Business Database

dccarm

natc wrote: »

I dont know if ive put this in the right place, apologies first if I havent....

I think ive made a thread somewhere before about this but was a long time ago and the needs have changed!

We just need a simple system. We have been using excel for everything, to record the staffs hours and the places they have worked etc which shows them a monthly breakdown. Then we have to invoice each customer, then we make a wage sheet on excel for each staff member so that we can pay them through the bank.

I just find that doing it all this way is time consuming and sometimes, user error may occur and the information is not accurate. I feel a system that you can make records for each staff member, and then records for the customers would make this easier. Im not sure what Sage would be like for this, but heard its expensive and prob not the best system for us to use. We dont need an accounting system, just a system where you can input the details once, instead of 3 times! Then to be able to print some kind of report showing the staff wage totals for the month/week, and then to generate an invoice......hope this makes sense....

While a database would be the best solution, it might be that you could get by with a smarter spreadsheet.

A couple of questions for you -

How many staff do you have?
How much data is generated - e.g. is there a row per day per person?
How are the invoices produced (also on Excel?)
How are your accounts prepared on a monthly / annual basis?
How many customers do you have?
How often do you raise invoices and pay wages?
Do you use one big spreadsheet, or a new one for each period?

natc

Thanks for your replies everyone : )

Oldtoolie - Sage just wont do what we need it to do. We dont need it do do invoices or anything like that, we just need a system that allows us to input our subcontractors and employees details, and where they have worked, how much for etc. Ive spoken to Sage and they have said they dont have a system that will do this.

We are also not looking for a web based system.

I agree that making our own database is too difficult for us to do ourselves. Our requirements just seem so small that we didnt think we would need a tailor made database - i would have thought that there was some system already out there that would cater for us. This doesnt seem the case. Looks like we will have to go down the route of a tailor made system to cater to our actual needs, but seems very expensive for the information that we will be inputting and wanting out of it.

oldtoolie

You have not been clear about your needs which is why you have received such an array of responses. In your original post you said:

"We just need a simple system. We have been using excel for everything, to record the staffs hours and the places they have worked etc which shows them a monthly breakdown. Then we have to invoice each customer, then we make a wage sheet on excel for each staff member so that we can pay them through the bank."

Which is what the basic Sage systems can do. But now you say you don't need that.

Try searching the net for Access database templates. You do need Microsoft Access to start of course.

Microsoft has as range of free templates including the Northwind database which is a comprehensive business database which is used for training but could be used for real. There is also a Time and Billing database. See http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates

Or for £99 you can purchase

Service & Repair Management from Access To Go
"One of the most popular databases in our range! Suits small one engineer firms or larger companies with an army of engineers, workshop or on-site repairs. Record all your clients, their units (things you repair), service details including parts, labour, travel etc and invoice them."

http://www.accesstogo.org.uk/Service_History_Database.html

It is easier to start with a database that does most of what you want and then modify it than to start from scratch.

natc

I have probably confused ppl as to what we need by mentioning "invoice" - we dont need a system to generate invoices, we just need a system that we can input employee hours worked and where thay have worked, which then would show us where each person has worked each month and what they have earned etc.

We do already have access, but im afraid we dont know how to use that software, and wouldnt be able to make a database from scratch using this.

I have tried the time and billing database which is something similar to what we want, but weve not succeded in using it.

Im in the middle of trying to find someone who makes databases to look at our options for us, a tailor made database - cant find anything off the shelf that would cater for our need as we are not really looking for an accounting system.

PROLIANT

natc wrote: »

I have probably confused ppl as to what we need by mentioning "invoice" - we dont need a system to generate invoices, we just need a system that we can input employee hours worked and where thay have worked, which then would show us where each person has worked each month and what they have earned etc.

We do already have access, but im afraid we dont know how to use that software, and wouldnt be able to make a database from scratch using this.

I have tried the time and billing database which is something similar to what we want, but weve not succeded in using it.

Im in the middle of trying to find someone who makes databases to look at our options for us, a tailor made database - cant find anything off the shelf that would cater for our need as we are not really looking for an accounting system.

Hi Nat, PM sent.

littlepanther

If Phil from this company can't do it then I'll be amazed, https://www.obsys.co.uk