thebatfink
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- Oct 2, 2008
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I am about to embark on a new Database (my first). I've armed myself with a few books and I am working from an old database which we are trying to "improve" so if all else fails I will simply add to the current in the same way it is built, but I'm asking myself the question, is the current the best way or is Access even the best tool for this.
The main purpose of the database is to produce documents pertaining to the operating conditions of a machine to produce a product.
We have many products (5000) and several machines (4, soon to be 8 hence this databse job now). The documents we generate are different for each machine (ie the information on them and the format) but each document of a particular machine is the same.
Mostly each product runs on just one machine, but occasionally we do have products which are the same, but run on more than one machine, and as such have different running conditions.
Things we record are like, temperatures, speeds, tensions, pressures, widths, gaps, specifications, material types, material widths etc. Some of these are common to all machines, ie references to specifications apply to the product and not the machine, but gaps temps speeds etc differ per machine.
Currently we decide which machine the product will run on, and then using the form for that machine, input all the conditions. We then generate a preformmated document which draws this information into the relevant boxes and store this as a hard copy which is issued to the machines each time the product is produced.
We use the hard copy becuse we have a document control system in place where four peoples signatures are required on the back of each document to say the conditions have been approved. (This is something I would like to somehow get away from so that only a soft copy is required but am unsure how this could be achieved).
Problems we currently have are our records are all indexed via the product number, this is preventing us from producing another document using this product number on a different machine if it already exists on another machine. I presume through poor thought when the database was concieved.
Around 8 people will use the database currently, half of those daily generate new records (concurrently at times). We are all on the same network and the database is currently only accessed from here by all.
I'm just wondering if anyone could give me some pointers or main points I should be considering as I begin to look at the porblem and how to structure the database.
Thanks in advance for any help or wise words you can offer!
The main purpose of the database is to produce documents pertaining to the operating conditions of a machine to produce a product.
We have many products (5000) and several machines (4, soon to be 8 hence this databse job now). The documents we generate are different for each machine (ie the information on them and the format) but each document of a particular machine is the same.
Mostly each product runs on just one machine, but occasionally we do have products which are the same, but run on more than one machine, and as such have different running conditions.
Things we record are like, temperatures, speeds, tensions, pressures, widths, gaps, specifications, material types, material widths etc. Some of these are common to all machines, ie references to specifications apply to the product and not the machine, but gaps temps speeds etc differ per machine.
Currently we decide which machine the product will run on, and then using the form for that machine, input all the conditions. We then generate a preformmated document which draws this information into the relevant boxes and store this as a hard copy which is issued to the machines each time the product is produced.
We use the hard copy becuse we have a document control system in place where four peoples signatures are required on the back of each document to say the conditions have been approved. (This is something I would like to somehow get away from so that only a soft copy is required but am unsure how this could be achieved).
Problems we currently have are our records are all indexed via the product number, this is preventing us from producing another document using this product number on a different machine if it already exists on another machine. I presume through poor thought when the database was concieved.
Around 8 people will use the database currently, half of those daily generate new records (concurrently at times). We are all on the same network and the database is currently only accessed from here by all.
I'm just wondering if anyone could give me some pointers or main points I should be considering as I begin to look at the porblem and how to structure the database.
Thanks in advance for any help or wise words you can offer!