HelenIT
asked on
Strategy for small database projects
I have received a request to transform simple access database into an IT solution. Now, should I take this we will end up going with internal development and I want to stay away from this. What is your suggestion and what database and technical solutions could be used here? I'd buy off the shelf or something similar.
Would you develop this yourself? Would you look at it differently and what is your strategy on these requests from business?
Would you develop this yourself? Would you look at it differently and what is your strategy on these requests from business?
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ASKER
we are just at the start. so far no developments in house have been done. it started as a small business application and then seems to have grown so much, and there's plenty of data in there that they are now realizing this could be a great system for few departments to use and share the reports from the data that's coming in.
We do not have anyone internally for this and our model is to outsource as much as possible. Now, this is all we are facing with and first time ever. It does shake our IT Strategy boat at the moment and we are not sure which way to go.
We do not have anyone internally for this and our model is to outsource as much as possible. Now, this is all we are facing with and first time ever. It does shake our IT Strategy boat at the moment and we are not sure which way to go.
along with the other ideas, what does "transform simple access database into an IT solution" mean?
What is an IT solution? Access is suitable as a front end for multiple enterprises, so you would need to define why Access is insufficient and what an "IT solution" means.
Dale
What is an IT solution? Access is suitable as a front end for multiple enterprises, so you would need to define why Access is insufficient and what an "IT solution" means.
Dale
>> so far no developments in house have been done
Who created the Access database?
Who created the reports?
etc...
Something has already been done in-house.
We still need to know what skillsets you currently have in place.
What IT people do you currently have and what are their abilities?
>>realizing this could be a great system for few departments to use and share the reports from the data that's coming in.
Still not seeing a need to get rid of Access and move to something else.
Why are you looking to get rid of Access?
Who created the Access database?
Who created the reports?
etc...
Something has already been done in-house.
We still need to know what skillsets you currently have in place.
What IT people do you currently have and what are their abilities?
>>realizing this could be a great system for few departments to use and share the reports from the data that's coming in.
Still not seeing a need to get rid of Access and move to something else.
Why are you looking to get rid of Access?
it started as a small business application and then seems to have grown so much, and there's plenty of data in there that they are now realizing this could be a great system for few departments to use and share the reports from the data that's coming in.
Despite MS's foot-dragging on the issue, this is exactly the thing that makes Access valuable. Any decently useful MS Access application that is well-designed starts to subsume other related functions until you wind up with a full-blown line-of-business application.
As long as the long-term number of concurrent users is going to remain well below one hundred and the application is only ever going to need to be used on a single LAN site, Access will suit your needs very well. You will likely want and need to install SQL Server Express Edition (free) on a server-class machine and move the data into what is called a SQL Server backend. The remaining part is called the frontend. It should be distributed to the local drive of each user.
Bring in a reputable Access consultant, and git er dun.
Despite MS's foot-dragging on the issue, this is exactly the thing that makes Access valuable. Any decently useful MS Access application that is well-designed starts to subsume other related functions until you wind up with a full-blown line-of-business application.
As long as the long-term number of concurrent users is going to remain well below one hundred and the application is only ever going to need to be used on a single LAN site, Access will suit your needs very well. You will likely want and need to install SQL Server Express Edition (free) on a server-class machine and move the data into what is called a SQL Server backend. The remaining part is called the frontend. It should be distributed to the local drive of each user.
Bring in a reputable Access consultant, and git er dun.
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To start:
What is causing the move from Access to something different?
What development and admin skills do you have in-house? for example: If you have a LOT of VB programmers, that would leave a Perl/Php based app out of the question.