Forum Discussion
Creating a client database - data control, best methods
Hello all,
I may end up asking some very specific examples, but I have some fairly broad questions which I'm curious about.
I work in a role where I (generally) help our customer facing staff use their client databases better. Whether that's better reporting or data control or whatever, the point is that generally, there's a set system that captures the data, then lets you add more info, and run reports based off it. The third party database becomes the "Master" piece of info.
We now have some smaller departments that don't have a third party client database, so whatever solution we come up with, probably in excel, becomes the master.
I am constrained by a cust ref number already being in play.
I have done smaller lists etc using MS forms before, and the database will not hold in-depth case noting or anything, some minor notes at most, but I'm unsure from which direction I should attack keeping the data cleaning. Do I use a form to keep it in control, but then for adding info to the list, do I reference individual sheets for each client that link back to the main sheet?
Having to think about it from a perspective of other staff who will use it as an end product, and I don't want them to have to get into much excel backend malarky.
Any general thoughts appreciated.
3 Replies
- Is the cust ref# constant or does it change with each call? Do you have a customer/account #? As calls come in then the customer # accumulates more ref#'s. Have your master hold that customer# and have you form have this # too. then you can merge and link the two and master will grow. Use Acces to load and pull data as it grows. I may not understand exactly so this may not help.
- Cust ref/account is constant.
Can't use Access unfortunately.
Finding some workarounds, but failing at having much cross referencing which is gonna lead to folks not updating all info. Onwards.davidmaddock54 how many customers/accounts in total. Do the CSRs work on all customers or is the customer based divided by CSR?
It's a good thing that the acct # is constant. That's the parent/link you would need to summarize all activity under it. Look into power queries too. Build you main with all the customers and link into it daily by power queries.
