Question Microsoft Access Forms Review for Suggestions. (1 Viewer)

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Greetings,
I am working on my PROJECT MANAGEMENT DATABASE SYSTEM(PMDS) for my company and need some professionals to assist me in more direction.
I have created a review video by searching in YouTube for "PROJECT MANAGEMENT DATABASE SYSTEM(PMDS)". But, I wanted to do a screen share using Google Hangouts so that I can learn more ideas about what I need to do next.:confused::banghead:
 

theDBguy

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Hi. Just my 2 cents, but if you're looking for "professional" help, it might mean a paid service. Is this what you mean?
 
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I am basically looking for a perspective on what I have so far as I have created a PROJECT MANAGEMENT DATABASE SYSTEM(PMDS) database that I have been working on for about two years. I am trying to make it more robust so that it can do multiple updates to different tables so that calculations are generated across multiple forms. Just need a better way of implementing it.
 

theDBguy

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I am basically looking for a perspective on what I have so far as I have created a PROJECT MANAGEMENT DATABASE SYSTEM(PMDS) database that I have been working on for about two years. I am trying to make it more robust so that it can do multiple updates to different tables so that calculations are generated across multiple forms. Just need a better way of implementing it.
Hi. If you're asking us to critique your project, it might be best to post a copy here, so we can take a look.


PS. You can do it in incremental steps. For example, you can share your table structure first, and we can comment on just that, for now.
 
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This is what I am doing displayed on Youtube as "PROJECT MANAGEMENT DATABASE SYSTEM (PMDS)-Training Overview(1)" video, can I do this...? I think the video description/example would be better than showing pictures...
 

theDBguy

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This is what I am doing displayed on Youtube as "PROJECT MANAGEMENT DATABASE SYSTEM (PMDS)-Training Overview(1)" video, can I do this...? I think the video description/example would be better than showing pictures...
Hi. If you were trying to post a link, I think you'll have to wait until you have at least 10 posts before you can do it. Yes, a video is much better than an image, but a sample file is still the best because we can dissect it better. In a video, you will be in the driver's seat. But with a sample file, we can dig in as much as we want. And if you want honest opinions about your project, you would want the reviewer to freely play with it.
 
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Thanks very much... I will put the file together and form picture that I am questioning a review for. I am so far into the project that it would be sort of difficult to trim it down to viewer testing size. But I will try... give me a little time to do this and I will post the file.

Again, thank you.
 

Uncle Gizmo

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Assuming you are referring to this video:- PROJECT MANAGEMENT DATABASE SYSTEM (PMDS) Training Overview2 - (I couldn't find number 1)

I make the following observations...
The form you are showing at the beginning appears very busy. It looks like you are scrolling up and down through the form to see the various controls - sections. I would recommend changing this to a Tab control, have the different sections easily accessed by selecting the relevant tab. People don't like scrolling like that.

Multiple Forms
When I see multiple forms with practically the same name, "frm Phase1 Notes" "frm Phase2 Notes" etc, then it points to some problems either with the data structure or the way you are building your database. It's better to have one form and then control what it displays either through its data, or with VBA code, or the way that the table is designed...

Why is it better?
Well if you decide to change something in one form it is very likely you will need to change it in all the rest of the similar looking forms, it's a nightmare! It's also a good indication that the basic structure of your database is wrong...

Extract information - you hit a wall.
Now when I say wrong you are probably thinking well there's nothing wrong with it it works fine! And that's the trouble with MS Access, It does work fine, even when it's put together wrong. Your problems really start when you need to build reports to extract useful information, then you hit a wall...

"Operation Management System" Form
On the "Operation Management System" Form it looked like you copied and pasted in the customer account number in. You would be better off with a combo-box listing the customers and the ability to select the customer from the combo, or pop open a search form and allow the user to search for the customer and then have the customer number automatically transferred back in to the form and the associated customer record displayed.
 

AccessBlaster

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First off kudos to you for your entrepreneurial spirit that's awesome!

But I have to agree with Uncle Gizmo on this one, it's too busy. It's a good working model but not ready for prime-time. A tabbed form could certainty help with the busy look. just my 2 cents.

Good luck with your project, I hope you can sell a lot of them!
 

Pat Hartman

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My biggest pet peeve with web apps is that they make me scroll. Up and down and sometimes even left and right regardless of how large my monitor is and my monitor is pretty large.

I would never buy any application that made me scroll the way that yours does. It's one thing to scroll a list of items in an invoice and quite another to scroll to see additional controls on a form.

As Uncle suggested, I would start by fixing the forms to eliminate scrolling to see additional data fields. A tab control will help with this but may not eliminate it entirely.

I also agree that your schema lacks normalization. In addition to the similarly named objects, it seems to have objects with "data" in their names.
 

GinaWhipp

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Hmm, so did I miss the part with the Relationships window? Seems like some work needs to be done there.
 
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:) I would like to thank all of you for your guidance and instructions. I will try to modify my form in a version that will outlay the design indicated. But, as I have shown, this application will and is used by some of my clients that are taught how to navigate through the form to get the needed information and how to submit the needed data so that the information that they need can and will be readily available. When I begin the new revision I will slowly roll-out the suggested version and design as time permits..

Thank you all. :cool:
 

mike60smart

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Found the whole scrolling aspect a pain.

Sorry but my comment - Start again
 

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