How to use an Access database to track it projects

How to use an Access database to track it projects

Author: techrepublic.com.com

Reprinted from zdnet

Managing an IT project often involves multiple teams in different fields. Providing status updates and Tracking Project changes is a serious challenge for managers. Building a basic access database makes it easy to manage input project data and quickly create reports.

The project manager must have a detailed understanding of the project status at all times, so that others can understand the reasons for project delay or project overspending and the necessity of adding resources. Editing all this data usually takes a lot of time, so the project manager often needs to squeeze out time to complete the job.

Today's projects are complex, and R & D work is often assigned to many different remote teams. How will you track everything that these teams are doing? For those that are not directly responsible for your project team, but their impact is unknown, untraceable, and cannot be inferred, how do you gradually infer the risks of the project? In the past, it was good to write this question on a piece of paper, or if you manage it well, it is possible to record it on the project log. But how do you pass this information to the project team? Especially when these teams are not together? In fact, in today's connected world, employees and managers want to easily access the project information.

The good news is that a simple Microsoft Access database can help you do this. Access allows you to quickly and easily store and operate project data by creating simple table structures, input data items, and reports. You can use the project document created in access to improve project communication and emphasize and solve problems. In addition, access is easy to establish and maintain, and it can provide a centralized tracking site for project problems. Access is part of Microsoft's tool suite office, which is included with access and many other versions of Microsoft tools, applications, and software suites, this makes it easy for people who are familiar with these tools to access data in their programs. In this article, I will show you how to create an Access database for tracking IT projects.

Create a project log

Creating a table structure that saves project logs is very simple. You can use a table for centralized management of project issues, Action Terms, change requirements, and risks. All members of the project team can easily enter information in a standard format to generate reports and view information.

Although any database management system allows you to create the same tables and reports, access can be used in most customer environments. It can be stored in a central storage (such as file sharing, in addition, you can copy a copy to run on your own system (this is useful for project managers who travel in different places, often visit customers, or occasionally work at home ). In addition, when you cannot connect, you can use Microsoft Excel to create data in the same format and then add the data to the central database.

To create a table that saves project log data, open access, select "table" under the "object" menu, and then select "new ". Access will prompt you to create a table through some interfaces. "Design view" allows users who know the table structure to enter the field name and specify the data type. The drop-down data type simplifies table creation. After entering all the fields in the project log table you want to enter, use a proper name to save the table.

Table A provides an example of project log table definition. You can add or delete fields as needed. For example, you may want to add the default value of a field or constrain the range of input values of members. The index of this table is the log number field.

Table A: Project logs

Name	Type	Size
Type	Text	1
Log number	Long Integer	4
Summary Description	Text	255
Status	Text	10
Priority	Text	1
Submission date	Date/time	8
Initiator	Text	50
Allocate	Text	50
Expiration Date	Date/time	8
Last update data	Date/time	8
Process	Remarks	---
Specified team	Text	15
Additional costs	Currency	8
Composition	Text	50

Create a project log form

Now there is a table that can store project log data, so you can create a form to help the project team input data. The easier it is to create a form, the more likely your team will enter data and provide you with valuable project status information. In access, you can use the design manager to help you create a form. Access allows you to select a table for insertion, update, or query. This reduces the need to write complex SQL statements (Database encoding) to maintain the table and allows you to change the appearance.

Click "form" from the Access main menu and select "new ". Select "design view" and the data table you want to obtain. Then click "OK" to enter the form design. In this case, you can use the "Tools" menu to add and arrange objects in the form. Figure A provides an example of a form.

Figure A: the access form provides a friendly user interface for team members to enter information in project logs.

During the project cycle, members of the project team can use this form to record their identified problems and behaviors. As problems in the project log are solved, the project log will become a very valuable history in the project process.

Project log report

You can create a large number of reports throughout the project cycle to check and analyze project log data. You can also develop reports to provide project documents to users or management.

The following describes how to use a standard project report during a team meeting. On the basis of orderly recording and inspection, important action clauses will not be missed or ignored. Project Team members can use the information in the log for all local or remote project team members to exchange questions.

When creating a form, use the design manager to create a report. The design manager allows you to drag and drop objects within the report range. Tags are automatically created for data in each table, but their names can be easily changed to make their meanings more meaningful. You can add titles, page numbers, headers, and footers to make your reports more professional.

To create a report from the Access main menu, click "report" and select "new ". Select "design view" and the data table you want to obtain. Click "OK" to go to "report design ". Now you can use the Tools menu to add and organize objects in the report topic. Figure B provides an example of a project log report.

Figure B: Access allows you to provide a project log data report in a very easy-to-read manner.

Maintaining project log data in a database structure makes it easy to create reports. The report content is based on the important information of the project team. The information includes:

Project log summary project documents, such as project actions, problems, risks, and change requirements (public and confidential problem percentage, and number of change request problems)

As another option to create an Access Report, you can simply extract data from your project logs and put it in an Excel spreadsheet.

Action taken

Now it's time to collect all the papers used to record various project problems. You can merge them into a simple access database. When you implement this, you will have a good understanding of the problems, unfinished terms of action, and project risks. You can create meaningful reports for your project team, management, and customers, and notify each person of the current project status in a timely manner. Finally, you can provide your collaborators and customers with the documents they want.