Best document type to connect with Access to import data to Access

[Auslegung]

My employer is about to roll out a huge new program and I'm editing and creating lots of the documents for it. What I'm working on now is the Referral form. I want the Referral form to connect easily (i.e. people who aren't tech savvy can do it) with Access to import all the data from it to a database. However, this Referral form will be viewed by independent contractors who are unlikely to have the latest and greatest software, so I have to limit myself to ubiquitious software like Word, Excel, Adobe, etc.

Of the common software, which is the best to create this Referral form so that it can be connected easily and quickly to Access and import data from it to a database? And how do I go about connecting them? The types of data on the referral form will be names, phone numbers, addresses, case numbers, dates, etc.



I'm not very familiar with InfoPath/Sharepoint, but if my request is impossible, is it possible to use InfoPath/Sharepoint to make this Referral form, but so that people without InfoPath can view it?

Thanks!

[Dal Jeanis]

1) When you say it will be viewed by independent contractors, do you mean it will be on the web? Or on their PCs, tablets, and phones, and they'll email you the updated doc?

2) It's fairly easy to import from Excel into Access. Word's not terrible. And anything that has a programming language associated with it can be taught to output a plain text file that Access could slurp up.

3) Your main problem will be thinking the form itself through very carefully, and locking it down, so that your referral sources can't (for an Excel example) add rows or columns or put notes in odd places that will drive your import systems insane.

[Auslegung]

1) When you say it will be viewed by independent contractors, do you mean it will be on the web? Or on their PCs, tablets, and phones, and they'll email you the updated doc?

The Independent Contractor will only view the Referral form. It will be edited on the web by the Agency, then emailed to the Independent Contractor, the Provider, the Master Contractor, and perhaps myself or someone like me. I am assuming the Provider and MC will use Access, so it's for their sake that I'm trying to make this work easily.

2) It's fairly easy to import from Excel into Access. Word's not terrible. And anything that has a programming language associated with it can be taught to output a plain text file that Access could slurp up.

I'm assuming that VBA or any level of programming will be beyond what the MC and Provider will be capable of. That's what I mean by not tech savvy.

I don't know how to make Excel or Word work in this way with Access. I spent hours online before posting this questions, so can you point me to some resources?

[Dal Jeanis]

I'm trying to get my head around the functionality, because there are tons of relevant references out there, and most of them are confusing as heck for a beginner.

1) If the independent contractors are only VIEWING the form, then that's a piece of cake. Access can create a report in just about any format, send it by email, and so on.

2) The VBA and programming happen up front. The user clicks a button and technomagic happens.

Now, I'm not inside your head, so I can't connect things that are obvious to you. Provider, Master Contractor, Independent contractor, me, my Employer, Agency. Don't know which of those are the same, which are different.

Please decribe the entire process you are trying to automate, one person and one action at a time.

Some person needs a referral for some service or product, and contacts who?

Some person determines a referral and inputs it into the web app, and then what?

Some person receives information, and does what?

Information comes back, how, and has to link up with the database in order that, what can happen?

[Auslegung]

Everything begins with the Referral form. An employee of the Agency will go online and fill out the Referral form, then email this to:

1. Master Contractor
2. Provider
3. Myself or somene like me

At this point, I want 1, 2, and 3 to be able to import all relevant data from the Referral form to Access, assuming that people in those positions will not be very tech savvy. They will be importing this data into Access to track things like contract expiration dates, number of referrals received, number of successful completions, etc etc.

The Provider then assigns the referral to one of their Independent Contractors, and will email the Referral form to them. That's the end of the life of the Referral form, and all that needs to be done to it and with it. Is this clear as mud now?