ACCESS Project - Accounting Class

REA Database Team Implementation Project – 100 pts—up to 10 bonus points are possible

Sales/Collections Business Process

1. Design the Sales/Collections AIS for a retail establishment of your group’s choosing. Write a complete narrative describing your sales procedures, your store, credit policies, product, marketing, pricing, inventory tracking and costing, REA events, business process rules (cardinalities)--anything that would aid in our understanding of the sales/collections process of your business. Explain all events in the narrative (helps the design of tables).

2. Design REA model complete with cardinalities and links on paper or in Excel. Then, implement your model completely into Access. The links and model on the paper should match the ones in Access. (REF. Ch. 8 ppt: 8-5) If the links on your group’s REA model do not match the Access implementation, the project receives no credit. You design the model. If you change something in Access, it is up to you to go back and change it on the REA model.

3. Design data in all tables (able to use pictures). Make the database professional.

a. Inventory table should be at least 250 records—research into inventory attributes adds points to the score. The Customer table must be at least 100 records. Event tables should have at least 100 records per table, except for sales returns—that can be 30 records. Cash table should have at least 10 cash accounts. Employee table should have 50 employees. If you rig the data in the table to make the database work—it is quite easy to see that in the data structure. Rigging the data structure in this fashion brings the grade of the project below C.

b. Contents, field, and data are up to you. Use the text for guidance as to table attributes.

4. Queries (at least 45 for groups of 3, and 60 for groups of 4)

a. Simple queries are based on 1 table.

b. Complex queries are based on 2 or more tables.

c. Include a description as to what question each query is asking in your narrative. When I grade the project I will compare the query with the description in your write up.

Ask questions that will help you run the business efficiently. Queries should answer accounting questions such as A/R, A/R turnover, gross profit, net profit, cost of goods sold, sales return percentage, operating income, most profitable item, etc. Your project must use data to do sales/collection accounting calculations, such as total A/R at a point in time, aging of A/R, sales return ratio, ending inventory per item, average number of days in receivables, ending cash balances. See Ch 8 for sample queries for the Sales/Collections Process.

d. Complex queries, graphs, charts, and queries based on other queries improve the grade. Listings are not as useful as totals, percentages, comparisons, and calculations of accounting numbers.

Queries should be organized into categories, such as:

Basic

Advanced

Ratios

Search

Profitability

Auditor

Manager

Financial Statement(s)

5. Reports

a. at least 5 for groups of 4 students

b. add pictures, logo, title on each page

c. more points for totals, subtotals, accounting calculations, charts, ratios

d. The report should have title, numbers, and date on every page – professional appearance.

e. The information on the report should answer a question that you as business owner would want or need to know about the sales process. Well thought out reports get more points than simple listings. Describe the purpose of the report. Include in the title whether the report is a detail report or summary report. You do not want to dump information in reports in lists. You want to use the reports to interpret the data you have.

f. Include a description as to what question each report is answering in your narrative. When I grade the project I will compare the report with the description in your write up.

ALL PROJECTS ARE REQUIRED TO INCLUDE AN INCOME STATEMENT

AND A FINANCIAL RATIO REPORT, include 5 to 6 ratios in this report.

6. Forms

a. at least 3 forms--forms should have a subform—and a business purpose

b. creativity is encouraged

c. Include a description as to the purpose of each designed form in your narrative.

d. Forms have historically been the weakest part of these projects. Give some thought as to how subforms and charts can be used to give meaning to the form.

7. Navigation page(s). Navigation pages are a great way to organize the overall database and quickly move through it. They are especially helpful as the database gets larger and can be used to add password protection to certain information contained within the database. Navigation pages add a finished professional look to your database. Start with an overall page and then add pages for:

a. Queries

b. Reports

c. Forms

d. Tables

Pages can be customized for manager or employee viewing.

8. Remember to copyright your database project. Add the copyright symbol and your names (printed and signed) to your REA poster and cover page of your narrative.

Additional Comments:

Dr. Martin is available to help fix links. Bring to the office with a flash drive. Make sure the flash drive that you use to store the project opens without any problems.

Pictures and graphics make a good impression but don’t compensate for a database that is designed incorrectly.

A passing grade in this class requires a passing grade on this project. For a good grade your project must show creativity with new things. Your project must be correct as to links, data structure in tables, and calculations. Your project must use data to do sales/collections accounting calculations (remember to look in Ch 8 for ideas.)

Are you making a profit or loss? On what items?

Match narrative to REA model. Match REA model to cardinalities in Access (links).

Event tables are critical. Resource tables are critical.

No redundancy. Watch for redundant data in tables.

Keep in mind what you would need to know to run a successful business.

If it looks like the Access Homework, it doesn’t look good enough.

Creativity points

Technical Points

Graphics Points