Customised Microsoft Access Databases

Welcome to Timepage Databases

Timepage is a database consultancy specialising in cost-effective Microsoft Access databases, customised to meet the exact needs of our customers.

Established in 1997, we have developed our expertise solving office administration and database management problems for a wide variety of organisations. We can:

Our success has come from working closely with our customers, designing database applications using Microsoft Access, often in association with Excel, Word and SQL Server, with ongoing support provided.

Based in Eastbourne, East Sussex, serving UK clients in London, Surrey, Sussex and elsewhere, call us on 01323 430057 or e-mail: admin@database-access.co.uk.

Timepage is run by Martin Ball, an expert in developing databases, having done so for more than 20 years, mostly using Microsoft Access.



Testimonials

'Fantastic, everyone loves it' - General Manager, Life Works.

'Excellent work . . . quality result for specialised requirement . . . instrumental in our success' - Chief Executive, Managed Training Services.

'Superb tool' - Chief Executive, Cyan Technology.

'To say it is a superb improvement is an understatement . . . easy to use and report generation is excellent' - Proprietor, Castle VAT & Payroll Bureau.

'Love the system', 'Great work' - Feedback Evaluators, Acacia Learning.

'Database is great' - Proprietor, Heritage.

'Carried out the work in an efficient and prompt manner . . . commitment to the task much appreciated' - Project Manager, Local Space Housing Association.

'Works like a dream' - Corporate Business Manager, American Express UK.

'Maintenance of existing systems enabled us to concentrate on move to SQL Server' - Database Manager, Direct Business Intelligence.

'The solution surpassed our expectations with the speed of data processing and the high degree of flexibility and reliability' - Finance Manager, NPI Pensions.

'Helped increase sales by providing feedback on sales of new outlets . . . Payroll system ensures staff are paid promptly and correctly at considerably less cost' - IT Operations Manager, Pizza Hut UK.



Applications

We have developed many different applications, databases being at the heart of each:



Clients

We have many current and past customers, in a wide variety of sectors.

Click on the client name for a summary of how our databases have helped them.

  • Life Works - Addiction Treatment
  • We enhanced an Access database used for managing enquiries and cases for addiction treatment. Data imported from Excel. Automatic updates of appointments calendar and tasks in Outlook and reports in Excel, plus documents in Word.

    'Fantastic, everyone loves it' - General Manager. Client website: Life Works


  • American Express UK
  • We created an Access database for corporate sales leads management. Includes import from enterprise database.

    'Works like a dream' - Corporate Business Manager. Client website: American Express


  • Pizza Hut UK
  • Development of a Sales Analysis database for a pilot scheme of takeaway/delivery units. From data uploaded by units, reports analysing sales by socio-economic type of customer and type of product were provided.These reports were used by marketing to increase sales by opening new stores at appropriate sites and by focussing on successful products. Also developed a Payroll Transfer database to pass hours worked data uploaded from all units nationwide to a payroll package for payment of employees. Checks were in-built and reports provided.This replaced a manual data entry system at head office and thus saved considerable costs as well as time, ensuring staff were paid promptly and correct amounts. Enhancement of restaurant development system using Excel and Access. Development of delivery motorbike maintenance costs reporting system using Excel and Access. Bulk conversion of a variety of databases from Access v2 to Access 97 and subsequently to Access 2007. Fully documented these databases to enable others to easily understand them for purposes of future maintenance or conversion. Mentoring and support for users in the use of Access and Excel. Maintenance of rates and rents payments databases. Enhanced motorbike and rider licensing database for individual delivery hut registers.

    'Helped increase sales by providing feedback on sales of new outlets . . . Payroll system ensures staff are paid promptly and correctly at considerably less cost' - IT Operations Manager. Client website: Pizza Hut


  • Acacia Learning - Business Training
  • For student feedback statistics, we converted a cumbersome, error-prone system of linked Excel spreadsheets to a user-friendly Access database. Data automatically input from Google Forms, with many chart-based reports.

    'Love the system', 'Great work' - Feedback Evaluators. Client website: Acacia Learning


  • Local Space Housing Association - Acquisitions Management
  • We enhanced an Access database used for managing property acquisitions. Greatly improved user interface with comprehensive data entry validation, flexible searching, security. Added documents module to create and e-mail forms, contracts and letters in conjunction with Word and Outlook.

    'Carried out the work in an efficient and prompt manner; commitment to the task much appreciated' - Project Manager. Client website: Local Space


  • Cyan Technology - Microprocessors
  • Creation of prototype Access database for tracking projects for sales department. Data imported from Excel. Followed by conversion to PHP and MySQL for intranet.

    'Superb tool' - Chief Executive. Client website: Cyan Technology


  • Castle VAT & Payroll Bureau
  • Enhancement of Access database for calculating and reporting VAT for retail outlets.

    'To say it is a superb improvement is an understatement - it is easy to use and the report generation is excellent' - Proprietor.


  • TUV UK - Quality Management
  • We enhanced an Access database used for managing quality systems for clients and converted it from Access 2002 to Access 2007. We also created databases for management of Pressure Equipment Directives and Welders' certifications (Access and Word).

    Client website: TUV


  • Homebase
  • Distribution Capacity Planning Model Monitoring using Access and Excel. Import of depot and sales data from central Business Warehouse database with extensive validation due to source data's fragility. Data then collated, cross-tabulated and summaries exported to Excel for plan versus actual variance analysis. Homebase have benefitted from a much better use of space in their various depots. Client website: Homebase


  • Heritage - House Exterior Painting
  • Sales Leads Management database (Access).

    'Database is great' - Proprietor.


  • Marchmont Surveyors - Property Management
  • Enhancements and error corrections for Access/ASP web database used by retail/office chains to manage properties on internet. Client website: Marchmont Surveyors


  • Jackson Lowe Marketing - Accommodation Guides
  • Performance improvement for accommodation directory, held in Access database, used for British tourist boards' published guides. Enhanced import to download source data via XML from the EnglandNet web site.


  • C & K Extrusions - Plastics Manufacturing
  • Enhancements to stock control system. Improved data entry forms and introduced invoice prints, using Visual Basic 6, Access 2000 and Crystal Reports.


  • Sure Start - Early Years Child Development
  • Enhancements to Access Database package for security, menus, reports, performance. This has enabled software house's package to become the leading product for Sure Start units around the country. Client website: Sure Start


  • DJ Booking Agencies
  • Conversion of booking databases to Access/Word from Filemaker Pro. For easier access, stricter validation of data, more reports, plus production and e-mailing of contracts and other documents. Introduced modules for enquiries (to improve conversion rate to bookings) and DJ availability (including data transfer to web site). Automatic addition of events to DJs' Google calendars.

    Client websites: Elite Music Management, IMD DJs, MN2S


  • Sunninghill Construction
  • Fixed problems of slowness and crashing in project management and marketing Access databases.

    'Quickly identified and resolved problems with databases' - Manager. Client website: Sunninghill Construction


  • Direct Business Intelligence - Electronics Marketing
  • Enhancement of electronic component manufacturing clients' marketing databases. This included import of sales leads, deletion of duplicate leads, production of letters accompanying brochures, literature stock control, export of leads for clients. Combination of Access and Excel. Also migration of data from Access in readiness for move to SQL Server.

    'Maintenance of existing systems enabled us to concentrate on move to SQL Server' - Database Manager.


  • NPI - Pensions
  • Product sales and market analysis information database: Data from spreadsheet applications and mainframe sales data was combined into database format. Data processing time dramatically improved by a factor of 20. Automating procedures and processes significantly reduced calculation errors and combined with auditing facilities maximizes staff confidence with the results. User-friendly interface for adding new products to the system. Data reporting facilities extensive and easy to use, allowing a wide range of information to be sent to senior management electronically with precise and clear presentation.

    Past Performance database: A database was set up to calculate fund values for individual contracts and for selected funds, with a spreadsheet integrated to calculate yields. The user-friendly interface allows staff to quickly and accurately respond with confidence to requests from outside bodies for this information.

    'The solution surpassed our expectations with the speed of data processing and the high degree of flexibility and reliability' - Finance Manager.


  • Sussex Family History Group - Genealogy
  • We enhanced Access databases used for library catalogue (improved searching, label printing) and member contact details. Client website: Sussex Family History Group


  • Star Translations
  • We created an Access database for creating invoices and other documents for translation jobs held in the main database.

    'Work much appreciated' - Managing Director. Client website: Star Translations


  • High Premium Group
  • We fixed an Access database for a Lloyd's members' club and enhanced for magazine subscriptions.

    'Will definitely use Timepage again' - Administrator. Client website: High Premium Group


  • Managed Training Services - Cisco Networks Training
  • Enhancement of networked Course Bookings system. This complex system was originally flat-file and was converted to a relational database with added functionality. This provided greater integrity and flexibility, giving greater confidence to the users of the system, and allowing future changes to business processes to be easily handled.

    'Excellent work . . . quality result for specialised requirement . . . instrumental in our success' - Chief Executive.


  • Peterborough City Council
  • We helped the council's move to Unitary Authority status. We converted an Education Welfare Benefits application from Clipper to Access v2. This included use of Access-Word mail merge and auto-attachments to data files. In addition we converted an Access 97 Education Baseline Assessment database from Cambridgeshire CC (again auto-attachments but used common dialog ActiveX control). We also developed an Access 97 time sheets system for the IT department. Client website: Peterborough City Council


  • Ford Motor Company
  • We enhanced an air freight analysis Access v2 database for multiple currencies in order to handle data transferred from German air freight agents. We also created an Access v2 database for the air freight agents to enter and transfer data to Ford. Access Basic was used extensively, with some use of Windows API functions. Client website: Ford Motor Company


  • East Sussex County Council
  • We developed a networked Service Level Agreements database to equip in-house computer services department for CCT (Compulsory Competitive Tendering. Access v2 and Access Developer's Toolkit were used. We also enhanced the council's payroll and ledger accounting systems. Client website: East Sussex County Council


  • Colonial - Financial Services
  • We developed a state-of-the-art Customer Quotations, Proposals and Administration system for sales agents' laptops. Also supported the very many sales agents who used the system - help line, packaging software on to disks for distribution. Client website: Colonial




Our Methodology

Firstly we like to visit our customers on a no-fees-paid basis to discuss their needs.

We follow this up with a proposed programme of development and support.

To ensure the very best solutions are provided, we maintain close contact with our customers.

We use modern reliable methods over the life of the project, which consists of the following stages:

The above stages can be provided individually, if you so wish. For instance, we can do just a feasibility study, or complete a project which has been cut short.



Microsoft Office Power

Access integrates well with other applications included in Microsoft Office. We exploit the power of these applications mainly using a process called automation, run using the VBA programming language from user-friendly database forms.

Combining Word, Excel and Outlook with Access, we give you a great deal of control of your data:

Word

Mail merges can be done, with data from Access inserted into fields in Word templates. Templates can also be used for producing standard letters and documents, e.g. invoices and contracts, enabling you to control formatting. E-mailing and printing can be incorporated with documents saved for subsequent retrieval.

Excel

Data can be exported from Access to Excel and vice versa. Excel templates can be used, enabling you to format the spreadsheet, include formulas, summaries and charts (Excel has more charts than Access has, e.g. pivot chart), data being exported into the spreadsheet. You can then print, e-mail, or manipulate the spreadsheet in whatever way you like. Data can also be linked between Access and Excel.

Outlook

Contact data can be exported from Access to Outlook and vice versa. E-mails can be set up and sent (this can also be done if you use different e-mail software). Mail merges can be done in a similar way to Word but with the results e-mailed. Entries in appointment calendars and journals can be created, as can tasks. If Outlook is used with Exchange, shared folders (calendars, etc.) can be updated.



SQL Server

Migrating your data to Microsoft SQL Server, while retaining your Access user interface, can often be advantageous.

SQL Server can provide the following benefits:

We can help you migrate, adapting your current Access user interface to work with SQL Server.

SQL Server Express is a lightweight version and is free.

We can also migrate your Access database to MySQL, a cheap and reliable alternative to SQL Server.



Contact Us

Interested in our services?

Call us on 01323 430057 for a friendly chat, e-mail us at admin@database-access.co.uk or fill out the form below:

Copyright © 1997-2018 Timepage Ltd