How to start

[SlowPoke]

I work for a small company. I developed a purchase request data base for my own use and recently shared it with 3 others. Our buyer has asked if I could develop something for her that would take all our input and convert it into an offical purchase order, thus saving her the effort of having to re-type everything. At first blush I thought no problem, but as I'm thinking about it I realized that our buyer could take my initial request, process and issue it, but I have the ability to still change my initital request. Once I turn over my request I should not be able to change it. I would have to generate a new request. Can someone suggest some options?

[ajetrumpet]

so you're developing an access db for her? how do you currently send the information to her?

You'll probably want to design a report that can serve as the actual purchase order document so there is hard-copy evidence and a good audit trail. I guess that wouldn't be relevant thought if you're private companies.

[NoellaG]

Hi Slow Poke,

2 issues here:
1/ after sending the purchase information to the buyer you need on your side to block the order. The normal way is to add a status field, (combo box) which can contain values as DRAFT/SEND/CLOSED, or other statusses that apply in your case. In the form you use to edit the data you can then program some control mechanism that prevents editing the record once it has the status "SEND".
2/I presume the buyer enters the purchase in an ERP or other business software package, so you'll have to find out which and then look at which format you need so she can import the data you will send (XML, excel, text file, ...). Then you'll need to export the data she needs in that data format.

grNG

[SlowPoke]

Thanks for the input. At present I foward a hardcopy of a request and she types it into MS excel which then types the Purchase Order onto a pre-printed form. We do not have any sort of ERP and that's the problem. I'm interested in Draft/Send/Closed combo box. I'll think and play around with this option. I was thinking of developing an append query for the buyer. She gets a hardcopy of a request and passes it around for approval. Once approved she can her append her table(s), drawing from my table(s), my information to generate her Report (PO). All I have I to do is work out the details of this hand-off. What do you think about this? Any ideas?

[NoellaG]

Hi,

to easy up things, you could consider to give her a front end access app with some premade reports that links to those tables in your app that she needs. Make sure you set some security (for example through the manage users & permissions options" so your data can't be changed by her.

greetings
NG