Ray – I always start with these questions: What are you doing now to accomplish your goal? What are you not happy about the current situation?
Get exact steps including the time it takes to do those steps. That will give you the current workflow. Workflow charting is your #1 document. Users won't be happy if you mess up what they are already doing unless it saves them tons of effort and time.
My very first big database was a financial reporting database that gathered data from several sources that included flat files, databases, spreadsheets. The original database took 40 hours a month to be able to spit out the various reports. Most of the work was cut and paste into tables.
When I finished with my application the process took 30 minutes. I felt bad that the thing was so easy to use that the person previously doing the job was let go. But I got a huge paycheck for that contract so the sadness was short-lived.
Every database application is basically gathering data and presenting it in a meaningful and easy way. Every database has basically the same elements: tables, queries, forms and reports. It's how you organize the user interfaces that make or break its usefulness and longevity.
Regards,
Bill Mosca,
Founder, MS_Access_Professionals
MS Access MVP 2006-2016
That'll do IT http://thatlldoit.com
My Nothing-to-do-with-Access blog
From: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2018 2:46 AM
To: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [MS_AccessPros] Database design - best practice
Hi Everyone.
I'd appreciate your thoughts and pointers about how to design, track development and achieve customer acceptance of a database (Access being the preferred route).
I would have a workflow of:
1. Discuss what the customer wants - this gets you Quality expectations, Acceptance criteria and major requirements.
2. Break the major requirements into smaller requirements which can be prioritised and estimated.
3. Create a plan for the tasks (design db, design style, build tables, queries, forms, test, and no doubt change)
4. Cope with change (oh, by the way, can you just...) (I don't like it ....)
What I'm interested in is techniques and/or tools to manage / track the above. Most of the books I've read about Access go into the techniques of how to use Access but don't mention the User / Business reasons for having a database in the first place. Any hints, tips, websites, books, forums, ideas welcomed.
Many thanks
Ray
Posted by: "Bill Mosca" <wrmosca@comcast.net>
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