[Twisties34]

Hi, I have a new client who has asked me for some advice in linking an Acess Database and an Excel spreadsheet that he is using for his rental equipment business. Currently, he is using the default "customer" template database that came with Office. And he is also using Excel to store records of clients transactions, such as purchases & payments and current balances.

He would like to be able to update the info in Excel and have this automatically update in the database and visaversa. He would also like to be able to have room to store notes about the customer - such as telephone conversations.

His problem is that a number of his clients have multiple contracts - these need to be easily accessible. Each time they make an agreement for a new rental item, it requires a new contract. I'm wondering if this is possible to link to a contract created in word as a hyperlink.

Personally, I think he would be better off investing in a client management system that will also do invoices and accounts and inventory control as he has other excel spreadsheets for this information. The whole set up sounds rather messy and complicated.

Is it possible to link the three office programs to do what he wants? I have an appointment with him on July 23rd to discuss options and solutions.

[OBP]

Access is designed to do all the things that you talk about and I have created quite a few for posters on here.
Only in extreme circumstances would I use Excel for Clients, Contacts and Stock.
People use it because it is very easy to get started, but as it grows it gets more and more unwieldy.

What version of MS Office is he using?

[Twisties34]

Sorry, haven't gotten back to you before this. I don't know what version of Office he's using, he wasn't sure on the phone when I was first talking to him. He's been in business for around three years now, so I think the Excel thing is getting a bit clunky for him already. He's got all sorts of files in all different folders, and didn't sound at all sure where everything was.

He wants to keep everything as simple as possible as he's running the business by himself with no staff and does not have rental shop front. I've been in touch with MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) and Quicken local reps who both believe (as I do) that he needs something else.

[Twisties34]

I also managed to find and test a free CRM that may work for him. http://www.nchsoftware.com/crm/index.html It has some seperate software (available for purchase) that looks interesting also. Trying their free POS atm.

[Twisties34]

Wow the POS one was so easy to set up and use. Liking it very much.