Microsoft Access database implementation recommendations for office operations

Databases are essential to the functioning of any organization. Among the most common computer database systems used in organizations like ours include Microsoft Access, Oracle, IBM DB2, Paradox, and MySQL. Currently our office maintains an employee database for payroll purposes using Microsoft Access. Microsoft Access is a solid choice for an easy-to-use yet feature-rich database system. Because Microsoft Access meets the needs of our organization for the time being, I would not recommend investing in any other database software system. After having reviewed all of the above-listed database systems I have determined that Microsoft Access is perfectly suited to the needs of our organization.

We are a small company and database usage has been so far kept to a minimum; mainly we use them for human resources management. However, as our company grows I would like to see the use of databases increase and expand into other departments. Furthermore, I have noticed that few office personnel are familiar enough with Microsoft Access to use it regularly or to its full advantage. Our organization would greatly benefit from a training program that focuses on the implementation of databases. This memo analyses the use of databases in our organization and offers some recommendations for change.

CURRENT USAGE of DATABASES

Databases are a powerful and flexible tool that can be applied to almost any task in any department. However, our organization rarely takes advantage of the potential uses of Microsoft Access in improving organization, accuracy, and efficiency. Currently our organization only uses Microsoft Access to maintain employee records. As far as I know, only two other office personnel besides me are familiar with the employee records database. The employee records database contains basic employee information, including name, address, date of birth, and SSN. Payroll uses the employee records database to mail paychecks and to keep an electronic file of salary information. The employee records database is fully-functional and suits the needs of our small business. No changes need to be made to this database.

However, our inventory records are currently maintained in spreadsheet form. I would like to see the inventory records transferred to an Access database. Using Access for inventory records keeping would allow us to perform on-demand searches for products that are in-stock. As office secretary, I frequently field phone calls from vendors and clients inquiring about the status of their order, availability of existing products, or availability of new products. At the moment I must forward all inquiries to the warehouse, where weak records are kept. As our company grows and our client and vendor base increases, we will no longer be able to afford such unprofessional operations. We also do not maintain a database for clients or one for vendors.

CONCLUSION

Creating three databases, one for products inventory, one for vendor information, and one for client information, should take no more than one or two days. We will lose little in terms of time or resources, especially as this is our slowest time of the year. I would recommend getting started on the new database projects as soon as possible, to eliminate any lag time.

Similarly, I would recommend commencing the training program as soon as possible. I can compose a company-wide memo pertaining to the training sessions as soon as I investigate our options. We should hold a meeting to discuss these matters further.