Microsoft® Access® Small Business Solutions: State-of-the-Art Database Models for Sales, Marketing, Customer Management, and More Key Business Activities

Chapter 1. Overview and Road Map

You, like many others, either realize or are considering the probability that using a database will alleviate a lot of the challenges that you are struggling with to manage information. But you are not familiar with database technology, and you don't know the best place to start or what to expect. Maybe you've tried some templates, or looked at some packaged solutions, and determined that they were not the best fit for your needs. That's where this book comes in.

This is arguably the most comprehensive book about Access database designs that you will find. The companion CD provides 31 database models, guides, and bonus material–a total of 76 files! We have included numerous tips and techniques from database developers, based on real-life examples, and have provided ready-to-use models. As we went through the process of creating the tables, we provided practical advice, included alternatives, and incorporated some sidebars to help you deal with more complex scenarios. We've managed to consolidate this into a compact book that is easy to understand and implement—written without a lot of database jargon, and in a style that we hope is comfortable for you, the businessperson.

We wanted to cover the most common business scenarios and provide you with advice and guidance from business experts who are also recognized for their database expertise. We did that by forming a team of ten Access developers who have earned worldwide recognition as Microsoft Access ...