Looking for suggestion - data sharing

[systematic]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can give me some solid, practical advice or suggest
a solution to a work related problem.

I am employed in a contact centre and am looking at developing some
framework for a 'ticket of work' system. This would involve a
consultant logging a job and a senior staff member then actioning the
request.

Currently, we use a paper based system to record the job. It is then
logged on one of four spreadsheets by the senior staff member (one for
each team). There is a need to keep a paper record for audit reasons.

The workplace consists of around 80 people who will use the system,
with a potential maximum of around 45 using at one time. Realistically,
it is unlikely more than one person will need to 'log' a job at the same
moment in time - but I need to consider the possibility.

I have a couple of solutions.....

1. Develop an Access FE/BE database to perform the function of
capturing and editing the jobs through a form.
2. Develop an Access FE/BE database and set up the spreadsheets with
the DB linked as a datasource. However, I do not know how I can make
the spreadsheets write updated data 'back' to the database.
3. Continue using the spreadsheets and improve the functionality.

Has anyone here used either complaints management/ticket of work
systems before - and what approach was adopted? Can anyone suggest
strenths/weaknesses with excel V access to perform the function?

Thank you...any advice or thoughts would be well received!

Cheers

Systematic

 

[dlw]

Have you considered getting one of the many many off-the-shelf packages that
do this type of thing?

 

[systematic]

Yes! The easy solution is always the obvious one....but with the absence
of funding in a Government department...any procurement is nigh on
impossible!