Edmon AgronSystem Coordinator / Document Controller| MBO Architects and Engineering ConsultantJeddah, Saudi Arabia
Microsoft access has been my primary weapon in terms data management and whole nitty gritty of my corporate experience.
I started to use it for inventory management, then to monitor daily time record (DTR) and now I'm using it as primary tool for document control, management and the whole aspects of reporting required which I believe critical in project management.
Does anyone here uses Microsoft Access for project management? I am sure Microsoft Access is one thing you need to consider before attempting to purchase a sky high premium database. I'm not from Microsoft by the way - I just love this tool and I love to hear from people who have used it as well. Saving Changes...
No. what i mean was a simple cataloging system where you will direct your links from MS Access to your file directories. Saving Changes...
STEVE BOEDECKERUnemployed Project Manager| FutureVision ProductionsVernon, Nj, United States
ACCESS is difficult to link to OUTLOOK for non-programmers. BUT ACCESS is pretty easy to learn object concepts.
IMBEDDED links are easy to do and not difficult if you have patience to learn to create those links to OPEN the file.
BUT for UPDATING your project, as others say, there are a few easier ways.
First ask, What am I updating? A standard Plan or the Register or Risks?
TWO, how will I display my data?
Experiment with EXPORTING ACCESS data to EXCEL and see what happens.
Many of the reports I see that people show links for, cannot be created in ACCESS. And time to learn and do something that complicated, will have you almost creating a new software app! Saving Changes...
Amr MiqdadiManaging Director| Justitia Associates ConsultingJerusalem, Palestine, Palestine, State Of
I like MS project. It is great product and the lovely thing about it that you can use as you want, from simple project to a very complex one. It could be a scheduling tool as well as a complete project management tool.
But at the end, use the tool that serves the purpose, and the tool that you feel comfortable with.. Saving Changes...
I would like to ask you to share sample of your usage of this program Saving Changes...
Tobe PhelpsDirector of Digital Experience| Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, Nm, United States
Using Access as your primary project management tool is an interesting choice. It just doesn't lend itself to the job. You can manipulate the data out of MS Project in much the same way without having to build the interface, rules, alerts, and visuals that would be needed in access. Saving Changes...
Larry FlowersProgram Director| Deutsche BankJacksonville, Fl, United States
I am a little late chiming in here but I think I can add some value and this may be helpful to some…at least for those that have some basic knowledge of MS Access. I have used MS Access for several years in many different capacities. In line with this topic, I use Access to manage tasks, project data and provide better reports to the stakeholders. The way I do this is I create and manage my project plans with MS Project. Most stakeholders would hate to see a Gantt chart and MS Project is NOT a task management tool. So, in comes MS Access. I export my MS Project Database to MS Access. Now I have all of the data of my projects and can create queries that are not available in MS Project. I can create a task list for a particular resource that are due in the next two weeks and provide them with this information. I have total control of the data, how it looks and how it is used. I maintain my updates in MS Project and do regular dumps of MS Project. I use Access to review with the team or provide management with great status reporting. If you have not dumped a Project database and opened it with Access before, try it out and you will never use a MS Project report again…they are awful anyway. Good luck and have fun.
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3 replies by Edmon Agron, Eduard Hernandez, and Stéphane Parent
Oct 26, 2016 3:05 PM
Stéphane Parent
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Correct me if I'm wrong, Larry, but I think MS Project uses the Access engine to store its data?
Oct 27, 2016 5:47 AM
Edmon Agron
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Kudos to you sir. I haven't explore that, i mean MS Project to MS Access data sharing thing, but i'm sure it will perfectly work because they are both running with databases.
Apr 25, 2017 3:23 AM
Eduard Hernandez
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Hi Larry,
I have also used Access but never as a project management tool - I use MS Project instead. In the example mentioned (i.e. task list for a particular resource in the next two weeks), this could also be done by MS Project by using a Master File including all sub-projects and then creating a custom field with the appropriate formula.
When exporting to MS Access, can you confirm that WBS Code is used as a primary key?
Thank you.
Eduard
Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Oct 26, 2016 9:47 AM
Replying to Larry Flowers
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I am a little late chiming in here but I think I can add some value and this may be helpful to some…at least for those that have some basic knowledge of MS Access. I have used MS Access for several years in many different capacities. In line with this topic, I use Access to manage tasks, project data and provide better reports to the stakeholders. The way I do this is I create and manage my project plans with MS Project. Most stakeholders would hate to see a Gantt chart and MS Project is NOT a task management tool. So, in comes MS Access. I export my MS Project Database to MS Access. Now I have all of the data of my projects and can create queries that are not available in MS Project. I can create a task list for a particular resource that are due in the next two weeks and provide them with this information. I have total control of the data, how it looks and how it is used. I maintain my updates in MS Project and do regular dumps of MS Project. I use Access to review with the team or provide management with great status reporting. If you have not dumped a Project database and opened it with Access before, try it out and you will never use a MS Project report again…they are awful anyway. Good luck and have fun.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Larry, but I think MS Project uses the Access engine to store its data?
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2 replies by Larry Flowers and STEVE BOEDECKER
Oct 26, 2016 5:26 PM
STEVE BOEDECKER
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it's a relational database and it's bare-bones with object oriented programming and in the background different networking abilities can be added using the SQL Server. I'm not that intense with that aspect of programming, and I know , there are many others who could tell you in more detail; but in a nutshell after visual basic came out and started doing what access now does and then access and DB for those were the ones that people tend to use more often to manipulate the user interface, the GUI.
So when Microsoft began developing all of their applications including project, the last 34 years, they had to meet all of our desires and needs to compete, and what we ended up getting was a system that runs brilliantly code – relationally, and now with cloud allowing us to communicate through one program retrieving data from another and visualizing it in another, i.e. Visio.
personally I think too much is too much, meaning we have a tough job as project managers and program managers, and process manager/engineers, that we are tending to get over technologically inclined, searching for everything to make our job easier, when in reality our job is not easy anyway. So notebooks and binders and hand-written or printed pages, will still be there.
Oct 27, 2016 1:34 PM
Larry Flowers
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It's a SQL database which is what Access is as well.
Saving Changes...
STEVE BOEDECKERUnemployed Project Manager| FutureVision ProductionsVernon, Nj, United States
Oct 26, 2016 3:05 PM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
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Correct me if I'm wrong, Larry, but I think MS Project uses the Access engine to store its data?
it's a relational database and it's bare-bones with object oriented programming and in the background different networking abilities can be added using the SQL Server. I'm not that intense with that aspect of programming, and I know , there are many others who could tell you in more detail; but in a nutshell after visual basic came out and started doing what access now does and then access and DB for those were the ones that people tend to use more often to manipulate the user interface, the GUI.
So when Microsoft began developing all of their applications including project, the last 34 years, they had to meet all of our desires and needs to compete, and what we ended up getting was a system that runs brilliantly code – relationally, and now with cloud allowing us to communicate through one program retrieving data from another and visualizing it in another, i.e. Visio.
personally I think too much is too much, meaning we have a tough job as project managers and program managers, and process manager/engineers, that we are tending to get over technologically inclined, searching for everything to make our job easier, when in reality our job is not easy anyway. So notebooks and binders and hand-written or printed pages, will still be there.
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1 reply by Edmon Agron
Oct 27, 2016 6:02 AM
Edmon Agron
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Sure enough. But for MS Access you don't need to write codes like you were in VB, and other programming platform – it’s all now click and drag. I have no disagreement with pencil and paper thing, but isn’t it good that a PM has at least the basic knowledge of this readily available technologies -- because this would mean control and efficiency when it comes to information management that would lead to well-informed decision making.
Saving Changes...
Edmon AgronSystem Coordinator / Document Controller| MBO Architects and Engineering ConsultantJeddah, Saudi Arabia
Oct 26, 2016 9:47 AM
Replying to Larry Flowers
...
I am a little late chiming in here but I think I can add some value and this may be helpful to some…at least for those that have some basic knowledge of MS Access. I have used MS Access for several years in many different capacities. In line with this topic, I use Access to manage tasks, project data and provide better reports to the stakeholders. The way I do this is I create and manage my project plans with MS Project. Most stakeholders would hate to see a Gantt chart and MS Project is NOT a task management tool. So, in comes MS Access. I export my MS Project Database to MS Access. Now I have all of the data of my projects and can create queries that are not available in MS Project. I can create a task list for a particular resource that are due in the next two weeks and provide them with this information. I have total control of the data, how it looks and how it is used. I maintain my updates in MS Project and do regular dumps of MS Project. I use Access to review with the team or provide management with great status reporting. If you have not dumped a Project database and opened it with Access before, try it out and you will never use a MS Project report again…they are awful anyway. Good luck and have fun.
Kudos to you sir. I haven't explore that, i mean MS Project to MS Access data sharing thing, but i'm sure it will perfectly work because they are both running with databases. Saving Changes...
