Wireless Technology and Spreadsheets Business Proposals
Essay by Marry • March 18, 2012 • Research Paper • 1,180 Words (5 Pages) • 3,470 Views
As society changes, there are oftentimes changes in commerce and retail that reflect the shifting needs of consumers. Also with those changes, come opportunities for new innovations in existing industries that have become well-known, like event planning . With technology and media influences, over the top, custom party planning has become a billion dollar industry . The days of white linen napkins and standard china are long behind us. It has been replaced with clients who are looking for elaborate themes, where every detail of the event is a cohesive experience , right down to the china that they use . With the options that are available for those in the custom event business , companies need to understand the need to keep up with the industry's changing expectations, which will require employees and management of Party Plates, to keep accurate records for inventories and budgets for several clients. They also need up to the minute access to the availability and prices of materials. This ensures that clients will have the most exquisite and cost efficient event that they can pay for. This can quite simply be done by making the use of spreadsheet software ,a core aspect of the company's daily operational and management strategy. ("Spreadsheets", ).
Current information systems can assist in all aspects of business. Although there is a wide range of products and software available, updating to a more efficient way of storing and accessing data will always translate into dollars saved. The current system at Party Plates is antiquated and inefficient. As this company has expanded, so has its need for an information system that will help rather than hinder.
A regional database is one such information system. A relational database is, according to "Business Dictionary" (2012),
"A computer database in which all data is stored in Relations, which (to the user) is tables with rows and columns. Each table is composed of records (called Tuples) and each record is identified by a field (attribute) containing a unique value. Every table shares at least one field with another table in 'one to one,' 'one too many,' or 'many to many' relationships. These relationships allow the database user to access the data in almost an unlimited number of ways, and to combine the tables as building blocks to create complex and very large databases."
This access to information is much more advanced and efficient than the current program can support. The current use of spreadsheets allows a very limited view of data and any manipulation is tedious and risky. Spreadsheets are adequate for one-time reports and for quick setup times for new spreadsheets. Databases deal much better with conditional information or information in which the relationships between the data changes ("Access vs. Excel: When to Use Excel", 2006). As a company grows, departments become more and more complex, employees are hired and fired, and customers change preferences. On a spreadsheet, this constant change in data would cause a nightmare of formatting, deleting, and adding rows and columns. By converting Party Plates' existing data from spreadsheets into a relational database, not only the personnel department but also the sales department will benefit. A relational database, such as Microsoft Access, will provide this company with unparalleled access and control to company information that a typical spreadsheet program cannot offer. This transition to efficiency is more and more vital as the company grows more and more complex.
The benefits of
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