Client Spotlights

A large Seattle-based online retailer had a home-grown Microsoft Access application for tracking items and their associated business commitments. It was not using a SQL-Server backend, so it had recurring record-locking conflicts. This application was ported to SQL Server for the tables, and hundreds of enhancements and security features were added over a period of years. Dozens of simultaneous users were able to effectively use the application, and the SQL database was migrated to a Cloud platform. Several versions of the client Access application were developed, to meet the needs of various user groups.

A government-funded organization providing a wide range of services to students needed a new unified capability to manage school applications, academic progress, hosting, and language services to thousands of foreign students. All of the legacy data was merged into a new relational database design. Forms allowing search, update, and workflow tracking were designed and deployed, with the language displayed derived from the preferred language of the logged-in user. Hosting for international access to the application was configured, and custom reports generated.

A respected residential building firm in Detroit was using a combination of paper-based documents and basic Microsoft Excel charts to track sales activity on new homes, feature and finish selections, and subsequent change-orders. A Microsoft Access database was engineered to encapsulate all floor plans and elevations, along with extensive option-sets for finishes, fixtures, hardware, and other potential home-buyer choices. Additionally, after finalizing the original sales process, the database would track change-order requests and communicate with the trades involved to facilitate and bill for the modifications.

A Service Contract provider for Data Communications equipment needed an application to manage all existing contracts, repair activities, and the transactions of units in and out of the spares pool, including cost and configuration. A Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server application was developed with a customized interface for the Accounting, Sales, and Technical employees to view and update the status of all Service Contracts. The features included management reports, comparisons of Contract Commitments to Spares, and Service Contract renewal schedules. Spares items with complex configurations and equivalency hierarchies were coded into the database, and the substitution options were displayed based on inventory in the spares pool.

A boutique physical therapy practice was monitoring patient progress on paper forms and simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. A Microsoft Access database was engineered to provide for input of patient measurements and activities, generating comprehensive patient histories. These histories then could be transformed into graphical reports, based upon selected individual measurements and date ranges, providing valuable feedback on the rehabilitation process and its success. Further demographic metadata also was captured, including gender, age, and activity level, permitting statistical studies of overarching trends and baseline analysis. Comprehensive documentation and training manuals also were generated.