Design question

[jmclozano]

I am in desperate need to automate our files for reporting. Right now the current system is in EXCEL and it is very tedious copy/paste aand mulitple steps to create one report and store the data.

I would like to create a table that holds all the data and reports that could be generated by our staff at anytime it is needed for the client.

Basic process
excel report received by source for each client monthly (1 report for each client 12 months, rows could range from 500-22000 each client monthly)

I would like to upload these reports to our database and then extract data from the fields in the report, run a few formulas to make summaries based on dates and totals in fields.

I would like to create a nice interface where my staff can input client name/id and generate the three summary profiles based on a date range.


Sample reports
Account Profile (name, summary of invoice data,
Annual Summary (detail specific client trends from monthly files)
Monthly Summary

simple and defined is what I am aiming for.


Am I out of touch or is this doable in ACCESS??? ideally I would love it web based as not all my employees are in office. Is that possible?

ANY ADVICE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED

TIME FRAME :: ASAP

 

[jmclozano]

anyone out there with a comment? I need advice.

 

[plog]

simple and defined is what I am aiming for.

For who? You cannot remove complexity from a complex system, you can only allocate it differently. Right now its complex for the user, what you can do is make it easier for the user by making it more complex for the developer. That's fine, if you have a developer who is up to it.

If you want to make this web enabled, I suggest a different database than Access. Something like PHP and MySQL or another web technology. However, mocking something up or testing a few ideas in Access is a good idea before completing a finished, web-enabled system.

In conclusion, its possible and most likely the correct way to do things, but that doesn't mean developing this into a database system is going to be easy for someone without experience doing so.

 

[jmclozano]

I appreciate your feedback. THANKS!

Yes, I do want to make it easier for the user. And for the manager of the data. Maybe just more training of the end user in excel.

It would have been nice to have a Department Database for these reports.
cheers -JMCL

 

[gemma-the-husky]

pretty well everything is possible in access.

web based is very hard

 

[spikepl]

web based is very hard

For those who have not done it before, yes. For an experienced developer with the right tools it is not something that takes significantly longer than in access.

As to the issue: try to define some requirements. The different actors, each one's interaction with the system, and their numbers. Once you have given more specifis then it would be easier to give sensible advice. Also, the moment something migrates form Excel to a db, lots of new opportunities open up. Sometimes it may not possible, but thinking about such things can lead to most bang for the buck from the very beginning.