Microsoft Access Development
Access is a brilliant tool for quick software development providing systems capable of supporting several concurrent users and databases with thousands of records. As part of the Microsoft Office Suite it also allows for very efficient integration with Microsoft Word and Excel and Outlook. With this integration I have developed applications that output information to Word documents to be sent off as correspondence, to Excel to be charted and shown in graphical format, and to Outlook to be mailed to others to keep them informed at minimum effort.
With the introduction of Access Projects in Access 2000 Access has reached new levels of scalability. An Access Project connects to a SQL Database in a very efficient manner and can use stored procedures for populating forms and reports.
I have built some quite significant systems using Access as the 'Front End' and the 'Back End', or Access as the 'Front End' and SQL Server as the 'back end' Some of these include:
A Help Desk and Asset Management System
This system keeps track of over $4,000,000 worth of hardware and software used by a medium sized manufacturing company, and tracks help desk calls from over 400 users and their support personnel.
Exchange Student System
This system was developed with and for one of the major international student exchange organizations for its Australian operation and keeps track of Incoming and Outgoing Students and the required details of inbound and outbound flights, host families, coordinators and other volunteers needed to make such an organization work, and so on.
Professional Experience Database
This system uses an Access Project as the 'Front End' and SQL Server as the 'Back End' to track the Professional Experience of several hundred Students doing Teacher Training Courses at a private tertiary institution. Before this system was introduced it was a very challenging task to ensure that over the course of four or more years that each student had completed the required number of hours in the classroom. Now that is a report that is produced in seconds.
Alumni Database
This system uses an Access Project as the 'Front End' and SQL Server as the 'Back End' to track the Alumni of over 10,000 students who attented a private tertiary institution with the view of maintaining contact for the purposes of Alumni Reunions and fund raising. With SQL Server as the database this system performs very well.
Telco Reporting System
This system was developed as a quick solution to a complex reporting requirement for a Telco whose inhouse systems were not able to provide the information required. Here the useful capabilities of Access to import and massage data from external systems proved itself very useful.