Getting started with Access... a few questions

[PaulHilgeman]

I have been using quickbooks for the past few years, and am thinking
about moving on to a custom solution (database and a front end).

In the last year, one of the companies that we contract for now can
submit their PO's in XML data format. I had previously been using a
simple macro to convert this into a file that is importable into
quickbooks. I would really like to be able to directly import .XML
data into the database.

Some of the requirements will be:

- Aprox 50,000 'orders' per year
- Aprox 80 fields per 'order', mostly simple numbers and dates, plus
the usual name address phone number, and a fairly large 'notes' field.
- Easy migration to forms, such as cover sheets outlining the job, or a
'PO' looking sheet for calculating pay for our installers, a daily
overview of the jobs for the day, an overview of the jobs completed
yesterday etc.
- Manual entry of new orders for those jobs that do not come from the
large supplier.
- An easy front end for viewing/editing most of the data on a per-job
basis, that provides easy access to printing some of the forms.
- Possible integration with "Streets and Trips" to generate maps for
installers.
-Up to 15 simultaneous users.

So... do you think Access could do this? And will I be able to build a
front end of sorts from within access? Will I need Access on every
computer, or is there a distributable front end?

Thanks!!!

 

[gls858]

I have been using quickbooks for the past few years, and am thinking
about moving on to a custom solution (database and a front end).

In the last year, one of the companies that we contract for now can
submit their PO's in XML data format. I had previously been using a
simple macro to convert this into a file that is importable into
quickbooks. I would really like to be able to directly import .XML
data into the database.

Some of the requirements will be:

- Aprox 50,000 'orders' per year
- Aprox 80 fields per 'order', mostly simple numbers and dates, plus
the usual name address phone number, and a fairly large 'notes' field.
- Easy migration to forms, such as cover sheets outlining the job, or a
'PO' looking sheet for calculating pay for our installers, a daily
overview of the jobs for the day, an overview of the jobs completed
yesterday etc.
- Manual entry of new orders for those jobs that do not come from the
large supplier.
- An easy front end for viewing/editing most of the data on a per-job
basis, that provides easy access to printing some of the forms.
- Possible integration with "Streets and Trips" to generate maps for
installers.
-Up to 15 simultaneous users.

So... do you think Access could do this? And will I be able to build a
front end of sorts from within access? Will I need Access on every
computer, or is there a distributable front end?

Thanks!!!

You might want to google on quickbooks + XML. Looks like there might be
a third party add on that can bring XML data into QB. A whole lot quicker
and cheaper than trying to develop an app from scratch.

gls858