How do I make this work?????

I started an online sales business about two months ago. When I began, it
was no big deal to track sales and profit on a spreadsheet. I had another
spreadsheet with contact information.
Now, however, with about 10 orders a day, tracking is getting HELLISH!!! I
am constantly switching between one spreadsheet, another spreadsheet,
outlook, and my web shop-cart program!!!
Now, I've installed access 2003, and built several tables with corresponding
forms (customers, products, suppliers, purchases, wholesale orders)
I understand how to actually create relationships, but I must be missing
what they do! I want to enter a new purchase, and with the e-mail address,
have the program auto-fill the rest of the associated fields/tables.
For example, I enter their e-mail, the program fills their first, last, and
e-mail in the same table. At the same time, it adjusts the total number of
inventory remaining. It also updates the "total purchases" and "current
purchase comments" in the customer table.
Is this possible? Or am I just dreaming that a program exists that will
actually make my life easier!!!!
Thanks for reading all of this, and thanks in advance for any help!
Kimberly

sounds like your tables are probably not normalized. tables are the
foundation of the database; the time that you invest in making sure they are
properly structured and related *now*, will repay you a thousandfold over
the long haul as you use and expand your database to meet your business
needs. suggest you read up on table normalization (you can Google the term),
and/or buy a book to learn the principles. one good text is Database Design
for Mere Mortals by Michael Hernandez, and there are others on the market as
well.

hth


"Isis Rings" wrote in message
...
I started an online sales business about two months ago. When I began, it
was no big deal to track sales and profit on a spreadsheet. I had another
spreadsheet with contact information.
Now, however, with about 10 orders a day, tracking is getting HELLISH!!!
I
am constantly switching between one spreadsheet, another spreadsheet,
outlook, and my web shop-cart program!!!
Now, I've installed access 2003, and built several tables with
corresponding
forms (customers, products, suppliers, purchases, wholesale orders)
I understand how to actually create relationships, but I must be missing
what they do! I want to enter a new purchase, and with the e-mail
address,
have the program auto-fill the rest of the associated fields/tables.
For example, I enter their e-mail, the program fills their first, last,
and
e-mail in the same table. At the same time, it adjusts the total number
of
inventory remaining. It also updates the "total purchases" and "current
purchase comments" in the customer table.
Is this possible? Or am I just dreaming that a program exists that will
actually make my life easier!!!!
Thanks for reading all of this, and thanks in advance for any help!
Kimberly

First there is no easy explination on how to accomplish what you are after.
I have used access to track my inventory and sales for approx. 6 years now.
I have in excess of 5000 part numbers and similar amount of customers. I
believe that I have been able to accomplish most of what you are after.
There is hope - of course it is not easy and there is no clear directions on
how to do it. I think you have a good start with the tables you have
created. The relationship between the tables is used as example to make sure
when you post a sale that the part number is limited to the list in your
products table. That way you do not have a bunch of misc postings. I then
created a inventory transactions table that uses information from the other
tables to fill in redundant info. Part # Customer Name etc. But I am able
to input unique info. like date, # sold, price sold, side marks and the like.
The part # and Customer infor is basically auto fill. The criteria is
narrowed as you are typing in the part number, I also have a drop down box
that i can select from. I can track sales history by part number or customer
name. I know I am not explaining how it is done but the first step is to
know it can be done. And, am I even on the rite track for what you are
after, Let me know if this helps

"Isis Rings" wrote:

I started an online sales business about two months ago. When I began, it
was no big deal to track sales and profit on a spreadsheet. I had another
spreadsheet with contact information.
Now, however, with about 10 orders a day, tracking is getting HELLISH!!! I
am constantly switching between one spreadsheet, another spreadsheet,
outlook, and my web shop-cart program!!!
Now, I've installed access 2003, and built several tables with corresponding
forms (customers, products, suppliers, purchases, wholesale orders)
I understand how to actually create relationships, but I must be missing
what they do! I want to enter a new purchase, and with the e-mail address,
have the program auto-fill the rest of the associated fields/tables.
For example, I enter their e-mail, the program fills their first, last, and
e-mail in the same table. At the same time, it adjusts the total number of
inventory remaining. It also updates the "total purchases" and "current
purchase comments" in the customer table.
Is this possible? Or am I just dreaming that a program exists that will
actually make my life easier!!!!
Thanks for reading all of this, and thanks in advance for any help!
Kimberly

Hi Kimberly..

In my work place we have just started a new online business with the same
issues as you. However i found that on Microsoft Office online, one of their
templates was exactly what i wanted.... its the Inventory control database.
The joy i had once found. all i have had to do is rename and add a few extras
and it works like a dream (however was looking for link on microsoft page and
couldn't find it.... but it was in download section.


Its worth a look...... hope this is something...

cheers

gary


"Isis Rings" wrote:

I started an online sales business about two months ago. When I began, it
was no big deal to track sales and profit on a spreadsheet. I had another
spreadsheet with contact information.
Now, however, with about 10 orders a day, tracking is getting HELLISH!!! I
am constantly switching between one spreadsheet, another spreadsheet,
outlook, and my web shop-cart program!!!
Now, I've installed access 2003, and built several tables with corresponding
forms (customers, products, suppliers, purchases, wholesale orders)
I understand how to actually create relationships, but I must be missing
what they do! I want to enter a new purchase, and with the e-mail address,
have the program auto-fill the rest of the associated fields/tables.
For example, I enter their e-mail, the program fills their first, last, and
e-mail in the same table. At the same time, it adjusts the total number of
inventory remaining. It also updates the "total purchases" and "current
purchase comments" in the customer table.
Is this possible? Or am I just dreaming that a program exists that will
actually make my life easier!!!!
Thanks for reading all of this, and thanks in advance for any help!
Kimberly

I like Tina's explanation a lot - sums it up very well.

Here are some links that I believe will be invaluable ... if you have
time to read them between orders

Brett

- Relational data design
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;q175939
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;q209534
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q234208
http://support.microsoft.com/default...EN-US;q288947&
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;288947


- Normalization
http://databases.about.com/library/weekly/aa080501a.htm
http://www.datamodel.org/NormalizationRules.html
http://userpages.aug.com/frodo/filenorm.html
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;q209534


- Naming Conventions
http://www.acc-technology.com/namconv.htm
http://www.mvps.org/access/general/gen0012.htm
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/ARCHIVE/en-us/dnaraccgen/html/msdn_20naming.asp
http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/de...n_20naming.asp
http://www.xoc.net/standards/rvbanc.asp


- Queries (why and how they work)
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;304325
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;304352
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;182568


- Subforms (why and how they work)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/as...883951033.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/as...878031033.aspx
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;209113
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;209099
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;113548


- Tab Controls
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;171222
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;198502
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;208785
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;208750


On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 18:49:28 GMT, "tina" wrote:

sounds like your tables are probably not normalized. tables are the
foundation of the database; the time that you invest in making sure they are
properly structured and related *now*, will repay you a thousandfold over
the long haul as you use and expand your database to meet your business
needs. suggest you read up on table normalization (you can Google the term),
and/or buy a book to learn the principles. one good text is Database Design
for Mere Mortals by Michael Hernandez, and there are others on the market as
well.

hth


"Isis Rings" wrote in message
...
I started an online sales business about two months ago. When I began, it
was no big deal to track sales and profit on a spreadsheet. I had another
spreadsheet with contact information.
Now, however, with about 10 orders a day, tracking is getting HELLISH!!!
I
am constantly switching between one spreadsheet, another spreadsheet,
outlook, and my web shop-cart program!!!
Now, I've installed access 2003, and built several tables with
corresponding
forms (customers, products, suppliers, purchases, wholesale orders)
I understand how to actually create relationships, but I must be missing
what they do! I want to enter a new purchase, and with the e-mail
address,
have the program auto-fill the rest of the associated fields/tables.
For example, I enter their e-mail, the program fills their first, last,
and
e-mail in the same table. At the same time, it adjusts the total number
of
inventory remaining. It also updates the "total purchases" and "current
purchase comments" in the customer table.
Is this possible? Or am I just dreaming that a program exists that will
actually make my life easier!!!!
Thanks for reading all of this, and thanks in advance for any help!
Kimberly


Cheers,
Brett

----------------------------------------------
Be adventurous, be bold, be careful, be a star
----------------------------------------------
Brett Collings
Business & Systems Analyst
Management Information Systems Developer