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Should you Create

Accounting Software
Using MS Access?
Versatility is one of the biggest benefits of Microsoft
Access. When you are able to take advantage of all of
the different features, it can perform a variety of different
functions which ultimately improve your business.
Microsoft Access can be used to create custom
accounting applications which, in some cases, can help
your business improve efficiency and save money.
However, Access is not always the best tool to use for
accounting. This guide will help you understand when
you should consider Access for your accounting needs
and take you through the basic steps to help you get
started.

Is Microsoft Access good

for accounting?
You may be wondering why you should use Access to
create an accounting software when you could just buy
an accounting package already on the market instead.
This is a very good question and you’d be right in
thinking that it is better to purchase accounting packages
instead of creating your own, in most cases. Modern
accounting software is excellent and it is more cost-
effective to simply purchase an off-the-shelf solution,
rather than investing a lot of time and money in a
custom-made solution on Access.

For basic accounting tasks, there is no need to use

Access. However, if you are managing large data sets
and you need to complete specific niche accounting
tasks that are not catered for by existing software,
Microsoft Access can offer an excellent solution.

Microsoft Access is a perfect solution for production,

inventory, sales, accounting, etc. If you think that
Microsoft Access is the best fit for your needs, follow
these basic steps:

Step 1: Create a table

Before you can import and manipulate your data, you
need to create a table. Do this by clicking ‘Create’ on the
toolbar on the left hand side, and then click ‘Table.’ You
will then be given options for naming fields and choosing
the field type. Fill out the information and add the field,
repeating as many times as you need to until you have
the right fields in your table.

Step 2: Select the right

data type
The data type determines the format that data displays in
once you start populating your table. It is important that
you select the right data type for each field so the
information displays correctly and you can manipulate it
in the way that you need to. The data type options that
you are likely to use for accounting applications are:

Short text
Long text
Number
Large number
Date/time
Currency
Calculated
Attachment
AutoNumber

Most of these options are self-explanatory and it will be

clear when you need to use text to title fields or numbers
to input data, and which fields need to be displayed as
dates or currency. The AutoNumber data type will
automatically number data entries when you move to the
next row (Customer 1, Customer 2, etc.) The
attachments data type allows you to attach documents to
certain fields. This may be used to attach financial
documents like invoices from other sources, but may not
always be needed.

Step 3: Customize your

Eelds
Once you have a basic table and you have selected the
right data types for each field, you need to start
customizing those fields to meet your specific needs. At
the top of the table, you will see all of the different fields.
If you need to add another one, simply click the ‘Click to
Add’ button on the right hand side.

Click on the field title to change the name of each field.

This is where you will start organizing the table ready for
your data to be imported. Common field titles for basic
invoicing software might look this:

Invoice ID
CompanyName
FirstName
LastName
StreetAddress
City
County
Postcode

Depending on what you are using your Microsoft SQL

server for, these headings will be different. For example,
you may have headings for each month and fields for
your revenue and outgoings in each month. You could
then add a seperate field to calculate overall profits. The
beauty of MS Access is that it’s completely customizable,
so you can build production, order tracking, inventory
and any software to do whatever you need it to.

Step 4: Categorize your

data
Custom software performs a lot of different functions, like
invoicing, production, order tracking, inventory, cash
flow management, taxes, etc. So, you need to categorize
your data to split the database into separate sections for
each function.

You can automatically categorize data in Access using

basic categories but for the best results you should
create your own custom categories. To do this, go to the
navigation pane and click ‘Navigation Options,’ then go
to categories and click ‘Add New Item.’ A new category is
created and then you simply need to name it.

Right click on an item and then select ‘Add to Group.’

Pick your custom category and that data is now in that
category. Once all data is categorized in this way, it is
easy to go to the navigation pane and then group data
into different categories.

Step 5: Set up a key

differentiator
It is likely that you will have pieces of data with duplicate
content, e.g the same company name or address. You
need to set up a key differentiator so you can organize
these pieces of data without confusing them.

The easiest way to do this is to assign customer ID

numbers to each customer in the database. Attaching
invoices also solves this issue.

Step 6: Design your

database
At this stage, you should have a functional database with
data organized into the right categories. Now you need
to design it and make some adjustments so it displays
well and is simple and intuitive to use.

Click ‘View’ on the toolbar and you will be able to modify

the structure of the tables. Here you will find options for
adding and removing columns, assigning default values
to certain fields, and renaming the fields. You can also
change the data type and edit the character size and
data format. By making these changes, you can ensure
that data is displayed in the correct way and the tables
easy to read and navigate.

Bear in mind that if you have a large dataset and you

change the data type, you may be presented with an
error message.

Step 7: Share your

database
Now that the design is finalized and your new database
is ready to use, you need to share it with your
colleagues. Microsoft Access allows multiple users to
access the database at the same time, so it can be used
by all of the relevant departments in your business.

The easiest way to share a database is to store it on a

shared network drive. Other users simply need to access
the file and they can use the database. You can also
share a split database. When you do this, the database
is split into two parts; a back end containing all of the
data and a front end that can be accessed by the user.
Each user interacts with the database using a local copy
of the front end, but they are unable to manipulate the
back end data. This is a more secure option for large
businesses that need to control access.

When should you use

Microsoft Access?
There are certain situations where Access is the best
choice and some industries use it more than others.
When you are managing large data sets and you need to
query them, it is often easier to use Access rather than
excel. It is also useful for creating reports because it has
more flexible options for relational databases.

Common uses for Microsoft Access include:

Financial reporting
Collating regional sales data
Auditing (with large data sets)
Inventory management
Production

Before deciding to build an application from scratch,

consider carefully whether existing software can fulfil that
need.

Need further assistance?

These basic steps will help you create software using
Microsoft Access. However, if you need more assistance
and you want to unlock the full potential of this great
application, you need the help of experienced Microsoft
Access consultants.

Here at Access Experts, we have a team of Microsoft

Access professionals who can help you build the perfect
database for your business, and assist with any other
Access-related issues you are having. Contact us today
to discuss how we can help you use Access to improve
your business.

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May 20th, 2022

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