Efficiency and Collaboration

The purpose of this proposal is to identify the limitations that Microsoft Excel currently has and the benefits of transitioning the software to Microsoft Access. While both systems are quite useful in many companies and have endless possibilities in the way they can be used, Microsoft Access has many more advantages that can benefit this manufacturing company. Some of these features include the generation of tables, forms, reports and queries which the company uses on a daily basis. Not only was this system intended to be a database management system, it also has the capability to access data stored on other applications and databases that the company currently uses. In addition, with the many employees that are currently working at Party Plates, each would have the ability to work on the same documents with the option to amend the other person's work, according to their authorization level. There are many other capabilities that Microsoft Access and Sharepoint have in which this proposal will detail further below. Furthermore, because the of the easy data integration capabilities, the transferring of existing data from Excel to Access would not be a complex task.

Microsoft Access has a reputation of being user-friendly due to the accessible templates, data storage and ability to transfer data from one compatible program to another. Microsoft Access also allows for multiple users, thus data can be shared to create and edit reports, adding to convenience and efficiency companies and individuals seek. As a business professional seeking to organize financial data, Microsoft Access delivers the opportunity to create graphs and tables which may be transferrable to a compatible system for further analysis such as Quickbooks, through templates and wizards. Wizards provide step-by-step instructions in creating the database and relationships, so the user does not need to be technologically knowledgeable to navigate through the program. The integration of Microsoft Access into other programs, such as Microsoft Word is virtually seamless and quite simple. Users benefit from Microsoft Access through custom design features for creating forms, generating information, and creating reports to streamline business processes.

Management also benefits from Microsoft Access from an investment standpoint. Microsoft, in general, is constantly upgrading, so the product itself will never be obsolete. The ability to input data and include or exclude different variables to determine potential business results assists businesses in tracking finances or investment decisions. For example, when considering the purchase of a large cost item such as equipment, it is best to determine how the equipment purchase will benefit the business in profitability and how long it will take the business to recover the amount of dollars invested into the equipment. A report displaying business projections can be created using Microsoft by the author. In addition to the author understanding the data input and output, the author of the report can create graphs, timetables or templates to share with the organization on the cost efficiency of future business expenses; for example