Any Access experts out there?

[bitsnstuff]

Hi,

I am trying to work out whether Access would be a good programme to use for all my various business data. It is beyond me at the moment and I wondered there is anyone on this forum who could answer a few simple questions for me on this topic.

All help appreciated.

Kate :lol:

[Top Hat]

I know a bit, whats the question?

[bitsnstuff]

Hi Top Hat,

Thank you.

Really it is just a need for a database or some sort of system which will allow me to put all my info and stats in one place so that I can analyse everything. I am sure you use something for your online store and understand the need.

Someone suggested Access to me as a suitable system to start off with, but I am loathe to set something up in a system which may not potentially grow with my business and it has been mentioned by someone else that this software will not work with large databases.

I am getting rather confused with this.

I want to analyse, traffic, sales, conversion, best supplier, best product, etc. etc.

All help appreciated.

Kate

[Top Hat]

That's a big question!!

We use Access and have a fairly large database, one day it wont be able to cope, but that's still a way off. We use a VB interface to access the data

Really you need to pick something that integrates with your shop if possible.

We use it for customer details, order details, product list, but not traffic. I can work out sales rate, best supplier etc, but needs knowledge of databases (but any solution will require that)

[bitsnstuff]

I suppose it is just a little question, if you have no idea of what you are talking about - LOL

Maybe I am overstretching myself then and should just dump all of the customer, sales, mailing list, etc. into an access database and keep the rest separate for now.

If it is working for you, then it will definitely work for me as I am way below you in the pecking order!!!!

I have a tendency to over complicate things, so will definitely go back to looking at a simple Access database and take it from there.

Thank you very much for your help.

Kate :P

[weddingcrafter]

Hi Kate,

I manage my orders via an access database - I'm no expert (or at least my IT days are a decade or 2 in the past :lol: ) but I hacked the standard customer management system you get with Access.

However, for analysis I export data into excel and use pivot-table. I find the access query and reporting too messy to get my head around, while in excel I can sum, select, chart and all sorts in no time.

Best of luck

Alison

[Anonymous]

Have you tried looking for a template on MS Office online? They have some pretty good prebuilt things
-Tom

[a-okadmin]

Hi Kate,

I am a Virtual Assistant with a fair amount of experience in Access. Please let me know if you require any help to build your database.

[Asteeleleith]

The thing with any database is that you intend to use it. whether this contains data for customers and product.
you might want to create a website from this database as well. Then consider perhaps learning SQL.

By the way consider designing a database and linking them together. Easier to edit than a flat (database that contains everything)

Enjoy

Al

[The Spares Man]

Hi Kate,

Just to let you know that MS Access is a pretty powerful business tool if you are wanting to create a "relational" database for a single user (you) or multi-user across a LAN. It is not particularly great for internet or remote users though. I have built numerous systems with it including an integrated Quotation / Sales Order Processing / Stock / Labour / Procurement / Billing system for a £40m turnover Projects and Services business.

It really depends on what it is you are trying to do with it, i.e. just use it for analysis purposes (dumping data into it and re-arranging it to your liking), or if you want to use it as your operational system (enter the the data in and use it to create documents such as quotes / order acknowledgements / pick lists / invoices, etc..).

If you need any help, just let me know.

Andy
The Spares Man.

[blackpenny15]

Why not use MSDE SQL 2005? access is limited in what it can do, I always advise people to think about the future of their business, what happens when you grow as a company, you will come to a point where your Database will outgrow MS Access, when this happens it often requires migration and usually some serious money depending on the type of database, complexity, forms and other custom bits and bobs.


MSDE is the Microsoft desktop engine, based on the SQL 2005 product by Microsoft, design for 5-10 users max, but with most of the features of SQL 2005 Server, the MSDE is free, the only thing you need to worry about is the database its self.

In the event of your company out growing the MSDE software, requiring a more flexible distributed solution, your database migration would take no more than about an hour (based on standard scenarios, with no documentation or planning)

Feel free to email me and ask any questions, I’ll be happy to help; here is the link to the Microsoft product page for the MSDE:

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/express/default.mspx

[Richard Conyard]

MSDE? I think this is somewhat of an overkill.

I may be wrong (if so apologies Kate), but what was required was a simple system to drop in a few hundred products and suppliers to keep a track of them and run some simple analysis.

To be honest Kate depending on what accounts package you use most of it can probably be done from there, or by exporting your accounts data into excel and analysing from there.

[blackpenny15]

Since MSDE is designed for 5 user I hardly think this is over kill, its flexible now and for the future, with access your just looking at problems, you can easily integrate your database with your website since is based on SQL, if you used access and wanted this sort of functionality, you would be looking at database adapters and other widgets to perform the job, Richard, I don't see why she should potentially cause her self problems in the future by using a limited product like MS Access.

[Richard Conyard]

Fair enough, these were my thoughts, some of which might be wrong:
MSDE has no application front end - so you might end up using access for this anyway, or having to write an application to do so
Kate is using Actinic for her store (RRP £380), which has an access backend anyway so it might prove easier to integrate and it's unlikely that there is any large budget for this app or that this will form the foundation of a future website
Access uses SQL as well, the OLEDB / ODBC connection framework that will be used to connect to access is the same that will be used to connect to sql server up until the last driver more or less.
The DTS wizard is capable of pulling in an access database if required in a matter of minutes. Granted you'd want to spend some time upgrading for the features of SQL (stored procs etc.)
Access is meant for small databases and is far more user friendly.

[bitsnstuff]

Thank you very much for the answers and help. It will take a while for me to look into all the option, but I really appreciate the help.

Thank you. :lol:

Kate

[APRogers]

Kate

The best advice I can offer you is buy a book. Access is the right tool for you to start with because it has the support. Trawl Amazon for a Microsoft Press title 'Access Version 2002 - Step by Step' or 'Access XP for Dummies'.

Either will show you how to do all the basics, which you can then build on. Whilst the advice you were given here is good, IMHO it doesn't answer your question now by six months at least in the future!

If you get any sticking points, you can always PM me or look me up on MSN.

Alan