Database

Database

Media Solutions specialise in producing database systems tailored to suit the exacting requirements of any organisation.

We build a robust, flexible and effective database designed to be securely accessed from anywhere in the world with teh following features:

  • Intuitive, visual, but powerful user interface enabling fast access to, and entry of, relevant information
  • Differing level of access to data
  • Bespoke reports manager to allow customisable reports;
  • Mail merge capabilities;
  • Full training and support 
  • Web application based on industry standard PHP-MySQL technologies.

Database benefits

The system will have the following benefits for your organisation:

  • Reduced administration – much of the information can be added at source by the clients, making the process much more efficient;
  • Reduced costs – less time and paperwork results in reduced overheads;
  • Better information - improved reporting from the relational database will allow for much more detailed reports “on the fly”, allowing for more informed decisions on service improvement.

Why do I need a database?

Answer 'yes' to at least three of the questions below and you definitely should investigate the use of a database to better organise and report your information.

  1. Do you find yourself entering the same information into multiple documents?

  2. Do several people in your organisation have the need to view your data at the same time?

  3. When you make the changes in your documents, are you forced to make the same changes in others?

  4. Do you have a large amount of data that is becoming bigger and unmanageable?

  5. Are yout racking related information in several spreadsheets, such as separate sheets for sales for different departments or different geographical locations?

  6. When viewing your information, are you constantly scrolling on your screen to view it all? Or do you have a difficult time viewing the specific sets of data that you want?

You need a database if:

  • The information is a large amount that would become unmanageable in spreadsheet form and is related to a particular subject.
  • You want to maintain records for ongoing use.
  • The information is subject to many changes (change of address, pricing changes, etc.).
  • You want to generate reports based on the information.

Use a spreadsheet if:

  • You want to crunch numbers and perform automatic calculations.
  • You want to track a simple list of data.
  • You want to easily create charts and graphs of your data.

  

 

Example of where not to use a spreadsheet – use a database instead!

As an example, you have a spreadsheet, which contains a number of products that you order from several suppliers.

In this spreadsheet, you include the supplier telephone numbers, invoice information, and product information. Imagine that you are adding add a new product from an existing supplier; it is the fifth product you purchase from this supplier. In order to ensure that you know who the supplier is, and the supplier contact information (due to filtering and sorting your spreadsheet data) you must repeat the suppliers’contact information next to that new product. You have just repeated the supplier’s contact information FIVE times in the spreadsheet!

What happens if a supplier has moved? You will have to make changes in each of the spreadsheet cells as well as the various other spreadsheet and word-processed files that contain the supplier’s address.

In a database, you make this change once; all reports generated from the database will contain the correct supplier address.

What is a database?

A database is a collection of data that is related to a particular topic or purpose. As an example, employee records in a filing cabinet, a collection of sales leads in a notebook, are examples of collections of data or databases.

A database management system (DBMS) is a system that stores and retrieves information in a database. It is used to help you organize your data according to a subject, so that it is easy to track and verify your data, and you can store information about how different subjects are related, so that it makes it easy to bring related data together.

Most financial managers and management accountants possess strong spreadsheet skills, but database design differs from spreadsheet design.

Spreadsheet design carries very few rules, and, as a result, spreadsheets are easy to create. But not all spreadsheets are clear and logical, and most lack data integrity controls. When spreadsheets lack clarity and logic, the data and formulas are difficult to modify, and errors typically result.

Database design is more formal and has rules of structure. Errors are less likely to occur with a properly designed database, and it is easier to extract data and obtain reports from a properly designed database.