Confused, please help

[Guest]

Greetings. I'm extremely new to Access (using 2000) and I'm trying to create
a tracking system for packages coming into the office to show where the
packages are going and how long it takes for the packages to be completed.
Current tables:

Customers
-CompanyName

Employees
-EmployeeID
-FirstName
-LastName

PackageInfo
-NumberofCharges (Number)
-NumberofDeposits (Number)
-OfficeCharges (Yes/No)
-OfficeChargesDate (Date)
-HospitalCharges (Yes/No)
-HospitalChargesDate (Date)
-Deposits (Yes/No)
-DepositsDate (Date)

PackageDates
-DeliveryID (batch #)
-ReceivedBy (Employee Dropdown)
-GivenTo (Employee Dropdown)
-EnteredBy (Employee Dropdown)
-CheckedBy (Employee Dropdown)
-GivenDateTime (Date/Time)
-EnteredDateTime (Date/Time)
-CheckedDateTime (Date/Time)
-ReceievedDateTime (Date/Time)

Now, I have a form where I want the receptionist to enter in all of the
information once a package is received... stating which type of package
(HospitalCharges, Deposits, or OfficeCharges) and giving a package a batch #
(which can be duplicated preferably, DeliveryID), where the package was from
(CompanyName), and her name (ReceievedBy).
She then gives the package to a person (GivenTo), that person is usually the
person who enters in the information (EnteredBy), and checked by a separate
person (CheckedBy).

Now, I want everyone to have the ability to edit this form and include their
name of who the above was done by.

I have no idea how to do any relationships between tables (none are made).
Currently, I have most of the form made, but I'd assume without any
PrimaryKeys, Relationships, Queries, or any other type of connections, filing
in this form wouldn't work.

Can I have some general direction on how to complete this task? Thank you!

 

[Guest]

You are using data values in field names and committing spreadsheet.
"Hospital", "Office", "Received", "Checked", "Entered" would all be values in
table if I were to create the application. For instance each "step" in
processing your packages should create a new record with the date, step name,
and who performed.

 

[Guest]

Okay, so basically make a new table for each of those listed, and then add
date below it. Then I would create a relationship between those and Employees
so that it pulls the employee names into the "Hospital" table, for example?
Or am I viewing this completely wrong?

 

[Guest]

First, lets consider package dates. Assuming there is a package table with a
primary key of PackageID. Create tables like:

tblSteps
=======
StepID autonumber primary kye
StepName values like Checked, Entered, Received,...
StepSeq numeric value that could be used to suggest the order of steps

tblPackageSteps
=============
PkgStepID autonumber primary key
PackageID links to tblPackages.PackageID
StepID links to tblSteps.StepID
StepDate
EmployeeID links to Employees.EmployeeID

I would create a similar table and related table for package charges.

This is called normalizing. Jeff Conrad has some good links on this at
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie/resources.html#DatabaseDesign101.