A database is a repository of information organized so that the contents can be easily managed, retrieved, aggregated, and analyzed. The software used to manage and query such a database is known as a database management system (DBMS). An example that most are familiar with is your computerized address book, a content management database that keeps track of your contact's name, phone number, address, company, title, birthday, etc.

A custom built database application is a DBMS that has been designed specifically for the needs of your organization or business. These applications work the way you want them to, complimenting how you choose to do business. Read More

You will need Microsoft Access. You may already have Access if you own MS Office Professional. If not, you can purchase Access as a stand-alone product.

I design in MS Access versions 2010/2007/2003, and can support MS Access 2002(XP)/2000/97.

Microsoft Access is the perfect choice for any business with a need for a reliable, affordable data management solution that is versatile and easy to use, with the ability to integrate with many other software applications. Read More

Access has gone through many changes over the years. If you already own Microsoft Office, version 2003 or higher, there may not be any reason to upgrade to a higher version. Version 2007 has eliminated user level security, but there are other ways to implement that if you need it. If your needs include a tight integration with Microsoft Outlook, then you may want to upgrade to 2007 or 2010 to match your Microsoft Office version. During your free consultation, I can best advise you which version will work best for your needs.

Are you thinking about providing an in-house solution? Be wary using an inexperienced programmer who is unaccustomed to the complexities of formal software development. You will probably find yourself with a solution that does not contain any program code, relying instead on bound controls and macros. MS Access makes software development seem easy, but many clients find out too late that lightweight solutions ultimately fail to meet their needs, and end up with an application full of design flaws and errors.

You and your business need someone who is uniquely qualified with the technical expertise to provide you with a totally integrated custom solution. Save yourself the aggravation! Get the job done right the first time with a cost-effective application custom designed for your needs. A good understanding of relational database design, as well as VBA coding, is required to maximize the potential of any project.

User level security is the practice of assigning permissions to groups of users based on their roles in the company. For example, human resources may be the only department that can view and edit an employee's social security number. Users from payroll can view the employee's salary, but cannot make any changes.

With data integrity, your data conforms to certain rules that you apply during data entry. The program will notify the user if the data entered on the form does not comply with the validation rules that you have set, and will not allow the data record to be saved until it does comply. Examples of data validation rules are:

• The data entered must come from a list of values that you supply, such as "low, medium, high," "red, green, blue," "NY, NJ, ND," etc.
• The data must be in a certain format, such as xxx-xx-xxxx for a social security number, or xxx@xxxx.xxx for an e-mail address
• A date must be valid (1/52/2007 is not valid), or be either greater or less than today's date
• The data must be within a size range (so the address will fit on the label)
• The data field may not be left blank (contact name is required)
• Duplicate entries are not allowed, based on one piece of data (contact name) or more than one (date and ID number)