use names from time sheet to check out equipment

[Guest]

We use excel to track worker hours. We also have an db of inventory. How can
I best set up these two sets of information to be able to track daily hours
and also use those names to check out inventory items? I am trying to avoid
having to re-enter the names when someone wants to use something in inventory.

 

[Joseph Meehan]

We use excel to track worker hours. We also have an db of inventory.
How can I best set up these two sets of information to be able to
track daily hours and also use those names to check out inventory
items? I am trying to avoid having to re-enter the names when someone
wants to use something in inventory.

I would likely convert it all the Access and avoid a lot of possible
problems.

It is possible to link to a worksheet from Access, but before I would
make any specific recommendation I would need to know a lot more about your
data and how it is used. I might also add that knowing the environment
including the knowledge and capabilities of the staff who might use it and
need to service it as well as LAN capabilities would also need to be
factored in to really come up with the right answer.

 

[Guest]

I would likely convert it all the Access and avoid a lot of possible
problems.

It is possible to link to a worksheet from Access, but before I would
make any specific recommendation I would need to know a lot more about your
data and how it is used. I might also add that knowing the environment
including the knowledge and capabilities of the staff who might use it and
need to service it as well as LAN capabilities would also need to be
factored in to really come up with the right answer.

Hi Joseph and thanks for your reply. The excel is used to enter the name and
address of volunteer workers and also used to track their daily hours worked.
That is why that was set up in excel so we could set up the formulas to total
hours and number of workers. The inventory has just been set up in access. A
limited number of people would be using this but none of us are anywhere near
advanced office users. I was going to try to link the information but wasn't
sure if it would work to simply link it and how to then access it for a
invenotry item checkout form.
Thanks again
Kay

 

[Joseph Meehan]

Hi Joseph and thanks for your reply. The excel is used to enter the
name and address of volunteer workers and also used to track their
daily hours worked. That is why that was set up in excel so we could
set up the formulas to total hours and number of workers.

Which you can also do in Access ... Let me say that again, Access can do
it. Access has a very steep learning curve when you first start using it.
It has a great deal of functionality, but until you get into it, trying to
use many of those functions is a real challenge.

The
inventory has just been set up in access. A limited number of people
would be using this but none of us are anywhere near advanced office
users. I was going to try to link the information but wasn't sure if
it would work to simply link it and how to then access it for a
invenotry item checkout form.
Thanks again
Kay

It is possible to link. I would not be the best one to advise you on
that as I have only played with it a couple of times and I don't know it
well enough to try and explain it. I also believe you may run into some
refresh problems keeping both sets of data in sync.

I believe that Access would be the best overall tool to use, but it may
not be practical where you are without bringing someone in to help out.
Setting up what you likely have in Excel could take a long time for a new
Access user.

I wish you the best of luck. Likely someone with more experience
linking the two will read this and supply you with some answers. If they
don't soon, I suggest reposting the question and be sure to reference
Linking Access and Excel in the subject line.

 

[Guest]

"Thank you again Joseph. Once this is set up the users would mostly just be
filling in the information like names, hours and the checkout form. I had
linked a dummy of the excel sheet with the db. That went ok but it would not
let me use the information together. I will convert the excel file to access
and try that. I'm sure having them both in access will be the easiest
solution for all.
Thanks again, Kay