Inventory/Asset tracking database.

[russkris]

Hello,



I am not sure if excel will do this or maybe an access database. I am a beginner with Access.

At home I have 2007 and work has 97, so there is our first issue.

I have been asked to provide a simply 'database' for the uniform lady, so she can do away with paper and keep a better track of what is going on in her uniform store. I will point out again at this stage, I am doing this to help her out, not the organisation. As they are tight as a fishes backside.

She wants to record detail like what current stock she has, when she receives new stock, she can add it and when a staff member asks for new uniform, she can record what has been asked for against the employee's record and again. and the current stock adjusts.

In total there are only about 80 people in the company, but the company supplies 30+\- items, which can be broken down into 4 major categories Mens, Ladies, unisex and safety gear, of course all come in a variety of sizing.

My idea was to have a section for incoming stock, a section for current stock and then a record for each employee with the requested the new uniform, what date it was issued and what uniform was issued.


What would be a better platform to use Excel or Access. At this stage I dont know which way to turn. Maybe you know of something that has been designed, built and available.

Any help at this stage would be really nice..

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.

[June7]

Access is definitely the correct app for this need.

Review 'sticky' thread tutorials at http://forums.aspfree.com/microsoft-access-help-18/

Can also look at template databases. Open Access to create a new project and look at the Assets project.

Here is another http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/te...001018458.aspx

[orange]

In addition to June7's advice, I would suggest that, to make your task somewhat easier, you should review some database design concepts.
This will help you appreciate why Access is the better choice than Excel.

Here are a number of free video tutorials related to database design concepts.

These free video tutorials describe the processes of data modelling, normalization and entity relationship diagramming. There are other videos, but this group is by the same presenter and covers an example situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiVq8M5DBkk Logical data modeling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGMwuOtRfqU Candidate key

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiB-BKCzS_I Normalization

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ47btpjAhA Normalization example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Wg2fZENK0 1st Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vji0pfliHZI 2nd Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH-QR7t-kMo 3rd Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1GaaGHHAqM E_R Diagramming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXAGQ8vmhCY ERD Part 2

The first few topics at this site are well worth the read.

http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/forum/topic238.html

Good luck with your project.

[russkris]

Thank you all for your input.

Given all the info and from what i have been 'googling'. I dont think I will be able to create this database on the fly, with a tight time frame.
So I am opting for a simple excel spreadsheet, which is a really big shame. But I will continue to read and might check out some adult education courses, as I would love to be a guru(one day)

Attached is what I came up with, but it falls quite short of what I wanted and need (i think).

Is there anyway to use the attached as a front page, and the data gets entered into a excel spreadsheet? or even format a sheet(sheet1) in excel to look similar and have another sheet(sheet2) to store the entered data from sheet1?

[June7]

Access can link to an Excel spreadsheet to read but not to enter/edit data to the spreadsheet.

Making Excel emulate an Access data entry form would probably be harder than just building the Access.

Why did you post a sample db that has nothing to do with uniform inventory?

[russkris]

OK.. Thank you again.

Sorry not sure why, I attached that one. But that is the limit to my knowledge, at this stage.

[orange]

Good question June7. When I opened the database with Acc2003 it asked me if I wished to convert it from an earlier version ???perhaps 97??

Where did that mdb come from?

[russkris]

perhaps 97??

At home I have 2007 and work has 97, so there is our first issue.

Yes you would be correct.