Office Home And Student What self-taught users do

I love to hear what problems you solve or opportunities you exploit with Access—it is amazing what self-taught users are able to accomplish. There is a interesting thread What do you use Microsoft Access for? on UtterAccess. Here is an interesting Wordle tag cloud of the thread (Database, Microsoft and Access are filtered out because they were so dominate in the cloud):

Access touches people’s lives in so many ways… Here are a few of my favorite quotes from self-taught users, highlighting their scenario and background:
JimBud writes:
I have volunteered for the non-profit organization Make-A-Wish of Southwestern Ontario (kid's with a life threatening illness) - now in my 16th year.
I had no experience in databases or VBA so this was a learn as you go project - beg, borrow and steal what ever I could to make it do what ever was required. I basically was making changes to accommodate their needs as they arose.
car313 writes:
I primarily use Access for maintaining simple static data related to my work with STD/HIV/AIDS. (That would mean ######ually Transmitted Diseases/Human Immuno Virus/Acquire Immunodeficiency Syndrome for people from other areas of work). No need for relationships, junction tables, VB code and macros, and select queries. So I can say I am perhaps using about 10% of the capabilities of Access.
doris7264 writes:
Essentially, I build Access databases when data volume or complexity outgrows Excel spreadsheets. I like the fact that Access will store the query definition instead of the results, particularly parameter queries. The query definitions can be much more complex than in Excel, as well. If a piece of information is the result of a calculation, Excel would require the formula on each line; but in Access, I can just have the value calculated when I need it. An update query is a lot faster and more trustworthy than a Ctrl-H search and replace, too. The analytical possibilities are so much better.
At the same time, an Access database remains within the reach of the end-users, not the IT department that might get around to making requested modifications someday, maybe.
Oldbirdman writes
I am a birder (aka bird watching), and I want to keep track of what I have seen, when, and where. This is a very similar problem to a standard business application, with products (bird species) and customers (locations), where a purchase order (sightings at location on a specific date) may contain a list of products ordered (birds seen) on a specific date.

I am self-taught. Most of the books I've tried were worthless, so I learned using Access 'Help' and the internet.
Scarpo80 writes:
I joined a small but fast growing business 7 years ago to run their HR dept. We had about 500 employees when I started and all their info was kept on an Excel spreadsheet. Seeing the limitations of this as we grew I put in place an Access database.
We now have over 3,500 employees and, due to the high turnover of staff in the retail industry in the UK, records on over 15,000 people on this same database all with their employment, training, salary and personal data stored. It works really well and has cost us nothing. Plus I can continue to develop it and add to it in a way that suits us. It's only limitations appear to be what I'm able to learn how to do and I nearly am always able to find a way around a problem.
I'm very proud of it and it shows how powerful Access can be. I'm also entirely self-taught (books and messing around). I think Access is a great bit a software and certainly nothing anyone with a bit of IT savvy should be afraid to try out.
CVFoote writes:
I recently designed a database to prepare rate sheets for the insurance company I work for. Prior to my idea agents would have to find the appropriate Excel Spread sheet for the payroll mode, then find the worksheet for the industry code, then pick the items they wanted by cut and paste or deleting those they don't want.
I created a great interface, screenshot attached, and agents were very excited about the application. I made the mistake of showing my idea to corporate IT and in January they are releasing their own version. Of course I am just a little disappointed because I thought I might make a little side income from the hours I spent on it. Still,Office 2007 Ultimate Key, I also learned a lot building the database.
mbhknight writes:
One of my hobbies is genealogy and I have an access database of all towns villages and cities in England, Wales and Scotland and I'm just building one for all of Ireland.
I also use access to keep control of all the junk mail I get. I mail the sender asking them to remove me from all their mailing lists and databases and if they still persist I threaten them with action under the (UK) data protection act giving them exact details as to when I asked them to remove my name. As a result I've gone from getting at least 5 or 6 of these irritating letters a day down to about 1 a month. Try it yourself it means you only get mail that you want and not lots of annoying sales tripe.
I love access and at the moment I'm building a database of all my jazz records with details of bands performers etc.
Bobed writes:
Simple to moderately complex applications for work (before I retired) myself, family and small business acquaintances. Most recently developed a player/registration application for the Michigan Thumb Area kids athletic league, which my daughter administers for fun. This is the characteristic application for which Access was created: players, parents, teams, coaches, schedules,Office Ultimate 2007 Key, sponsors, advertisers,Windows 7 32 Bit, uniforms, equipment, multiple sports, 100 specialized reports and forms, several tough queries, lots of automation including real-time Saturday morning registration for 50 kids, fee collection and management. A really fun project for me, including user documentation.
cbteng101 writes:
Strictly business. Have used access for approx 10 yrs. Developed programs for Quality Assurance. Reject/Corrective action , Vendor Rating, Customer Drawing/Specifications, Metallurgical/Welding Inspection,Office Home And Student, Test Data report databases. Recent developments have been Job Costing , Sales/ Quoting databases.
Being a self trained programmer, Mech Eng degree, I have found a lot of info in this forum to be a great asset.
Dinghus writes:
I use it to beat cockroaches to death. :-)
I've found a small niche of people in LARGE companies that want quick Access db's for things like attendance monitoring. The company IT depts don't want to be bothered with such small projects so I get to scarf them up.
AQM_UK writes:
The biggest project was an 8 month write for a contracting process. This involved gathering global data of purchases,Microsoft Office 2007 Standard, and then based on the category that the user was working one, it would prepare an RFI (request for information) from plants globally and based on their answer may request further information. This would then be analyzed by Category managers, who would send this to vendors to bid on. The vendors bids would be analyzed by the system and contracts awarded from here. This was then prepared into a contract for the vendor to sign, entered to the ERP system and savings calculated from here.
As a result, I got promoted.
Magicmusic writes:
What I've learned has been by reading books.
I developed a db over 6 years with two people different IT people (who had major differences in how to accomplish tasks) to track students in our university choral program.
The_Catlady writes
I use it to match up Excel spreadsheets for me! I just point it at a few Excel worksheets and then design a query to match them up. This serves 2 purposes: 1) it tells me, with a left outer join, whether data is missing from the second worksheet; 2) it enables me to quickly combine data from various tables at once and export the results into yet another worksheet for my end-user to see.
People I work with are amazed at the quick results I can obtain this way.
mrado writes:
I am a teacher and use access for my records. I have developed a database for school reports which a school in England is using. I am developing another database for a different school to track pupil progress etc. but this is proving more tricky and testing my self taught knowledge of access to the limit. I am looking to develop my knowledge of SQL and VB so I can use code better.
irobbie writes:
I use Access 2003 to maintain membership info for a country wide group of car clubs which all have the same interest - Cadillacs. The database is set up to hold data about the member, their membership status and the cars they own. The data is maintained by a 70 years old person with no training and very little knowledge of computers.
doctor9 writes:
Frankly, if it weren't for my Access skills, I'd probably still be renting, rather than paying off a mortgage.
On the side, I'm helping my wife with her photo studio. For instance, I've created a master checklist of specific wedding shots she can get. The customer checks off which ones they want, and she prints out a list of "must have" shots that she can take with her on location.
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