McKenzie & Willis

McKenzie & Willis, a New Zealand-based interior design and retail business specializing in furniture, window furnishings, and floor coverings, revolutionized its operations with a custom Claris FileMaker solution that streamlines their window treatment order process from measurement to production. This innovative solution dramatically increased productivity and accuracy, automated processes, and enhanced the customer experience, profoundly impacting their business from the outset.

The digital transformation journey is largely attributed to the collaborative efforts of Karen Powers, design services manager at McKenzie & Willis, and James Currie, a software engineer at Digital Fusion, a Claris Platinum Partner.

From furniture retail to custom interior design workflows.

McKenzie & Willis has a long history, dating back to 1906, and has evolved from furniture retail into a fullservice interior design business with a high degree of customization, particularly for window furnishings. Their core strength is inherently complex due to the thousands of fabric choices, linings, interlinings, and various design iterations.

Before the FileMaker solution was introduced, consultants relied on handwritten paper forms with carbon copies, which often led to illegible handwriting, errors, delays in transferring information, and difficulty making updates. “We were doing everything by hand,” says general manager Bill Willis. “It was paper-based, mistake-ridden, and inefficient. We needed a better way.”

Bill was keen on leveraging technology to automate processes, repetitive calculations, and data collection. He also saw an opportunity to improve sales by creating immediate quotes and converting customers on-the-spot.

The company explored off-the-shelf SaaS solutions but found them too generic and lacking the customization and flexibility McKenzie & Willis required to maintain their high-quality standards. According to Bill, a lot of the software forced them to conform a certain way of working, rather than allowing a solution to fit preferred workflows.

“I’m quite passionate about the services we provide. Because of our tremendous amount of customization, I like to think we are better than the competition at what we do,” states Karen. The need for customization sparked McKenzie & Willis to consider building a custom application designed from the ground up to match their workflow.

Why Claris FileMaker the ideal platform for a custom interior design app.

After Bill connected with Digital Fusion, FileMaker developer James began collaborating with Karen to bring the custom application to life—a partnership that began nine years ago and continues today as they constantly iterate and expand the low-code application.

McKenzie & Willis chose FileMaker for its speed, reliability, and ability to manage complex, industry-specific challenges. Plus, with over 40 years of proven performance, FileMaker gave them confidence their custom solution would stand the test of time.

Although FileMaker expert James had no background in curtains and blinds, he quickly gained expertise by shadowing consultants on site visits and working closely with Karen for rapid testing and feedback.

The custom app, affectionately called “our windows app” by Karen, replaced the manual pen and paper processes for measuring and calculating fabric lengths needed by the manufacturing workroom and installers. It has evolved quickly to handle more.

The benefits of a FileMaker solution for interior designers.

The custom FileMaker app guides consultants step-by-step through measuring and customization, ensuring every detail is captured for accurate, tailored orders. From dimensions to fitting styles to fabric direction and rail types, the app’s built-in logic handles complexities of window coverings with precision and confidence.

Because it works offline, consultants can use the custom app anywhere—even in homes with poor cell reception—then sync data back to McKenzie & Willis systems seamlessly when back online.

Flexibility is another major advantage, giving the company the ability to design shutters and blinds as well. FileMaker allowed McKenzie & Willis to design a solution that fits naturally with their business processes and company culture.

Karen credits much of the app’s success to collaborating with a Claris Partner. “After 30 years in the industry, being able to distill everything I know into a simple iPad tool my consultants can take into clients’ homes is game-changing. I truly love our app … I really do.”

FileMaker’s transformative impact on business operations.

From reshaping how McKenzie & Willis operates to delivering significant measurable results, their FileMaker app continues to impact productivity, accuracy, and customer service.

• Boosted productivity. Sales consultants have doubled their output, cutting hours of admin work down to just a few clicks and enabling the team to serve more clients without added stress.
• Improved accuracy and efficiency. Digital data capture has reduced errors by 20–30%, streamlining the flow of information to the workroom and installers.
• Faster, customized quoting and higher conversion. Consultants can now generate instant, custom quotes on an iPad, increasing acceptance rates by an average of 10%.
• Stronger customer experience. Clients are impressed by the professional, tech-driven process, reinforcing McKenzie & Willis’ reputation as an industry leader in digital transformation.
• Seamless communication. The FileMaker app eliminates handwritten notes, enables instant updates between consultants and head office, and even allows jobs to be shared across each consultant’s iPad for easier training and workload management.
• Simplified admin tasks. Reports and supplier orders are generated in minutes from an iPad, reducing paperwork and streamlining day-to-day operations.

The ongoing journey of digital transformation.

The business app continues to evolve through regular updates driven by consultants’ feedback and industry needs. Recent enhancements—like sample fields for extra measurements and expanded editing tools for additional flexibility—have delighted the 40 consultants using the solution each day.

The updates reinforce a sense of ownership and engagement. “The consultants feel heard,” says pro developer James. “And the custom app keeps getting better because of their input.”

Next on the James’ FileMaker roadmap is automation to cross-reference sales orders with worksheets, a feature expected to save the admin team around four hours each day.

Looking ahead, McKenzie & Willis may extend their Claris FileMaker solution to other areas of the business, such as furniture and cushions. Thanks to FileMaker’s flexibility and scalability, the application can grow with the business.

AI integration may also be on the horizon, with possibilities ranging from verifying curtain configurations against manuals to overlaying design options onto window photo. This would further enhance accuracy and customer experience.

Advice when considering Claris FileMaker for a business solution.

Reflecting on the journey, Bill Willis states, "If I had to begin this digital transformation all over again, I’d do it the same way." That’s because the FileMaker solution has boosted productivity, streamlined operations, and strengthened McKenzie & Willis' market positioning and customer perception.

While these results are impressive, they aren’t unique. Any organization aiming to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and empower teams can achieve similar success with a custom FileMaker app. By tailoring solutions to match real business workflows, companies gain scalability and flexibility—without the high costs or limitations of traditional SaaS platforms.

Interested in how a custom FileMaker solution can transform your organization? Let’s discuss it.