At a loss for any ideas - Form Entry

[AC5FF]

I've been tinkering with adding a new form to a database for user entry of weekly time distribution data. However I have come up blank on how to accomplish the form to enter data into an existing table.

I've attached the form our employees fill out every week. These are then sent to me and I have to hand enter each entry into a table. Basically the table is structured with just 4 columns; EMPLOYEE, ACCOUNT, DATE, HRS.

For example, I have ADMIN time 5 days a week, and possibly Parts Research 3 days a week, so just off of my time data I would have to enter in 8 lines into the table. Multiply that by 20+ employees and some having up to 10 different accounts to enter time against - that adds up real quick and takes up a good part of my day. If I could work a form out in Access to do this, everyone would just enter it themselves.

What is hanging me up is the fact that each entry has to equate to a seperate entry into the current table. I've even tried ways to enter the data into a temp table as it would look on the form, and then try to move things over with a query, but I could never get that to work.

Just FYI: the week ending entry at the top would be a Sunday's date, I.E. 9/23/2012, and all the remaining dates would be figured off that date - so Monday would automatically be 9/17/2012, etc... Eventually I would want to make each entry field - I.E. Account and Name linked to the respective table; EMPLOYEE Table and ACCOUNTS Table so that only authorized accounts can be entered (and must be entered if any time is put on that particular line).

Ive sort of gotten off track, but hopefully this is clear as to what I am hoping to accomplish. Any help you all can provide would be appriciated!

 

[plog]

I would not model my input form after the Excel file you have provided. My input system would look like this:

A main form that pops up when a user opens it. It would have a drop down lising all employees. They would select one and then click a button underneath that says 'Enter Time'. That button would open up the input form.

The input form would read in the name from the prior form and use that as the default for every time record that got entered. The form would be a continous form which allowed employees to input date, select an account from a drop down and input time--they could do this row after row after row. If an employee was only allowed to enter data into particular accounts, I would create a table which defined which those accounts those were for each employee and then have the dropdown box that had account information be limited to just those that matched the employee.

 

[AC5FF]

Plog

I agree that your method would be easier to design and get to work. But as you all know - People do not like change! (Expecially those whom I work with!)

Two reasons that I want to keep my input form looking like the XLS sheet
1. Avoid Changes
2. Boss LOVES paper backup to EVERYTHING!

Just how much; I just talked him into purging OLD records (10+yrs old). I purged over 6000lbs (weighed by truck that picked it up) of paper records! The boss is not going to go for a new change like this unless I can print out individual sheets for everyone - at any time. I can't count how many times I've had to go back through paper copies to verify/proof entries for him!

I'm sure there has got to be a way to model my input after the XLS sheet!

 

[plog]

I said nothing about output from this system. That can retain the same look as your current one. Just create a report and configure the input data to be output like you want.

 

[AC5FF]

I can give it a try...
Going to be tough getting everyone to enter their time this way though...

I would have thought my form entry idea would be easy to implement, that I was just missing something simple. Hmmmmmm