Table Relationships w/ Related Record error

[orange]

I think you may be looking at a small piece of your business. You may have to step back since
Vendors sell you Things and Things are part of your Business. You'll record info about the Things which may include PartNumber, Description, Color, Weight, Size.... Price, UnitOfMeasure...
And Contractors do the Work which can probably be broken into Projects, Tasks, Location/Site...
Also, you have roles/functions/duties like salesmen, PMs, contracts people....PM, billing.



A PM can manage 1 or Many Projects
A Project can be made of 1 or Many Tasks
It seems you have a PM on Vendor side and on Contractor side???

I think you have to create a model to show what your Business includes. You can focus on a piece of the puzzle, but you'll have to know at some point, how the pieces fit together. Better to design iit now, and build it based on your priorities.

Good luck.

[Dave D]

True, there are common fields between the two (contractors & vendors) but they have dissimilar fields, too. I found it easier to separate the two instead of putting into one table.

I also have a Customers table that has similar fields but, again, I don't want to deal with having everything in a single table where some fields only apply to certain objects.

[Dave D]

You are correct about looking at the whole vs. the slice. I already have a parts table and am working on a Request for Quote table and a Purchase Order table next (should be fun - not!).

My method is to take related pieces to form a slice and once all the slices are done, integrate to make the whole pie.