Can I duplicate a record in Access?

[Guest]

The company I work for is considering building a database to control our
orders. I am looking into using Access, but have a few questions to see if
Access can meet our needs.

I've worked in Access before (in the data entry side) but am new to building
a database. I've designed forms in Outlook and I use the formulas and whatnot
in Excel.

From the research I've done, I've concluded that I'd need to have a table
for Customer Records, Vendor Records, and Orders, possibly Rates.

The Customers and Vendors all have unique codes to distinguish between them.
The Orders will also have a unique numbering system.

My first question...It looks like Access can be multi-user, but does it
require additional software? We are set up on a server but I'm not sure about
the specifics.

Next, we need to be able to use a "Duplicate" function for ease in entering
new orders...They would have a unique order number, and the PO numbers, and
vendors associated with them can/will change. Is this possible? Is it
something an inexperienced user can figure out without too much difficulty?

Thanks in advance for any advice or insight!

 

[John Nurick]

Access is inherently multi-user, though the Jet database engine it uses
by default is not suitable for large numbers of simultaneous users and
requires reliable LAN connections. All you need do is to "split" the
database into a back end - on the server - containing the data tables,
and a front end containing all the forms, reports, queries and the rest
of the user interface, with a copy on each workstation.

The practical number of simultaneous users depends on the complexity of
the database and what the users are doing. Heavy data entry usually
places the biggest strain; if you have more than a handful of full-time
data entry clerks it's worth looking at a more powerful back end than
Jet (such as MSDE/SQL Server), though Access will still be fine for the
front end.

For the actual design, take a good look at the Northwind sample
database, which has customers, products, orders, etc.