CHAPTER 4

MICROSOFT ACCESS
The benefit of Microsoft Access is that its design and structure enable it to communicate with
other systems that hold data. Unlike larger database systems that run on dedicated servers,
Access runs on a regular desktop computer. Because it is a desktop database system, the user can
work within the database without connecting to those larger systems.
As a Microsoft software package, Access follows many of the conventions of Microsoft Office.
This provides a consistent, familiar interface for work and ensures that file transfer is seamless
between Microsoft Office software, for example, between Access and Excel.
What Is Access?
Access is a RDBMS that can import and manipulate data from other systems on your desktop
computer. While data science professionals work directly with the data warehouse and can create
queries using programming languages such as R and Python, individuals who need to analyze
data as part of their jobs within a department often find Access to be a user-friendly software
package that has the power to access, retrieve, and report data using a Microsoft interface.
Access also integrates well with Microsoft Excel, providing even more analytical and reporting
power that can inform decision-making.
In small businesses and organizations, Access can act as the main data store; however, it is much
more likely that you will use data that is collected and stored in other systems and then imported
into Access for analysis.
The Role of Access in an Organization
Access is one of the many tools that make up an organization’s data landscape—the entirety of
data storage and sharing in an organization. An organization may have both production databases
and analytical databases.
Production databases are systems that handle daily transactions related to an organization’s core
business functions, such as sales, inventory, human resources, payroll, and purchasing. Because
production databases provide value to the organization, companies devote significant resources
to ensure they remain online and active. Companies do not work directly with a production
system when analyzing a business because this may interfere with regular operations for
customer transactions; instead, companies use a data warehouse or analytical database for
building new applications or testing new features. This type of database is entirely separate from
the production database, so changes to the analytical database will not modify the production
database until the developer is ready to push the changes to the production database after
thorough testing.
Analytical databases (data warehouses) serve as an organization’s single point of truth
(SPOT) in which a primary copy of a data element is stored. Changes made to a data element
outside of the data warehouse are not considered final until the primary data element in the data
warehouse is also updated. These large databases contain a vast number of records, each of
which stores historical information about the organization itself. A data warehouse is not a
production system; rather, it is filled with data from the production system, collected over time
and organized in a way that makes retrieval and use easier for business use. We can request
information from the data warehouse, which is then exported to a file we can use in our
analytical software, such as Access or Excel. The ultimate goal of using data is to make good
decisions based on the data and not on emotions.
An organization’s data landscape can also contain numerous flat files held within teams and
workgroups, other systems that run on databases that should be connected to the data warehouse,
and even information from vendors and public sources that can inform data. The data landscape
may include information scraped from the web, downloaded and processed from public sources,

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and environmental data. The extent of an organization’s data landscape is based on the size and
role of the company; larger companies will often have more complex data landscapes, as will
organizations that are undergoing digital transformation and either have or are building a core
platform for all business functions.
Access and Excel
Access and Excel are both software packages in Microsoft Office. They are complementary:
Although they have some functions in common, each package is designed for specific uses.
Sometimes, the overlap or commonalities between them can make it difficult to know which is
most useful. Both Access and Excel can store large amounts of data, run powerful queries, use
analysis tools to manipulate data, and perform complex calculations. However, each software has
its own strengths, and choosing the right software will make your work easier, as Table
13.2 outlines.
Use Excel to: Use Access when you:

Analyze a specific dataset Need to track and record data regularly

Perform complex numerical calculations Need to ensure data integrity

Work with a table for calculations Expect data to be accessed by multiple users

Perform what-if analysis to run scenarios Store data in multiple tables

Create advanced pivot tables and charts Need to connect to other data sources to refresh data (

Create visualizations Secure data at the user level (each user can have diffe
Table 13.2 Choosing Excel or Access Excel and Access each have different strengths when
handling information.
Access and Excel can be used together. It is possible to move data from the data warehouse to
Access and then, as necessary, query and export data from Access to Excel for further analysis
and visualization. Transferring data from one program to another is one of the benefits of using a
desktop database program; as part of the Microsoft suite of products, both Access and Excel can
communicate effectively, so users can also import flat files from Excel and convert them to
relational tables.
Features of Access
Access is a cost-effective database solution. It runs on a desktop computer and provides an easy-
to-use interface that is familiar to users of other Microsoft software. Access interacts well with
Excel for deeper analysis, with Word for reporting, and with PowerPoint for presentations. It can
work with data from external sources, such as a data warehouse, or with exported files from the
web and other systems.
Microsoft Access:
 Creates the framework or structure to store small bits of information (data) in a database
 Allows users to open tables and scroll through records
 Provides an easy-to-use interface for adding, modifying, and retrieving records
 Has a process for creating queries to select, combine, and calculate data from multiple
tables

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 Provides user-friendly screens and support for creating queries, forms, and reports that
allow access and use of the data held in the database
One difference between Access and other Microsoft 365 software is in its introduction or
opening screens. Access loads one database at a time, and all screens focus on the open database.
When you first open Access, the screen will be blank, Figure 13.6 until you load a database.
Once loaded, the screen shows all available commands.

Figure 13.6 The Home screen will give you the options to create a new blank database, choose
from preloaded templates provided by Access, or search for an existing database file. (Used with
permission from Microsoft) As you move through Access, different commands will become
available based on the active objects. For example, you will see different commands when
working in tables versus working with queries. The main working area in Access is the center of
the screen, with navigation on the left and commands across the top.
The Opening Screen
When Access is open without a database, most commands either do not appear or are unavailable
(grayed out). Without a database, the software is inactive. When a database is open on the screen,
you will see commands available on the ribbon along the top (Figure 13.7) and a navigation area
along the left edge of your screen (Figure 13.8). Only one database can be open at a time in
Access, and all software is focused on supporting your open database.

Figure 13.7 The Create tab provides tools and options for creating various database objects such
as tables, forms, queries, reports, and macros to design and manage a database system. (Used
with permission from Microsoft)

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Figure 13.8 Access has many reports and models already built and modifiable; you might want
to consider these before creating one from scratch. (Used with permission from Microsoft)
As you click through the ribbon, notice that some commands are not available unless you have
specific database objects open, and you can move between objects in your database by using the
navigation area on the left side of your database screen.
Although there are many different database software programs in use, most of them have the
same parts. Access, as a RDBMS, follows the typical database conventions, or standards, in use
in all relational database systems.
You can think of Access as a container that holds database objects, which, recall, are items in a
relational database. Each object plays a role in managing the database and the data it stores.
Because the database is electronic, it can grow to hold many objects and can create links and new
uses for each over time.
Like many databases, Access databases usually contain tables, forms, reports, and queries. (They
can also contain macros and modules, which you will learn about in Advanced Database Use.)
Locating and Opening Database Objects
Once you open the database or the container that holds database the object, you will see a
navigation area open on the left side of the screen. This area has headings for each type of object
that is present in the database, followed by the names of each object you have. To open any
object, double-click on its name, and it will open in the main work area on the right side of the
screen (Figure 13.9). To close an object, click on the X next to the name of the object.

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Figure 13.9 Open an object from a database in Access. (Used with permission from Microsoft)
Tables
Tables hold the data in a database. One database can contain many tables, each of which holds a
different record (or set of related information) or parts of a record. One benefit of a relational
database is its ability to split large sets of information about a specific item, person, or idea over
multiple tables. This action speeds up processing and gives the database a better organizational
structure.
As you learned in What Is a Database?, tables are built with rows and columns. The rows of a
table consist of individual records or lines of related data. The columns represent fields or
headings referring to information that is likely to be included in all the records. This structure,
which characterizes all relational databases, makes it possible to share datasets between different
database software packages. An example of table structure is presented in Table 13.3.
ID FirstName LastName MiddleInitial

1234 Mary Nanas A

2345 Jose Garcia I

3456 Andre Williams C

4567 Lisa Estrich J

5678 Pat Johnson E

6789 Stevie Larose Y

Table 13.3 Table Structure This structure characterizes all relational databases, allowing the
sharing of datasets between different database software packages.
This small table contains four fields—ID, FirstName, LastName, MiddleInitial—and six records,
which contain the information for each field for six different employees.
Queries
Queries are a way of asking questions of a dataset. Recall that a query is a structured request for
information, allowing you to choose what information appears, the order in which it appears, and
how it is organized. Queries can also be used to calculate information based on fields. Typically,

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when you interact with the database, you will be creating queries to satisfy business
requirements.
Like other database objects, queries appear in the navigation area of the database. To open a
query, double-click it, and it will appear in the work area of your screen. In Access, you can
change how you view a query, choosing either Datasheet View, which shows the results of the
query in table form, or Design View, which shows the structure of the query and allows you to
modify it. You will learn more about these views in Querying a Database.
Reports
A report shows the results of a query, formatted in a business-friendly way. Creating a report
allows you to choose the precise information you want to include and the format in which you
would like your audience to view it. Since tables and queries typically return results in the form
of tables, reports allow you to focus on the message your audience will need for decision-
making, not on the data. One advantage of creating reports is that you can set up standard reports
that you will need to run frequently (e.g., a report of sales totals) and then open them and view
the latest results as often as necessary.
Like other objects, reports in Access can be created in a Wizard that walks you through the
basics, and then you can adjust the report in Design View. Building a useful report can take time
and care to ensure it summarizes and displays information in an actionable way that supports the
work group’s goals.
Forms
Recall that a form in a database allows users to work with records in an easy-to-use format.
Forms limit the individual’s view of the database to what is necessary for a specific task or
information request. On most websites, we interact with forms that are built on the basis of
queries: They request and present data taken from the underlying table and query structure.
Forms are often based on predefined queries that run over and over again and, as with a search
for a product, may prompt the user for a response.
Forms appear in the navigation area of the database and can be opened in Layout or Design
View, which allows you to modify the form itself (Figure 13.10), or in Form View (ready for
use) (Figure 13.11).

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Figure 13.10 Design View allows users to modify and customize the structure and properties of
database objects, such as tables, queries, forms, and reports, providing a detailed and precise way
to design their database elements. (Used with permission from Microsoft)

Figure 13.11 Form View is the user-friendly interface for interacting with and entering data into
a database, presenting records in a user-readable format and allowing data input and editing.
(Used with permission from Microsoft)