Setting up a database for dealers

[MDekker]

I am trying to setup a database for dealers with machines they need to report hour readings of. The hour readings need to be put into a report with graphs so the dealers can have a monthly report of their fleet and suggestions on what needs to be done related to maintenance etc.

I have made the following tables:
Tbl_Master (holds all information of machines per dealer with their monthly hour readings)
Tbl_Dealer (holds dealer information)
Tbl_Machine (holds machine types and information)
Tbl_Month (holds the columns of Master which are filled or partially filled)
Tbl_Running_hour_groups (holds the groups in which the machines need to be put to create the graphs needed)

Qry_DealerA (holds all machines of dealerA with hour readings of this month and last month)
Qry_DealerB (same as above...)
Qry_DealerC (same as above...)
Qry_Month_column_selector (this is my test query in which I try to select a table from the Tbl_Master with the value given in Qry_Present_Month_selector)
Qry_Present_Month_Selector (gives me one value, of this month, in the format of the month tables in Tbl_Master)
Qry_Select_Dealer_ThisMonth (another test query in which I try to select the value from the month selector with the information of the tbl_master)

Eventually I would like to fill in the hour readings each month and with that information to be able to give a specific dealer per type of machine what the ages are in a bar graph related to the hour reading groups in my Tbl_Running_hour_groups.

Does anyone have a suggestion or remark whether or not I am on the correct path of setting it up in this way as I can seem to be able to use the single value from a query to select a column in a table to be use in a query to create the data for the graphs and reports.

Sorry for the long explanation, I feel I can't be much more clear then this. When it is not clear let me know plz.

 

[Mihail]

Read, very carefully, this:
Database Normalization and Table Structures - Microsoft Access / VBA

 

[MDekker]

I think I got it pretty much covered, the normalization part of it. I am entering data only once and use it all around. Using lookup functions to create links between different tables.

 

[Mihail]

I think I got it pretty much covered, the normalization part of it. I am entering data only once and use it all around. Using lookup functions to create links between different tables.

And I think that you don't.
For example, the tblMonth is not necessary. If you have a date then automatically you can CALCULATE the year the month the week and even the day of the week.
Also the 3 fields in tblMaster (2014,01 ; 2014,02 ; 2014,03) show me for sure that your DB is NOT normalized.
Think that your DB should work 1000 years. How many fields you will add until ... 3014,03 ?!?!?!?!?

So, read again and again about the normalization concept. If the McCharty's article is not OK for you, then search yourself the web.

Sorry for this but, without a fully understanding of normalization is impossible to develop a database.