So, although many of our readers wil already know, the idea of a database was born to solve problems with the current idea of spreadsheets. And, there being nothing wrong with spreadsheets, if I can use an analogy of electrical power sockets, there’s nothing wrong with the common power socket, but it becomes useless when you need to power up many appliances, therefore a multi-socket power bar is required.  Just as you can time-slice those appliances to get them all to operate one-by-one, this is surely a hinderance, when the ability to power all of them simultaneously with a power bar is a perfect solution!  Additionally, just as when you require more power than the power bar can supply, you need to find a new solution, so too, databases are not the answer to everything.

Databases exist for several reasons, let’s discuss a few.

REPORTING:  Spreadsheets are not good at reporting, DB’s are ready to eat your reports for breakfast!  A database is able to make a report on just about anything. A report can be designed so that it suits your individual requirements.  We find this facility very useful when finicky accountants want something they way they want it!  They know best! LOL!

DATA INPUT:  Okay, so spreadsheets are all about data input, but is it pretty? NO!  Can spreadsheets get over-complicated?  Oh YES!  What happens when you have a lot of data to input?  It gets messy!  How does a spreasdsheet handle, let’s say: the data of a multitude of customers?  Badly? no, very badly! Are lookups easy in a spreadsheet?  Okay, now we are getting silly. There are many areas that a spreadsheet falls short of ideal in the input areas.

DATA OUTPUT:  Pretty much the same as input really. Complicated, charts, graphs, sorting, summaries and other features of a speadsheet come together to make life difficult, if not tiresome.  Constant reformatting and adjustments and checking will never eliminate errors introduced over time that often are never even discovered.

FORMS, VIEWS, FILTERS, RECORDS:  Alright, not wanting to get too geeky here, but needless to say, databases handle the manipulation of the data input into easily readable and useful information far beyond anything a spreadsheet could ever do.  It can be displayed in forms, reports, however you wish and with as much additional information as you need to accomplish your aim.

Read now about a sample of how life can be made easier.  Link Under Construction!

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