Hello forum! (1 Viewer)

Hi Guys and girls!

Just thought id say hi, and ask for some help.

Im an IT support technicain, and Im very good with all hardware, and very good with most OS's and Apps, however Access is the one main app I have never ever used!

And now, youve guessed it, because Im the IT guy at my firm, they would like a database making, and are asking me to help.

As I dont know the access terminology, i dont really know where to start. I would search, if I knew what was searching for! Basically, if you think of a noob, I am 100% less knowledgeable about access than them!!

Ok, so if you lovely guys could help (and BTW this is probably a simple thing that you guys will be able to do in 2 mins!)

I am after a customer database, where I can enter Name, Address, DOB, etc with a date of contact as well. After entering this info, I'd basically like Access to remind me after 2 months, and prompt me to print a letter (that states blah blah, i spoke to you 2 months ago etc) and ask me if id like to send a letter to the main printer. I dont know if Access has a function that can do this, so if you just open the db one day you get a prompt to print 10 identical letters (with the different customers info??)

I really really dont know if Access does this? Like i said, complete noob, so, if you nice people can help it would be really really appreciated. And if someone wanted to really help and build me a template, or point me towards a template that would be even better!

Many thanks in advance

Andy!

Welcome Andy,

I am a beginner but have just sorted out a Fixed Asset Database for our company.
Access can build the basic database for me.
There are a number of default databases that you can select and it creates a database while you watch and allows some input.

You will need to tailor this and very soon make your queries to select the data as you would like to see it but the basic database is made for you.

On our main database we produce letters two ways.

As a dataset for word.doc mailmerge and access is able to open word and produce the letters.

The other way is with access report. You produce a query that collect text (mostly) and presents a report.

Option 1 may be better for you sales letter.

They both work well but option 1 allows you to do more on the word side and the database (in our case) mostly produces name, address etc and some small fields like amount, record num etc but you could have many lines of text output from access to your word dataset.

Check your version of access help file and see creating a new database using the built in templates is mentioned. Just like word has templates for legal letters etc although a little more involved but just as easy for you.

Good luck and there are many helpful experienced forum members here.

Hi Pngbill

Thanks for your reply, but I have to say I really didnt know what you were on about! I really dont have the slightest clue!
Any more detailed instructions anyone? Pls

Cheers anyway Png, and if you want to send me a blank db to play with id be forever in your debt, lol!

Andy

Go to all programs in your start menu (windows xp) and select Microsoft Access.
You then have an option to use the wizard to make a database for you and there are a few choices of what type of database to make ie contact management, asset tracking, expenses, inventory control Time and Billing etc.

Select one of these and then tick all the available options and you have your starting database.

You will need to build queries as you get to use the database but you a basic one to begin with.

The way I do mail merge letters is not a day one task.

You will need to start to use access and then ask some specific questions related to a task you are having problem with.

Our database we send letters from is a lending database and virtually all of the tables relate to this task.

If your Customer database was just for Contacts the the default one created by the wizard may well be half the job done.
It has a contacts table which I guess would hold a record of each contact made and then you would make a query to select the last contact record for each contact ID and where the date is more then 30 days ago. The result would be a list of Contact ID's that require a new contact record ie tel call and or letter sent.

the task of creating a letter may be quite simple if word mail merge has the standard letter then the basic database could well provide a data table that can be exported for mail merge to use as it's data table.

Access has a number of ways to easily export this data but first maybe get your contacts database started.