intergrating file servers in with database & networking online and offline

[duffy180788]

Hi guys,

I am looking to build a system for work that is going to be easy to use, as the system we have in work IMO is very complex and too long winded. as the process is quite straight forward.

Basic Procedure

OK.

A large quantity of paper paper work is handed in to us every week (friday). approx 200 files. each file is a customer and is seperated between 3 of us in locations. i.e My own (Liverpool and the Wirral)

Now for each customer we validate their file to ensure their eligibilty for the claim. So we now have 2 options NO & YES. If no we send it back to our sub-contractor with an issue and the sub-contractor should resolve any issues with the file i.e paper work might not be signed by customer.

If yes, we book the customer in for a 2 part survey which may or may not been done togethor, each part is by a different surveyor.

Example
Person 1 - Part 1
Person 2 - Part 2

now Person 1 doing Part 1 deals with their own paperwork gathering 2 lots of data

information 1
&
information 2

which is sent to my by email.

Person 2 doing Part 2 brings their paperwork to myself with 5 parts of information , the information gathered is scanned, a named under a different name for each part and uploaded to an online file server (very long proccess)

information 3
&
information 4
&
information 5
&
information 6

I then validate the paperwork to ensure all is ok, and everything is their. If No we then go back to the surveyor to enquire. If yes We then submit the application.

After the application has been submitted it can take up to 48 hours before we hear a responce, the responce could be

• Application Approved
• Pending Approval
• Doesnt qualify
• Document issues.

Ect.

Basically the system is very long winded / complex & slow to use

I want a more User friendly system

Now this doesnt seem like a hard system to build, how ever Im bearing in mind,

• Maybe only part 1 of the survey is done so we need part 2 or BOTH surveys have been completed and we are missing information 6 from Survey 2 Ect...
• Logs such as Customer Cancelations , Complaints , Call Log ect
• Booking in system (time and surveyor name)
• Multiple Users for booking in, editing customers
• Outside Access (View only) for sub-contractoirs to look at status of each customer as they get paid on every approval so for every issue we raise with a file (customer) the sub-contractor is able to view and deal with the issues.

Basically this pretty much sums it up.

I have a few questions

• how would the Multiple Users log in and work on the system? LAN but would also like WAN if possible.
• I want a easy file uploaded procedure to save scanned documents, example after we have scanned the documents, i was thinking of a drag and drop procedure from windows explorer into FORM on access and then a button to hit upload which will upload the file's to a file server
• Create a Report In a time table structure for the surveyor to take for each day.

File Server
so I would want a folder called Customers and inside the folder to be name with the door number first line of address and post code, with every part of information we have uploaded.

Reports

I will also create all reports for the bosses dragging out

• Surveys Not Booked
• File Issues
• Surveys Booked but not received
• Customer Complaints
• Applications Awaiting Approvals
• Applications Approved

ect which am cabable of doing.

Obvcourse all this will be created using Forms & a Switchboard


any advise would be appreciated for easier means of doing things

Thanks

Craig