Question

1) Please help by answering the following question (all parts A - D) in regards to using Microsoft Access and Databases:

A) Explain the benefit of designing tables and then creating relationships between them.

B) Explain how tables can be related to eachother.

C) When tables are related, they can be queried as one large table. Explain the advantage of managing data in this manner versus trying to manage data in multiple worksheets in Excel.

D) Describe the motivations that a business, such as the 4Corners Pharmacy, might have for gathering all of their data, and storing it within one relational database.

Answer 1

Microsoft Access and Databases

1. BENEFITS OF DESIGNING TABLES AND CREATING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM

Microsoft Access is as a Database Management System, part of the Microsoft Office family. It allows us to design tables and create relationships between them. Some major advantages of this are listed as follows:

1. It maintains the data consistency and makes it possible for us to correlate the data from table to table.
2. It increases database reliability by minimizing redundant data.
3. Creating relationships between various tables can help us to draw insights from all the tables across.
4. The ‘Referential Integrity Table’ feature enables us to match the information in one table to another one.

2. HOW TABLES ARE RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER

There are three kinds of relationships in Access tables. They are as follows:

• One to Many relationship
• Many to Many relationship
• One to One relationship

1. ONE TO MANY: One table has many matching records with another table, but the latter has only one matching record with the first table. It is the most common type of table relationship in Microsoft Access.
2. MANY TO MANY: One table has many matching contents with another table, and the latter too has many contents matching with the first table. This is a complicated table relationship and such a relationship requires a third table called the ‘Junction Table’, that clarifies the different relationships occurring.
3. ONE TO MANY: A table has only one matching record with another table, and the other table too has only one matching record with the first table. It is a rare type of relationship, and does not happen very often.

3. ADVANTAGES OF USING MS ACCESS OVER MS EXCEL

When tables in Microsoft Access are related, they can be queried as one large table. The advantages of this over using multiple worksheets in Microsoft Excel are as follows:

1. It is easier to draw information from various tables at a glance in Microsoft access. Whereas, navigating among various spreadsheets in Microsoft excel can be very time consuming.
2. Access provides for tables that are relational at various levels, whereas, the spreadsheets of Excel are individual and not related to each other.
3. The feature of drawing relationships between tables makes Access a very useful tool for small businesses, whereas, Excel is used for complex statistical analysis in other large businesses.

4. 4 CORNERS PHARMACY

A pharmaceutical company like the Four Corners Pharmacy that has a very loyal customer base, will benefit from the use of Microsoft Access to manage their databases. Access can help them in keeping track of their customers and manage the information effortlessly. They can prevent wasting time by segregating the information in the related tables in Access, rather than entering information into multiple fields. It also becomes easier for them to track information at one glance using the feature of querying all tables into one large table. Microsoft Access is also cost effective and hence a perfect choice for a company such as Four Corners Pharmacy.