building an actual CRM keeps learning grounded in practical applications—so you can adapt design patterns to your own scenarios. You’re not just memorizing features; you're actively using them in a real-world business context. This makes it easier to retain concepts and understand their purpose.

• Step-by-Step Files: Each lesson pair comes with downloadable FileMaker files to help you follow along or troubleshoot—making learning interactive, not theoretical. These files are carefully structured so you can compare your work with the instructor’s and instantly see what needs adjustment.

• Comprehensive Approach: From relational modeling to scripting and reporting, nothing is skipped. You’ll see how all elements integrate in a functioning solution. Topics are introduced in context and built upon naturally—allowing for continuous reinforcement as you progress.

• Balanced Difficulty: Geared toward intermediate users, the course still welcomes beginners—introducing complex concepts in an accessible way. Each topic includes foundational explanation before diving deeper, so newcomers won't feel overwhelmed while advanced learners can refine their techniques.

• Versatile Outcome: While the sample solution is a CRM, everything you learn applies not just here but also to other FileMaker systems like project managers, inventory tracking, or HR tools. The principles of design, modular scripting, and data modeling are universally transferable—empowering you to create virtually any business solution with confidence.

Your Outcome by the End

Upon completion of Part One, you will have built a foundational yet fully functional expertise in FileMaker development:

• A working, multi-user contact management system built from the ground up.
  
  

• A firm grasp of relational database design rooted in anchor‑buoy architecture.
  
  

• Confident layout and report design tailored to multi-table solutions.
  
  

• Advanced scripting capabilities—adaptive, modular, error-resilient automation.
  
  

• Practical skills in validation, data formatting, record locking, and user-navigation enhancements.
  
  

• A reusable file structure and design template you can customize for future projects.

In addition, you’ll develop a strong understanding of how to translate real-world business workflows into efficient digital processes. You'll learn how to think like a developer—anticipating user needs, handling edge cases, and optimizing for both performance and usability. Your exposure to error-capturing techniques and modular scripting practices will enable you to build solutions that are not only powerful but also maintainable and scalable.

By the end of Part One, you'll be able to confidently approach client or organizational needs with the skills to plan, design, and execute a FileMaker application from scratch. Part One delivers the solid core you’ll need before moving on to more advanced FileMaker topics in subsequent parts, such as security, dynamic interfaces, API integrations, and beyond.