Microsoft Access 2007 - Am I In Over My Head?

[HOOT]

I am trying to build a custom database for my clients so I can print out reports on the expiry, area they live in, etc, so I can then contact them and have some time management contacting the clients in one area so I am not running around town day to day.

Does anyone use this program or had experience with learning it?

Any good sites for tutorials? Step by step instructions?

Or am I just way over my head?

Any help would be great. The last time I used this program was probably 8-10 years ago and things have changed!

Most of the others just use the old fashion pen and paper but I think once I can build a solid enough database it will make my life much easier to keep track of everyone. I was thinking Excel but I think Access would be the better way to go if I can figure it out.

Thanks in advance!

[Nancy]

Have you tried the free templates that are available from Microsoft? Contact Management is such a common application, I'd be tempted to look at a shrink wrapped or web based product first.

[Bobblehead]

What Nancy said.

Or is there a reason you need to use Access?

[photon]

Yeah, don't reinvent the wheel. Goldmine or ACT! or Maximizer might do what you need, or I think Microsoft has a contact management software as well.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Nancy

Have you tried the free templates that are available from Microsoft? Contact Management is such a common application, I'd be tempted to look at a shrink wrapped or web based product first.

I have looked around and nothing seems to have "Anniversary Dates" or "Renewal Dates" that I can print reports based on upcoming dates. I haven't looked that hard so I thought maybe making one myself would be the easiest until I started using the program Just so it was custom to all the fields I need.

Bobblehead what other programs did you have in mind? I am not stuck on Access it was just the first one that came to mind for this type of process.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by HOOT

I have looked around and nothing seems to have "Anniversary Dates" or "Renewal Dates" that I can print reports based on upcoming dates. I haven't looked that hard so I thought maybe making one myself would be the easiest until I started using the program Just so it was custom to all the fields I need.

Bobblehead what other programs did you have in mind? I am not stuck on Access it was just the first one that came to mind for this type of process.

Well, in the last 10 years "personal" databases have come a long way.

As soon as MySQL got traction then Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server both came out with free personal versions. I'm heavily biased towards Oracle, but they are all so much better than they were 10 years ago and Access has been a dirty word for quite a while. Although if you are most comfortable in Access, then by all means use it.

But I find it hard to believe there isn't an open source Renewal software out there somewhere. Dig a bit deeper and I'm sure there are lots of things that will suit your purposes. It just sounds like a pretty common application.

Can you lay out a few use cases, in case somebody reading recognizes something they have already done?


Edit: although, thinking it sounds like this almost falls under the CRM software category. Perhaps something along these lines? http://www.smallbizcrm.com/essentialpim.html

[photon]

The nice thing about Access vs. Oracle or MSSQL is that it's easier to just do a front end GUI for your database and do easy stuff.

What about Crystal Reports? Or is that just the reports end of things?

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Can you lay out a few use cases, in case somebody reading recognizes something they have already done?

It's for auto insurance, I was just hired to become a road agent which are those people that go to the different dealerships when a car is sold and do the insurance on the spot (it might be different in BC than Alberta). However because I am getting my level 2 it means I can do home delivery of the insurance documents unlike any others in the office.

So I want to put peoples info in as I build up a customer base with information I would need to re-insure them in the office and just bring the papers to their home or work, free of charge just a convince thing for these people and brings in more money for me during slow times of the day.

I need something that I can sort, or print out reports of upcoming renewals so I can call in advance and set up a time/date. I don't want to drive around town all day so being able to label them by "territory" would be ideal so I can set up a few clients in one area once I get enough of a base.

Hopefully that helps/makes sense.

edit: For the renewal date I wouldn't even mind using a "birthday" field but I haven't found anything that sorts by birthday. I haven't looked much into any third party software so any suggestions would be great!

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by photon

The nice thing about Access vs. Oracle or MSSQL is that it's easier to just do a front end GUI for your database and do easy stuff.

What about Crystal Reports? Or is that just the reports end of things?

Crystal Reports? Do you hate Hoot?

And yeah, Acces does have an interface. Oracle XE has one as well, but it is a web interface though a built in APEX web server. I'm not sure about SQL Server, although I recall it would need some sort of a .NET interface.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by photon

Yeah, don't reinvent the wheel. Goldmine or ACT! or Maximizer might do what you need, or I think Microsoft has a contact management software as well.

Somehow I missed this post...Thanks I will try the trial versions of these and see how it turns out.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by HOOT

It's for auto insurance, I was just hired to become a road agent which are those people that go to the different dealerships when a car is sold and do the insurance on the spot (it might be different in BC than Alberta). However because I am getting my level 2 it means I can do home delivery of the insurance documents unlike any others in the office.

So I want to put peoples info in as I build up a customer base with information I would need to re-insure them in the office and just bring the papers to their home or work, free of charge just a convince thing for these people and brings in more money for me during slow times of the day.

I need something that I can sort, or print out reports of upcoming renewals so I can call in advance and set up a time/date. I don't want to drive around town all day so being able to label them by "territory" would be ideal so I can set up a few clients in one area once I get enough of a base.

Hopefully that helps/makes sense.

edit: For the renewal date I wouldn't even mind using a "birthday" field but I haven't found anything that sorts by birthday. I haven't looked much into any third party software so any suggestions would be great!

As I read this, you are in BC? Do you not get access to ICBC's computer systems, and do they not have something that can print a renewal list for your customers?

Any decent CRM package should let you set up custom fields and custom reports.

Not to pick a fight with Bobblehead, but I think going the relational database route (MS-SQL, Oracle or MySQL) would very much getting yourself in over your head, even with GUI tools to help.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Nancy

As I read this, you are in BC? Do you not get access to ICBC's computer systems, and do they not have something that can print a renewal list for your customers?

Any decent CRM package should let you set up custom fields and custom reports.

Not to pick a fight with Bobblehead, but I think going the relational database route (MS-SQL, Oracle or MySQL) would very much getting yourself in over your head, even with GUI tools to help.

Perhaps, I don't know what level of expertice Hoot has, but if you haven't used Access in a while then I would go with other options. Access and MySQL really have pushed other products to offer better "off the shelf" functionality. If a) he can't find anything else to suit his requirements and b) is comfortable using Access, by all means use Access.

I just know every Access application I have used has had....issues...at one point or another. If I was whipping up a short term thing that needed to be done tomorrow, I'd use Access. But If I wanted it to still be viable for every day use for a couple years I would go different directions.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Nancy

As I read this, you are in BC? Do you not get access to ICBC's computer systems, and do they not have something that can print a renewal list for your customers?

Any decent CRM package should let you set up custom fields and custom reports.

Not to pick a fight with Bobblehead, but I think going the relational database route (MS-SQL, Oracle or MySQL) would very much getting yourself in over your head, even with GUI tools to help.

Yes however getting all the info needed to do what I want I would have to print off three different reports and match them up. I was hoping to have something more personal so it is quick and easy for me, the more I can do in the least amount of time the better as I work on commission.

Having something customized to me would help me get rid of the information I don't need and show me everything I need on one screen.

[Bobblehead]

Well, here is a list of 10 free personal CRM systems.

http://www.smallbizcrm.com/free-single-user-crm.html

[photon]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Crystal Reports? Do you hate Hoot?

Lol, is it that bad?

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by photon

Lol, is it that bad?

The only developers I know who like it say they like it because it is on their resume and they are looking for a job.

Although the newer version is supposed to be much better.

When you get it working, the results are really good, but that is far from a trivial operation, at least in my limited experience (I just pass data to a mainframe and let the COBOL/RPG guys deal with formatting).

[Shawnski]

I have been using MS Access since 2.0, which was buggy to say the least. But Access 2003 really was excellent in all its functionality, and I have built some HUGE systems in it.

But when they went to Access 2007... OMG... what a clusterf***. I am ready to give up programming in Access due to that. What the hell were they thinking?

And as for Crystal Reports.. funny story. In all my years learning programs, the ONLY thing I was trained on was CR.... and I never ended up using it as it couldn't do what we needed.

[HOOT]

I'm gonna try out that Act! program, but it seems I have to talk with their customer service just to give it a try.

[Rathji]

MySQL has a phpMyAdmin net interface that is pretty simple to use. Just run it locally off your machine if you don't have suitable webspace or need it on the web.

[old-fart]

Based on what you have said and the level of data mining you have in mind, a spreadsheet would do everything you want exceedingly easy. It doesn't have to be fancy or anything, and would easily allow you to sort on anything.

Multiple tabs for auto/home, current/expired, etc.

One of the biggest mistakes people make in trying to do something simple, is to over complicate it to the point of annoyance, and then not use the thing anyway.