Alice Colyar

Have you been contemplating creating a database using Access but do not know where to begin?  

 Access 2007 can help you track and report information with ease. Get started quickly with template databases that you can customize to your needs. Collect information through forms in e-mail or import data from external applications such as Excel. Create and edit detailed reports that display sorted, filtered, and grouped information in a way that helps you make sense of the data for informed decision-making. 

Here are ten reasons that you may want to make Access an indispensable tool in your office in 2010. 

1)       Get better results faster with the Office user interface.   Access 2007 provides a completely new experience with the new navigation pane, and tabbed window views.

2)       Get started quickly using prebuilt solutions. With a number of database templates, you can start tracking your information immediately. Forms and reports are already built for your convenience, and you can easily customize them to meet your business needs. Contacts, issue tracking, project tracking, and asset tracking are only few of the solutions included in Office Access 2007.

 3)       Create multiple reports with different views of the same information. Creating a report in Office Access 2007 is truly a “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) experience. You can save various views for different audiences in the same report. The new grouping pane and filtering and sorting capabilities help you display the information so you can make more informed business decisions.   

4)       Create tables quickly as you would in an Excel spreadsheet.   With automatic data type detection, table creation in Office Access 2007 is as easy as working with a Microsoft Office Excel table. Type your information and Office Access 2007 will recognize whether it is a date, currency, or another common data type. You can even paste an entire Excel table into Office Access 2007 to begin tracking the information with the power of a database. 

5)       Two new field types for even richer scenarios.  Access 2007 enables new field types such as attachments and multi-value fields. You can now attach any document, image, or spreadsheet to any record in your application. With the multi-value field, you can now select more than one value (for example, assign a task to more than one person) in each cell. 

6)       Collect and update your information directly from the source.  With Office Access 2007, you can create forms using Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 or HTML to gather information for your database. You can then send this form via e-mail and use their responses to populate and update your Access table to eliminate the need to retype any information. 

7)       Share your information with Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services.  Share your Access information with coworkers using Windows SharePoint Services and Office Access 2007. With the power of both applications, your coworkers can access and edit the data and view real-time reports directly through a Web interface. 

8)       Track Windows SharePoint Services lists with the rich client capabilities of Access 2007.   Use Access 2007 as your client interface to analyze and create reports from Windows SharePoint Services lists. You can even take the list offline, and then synchronize any changes when you reconnect to the network, making it easy for you to work with your data at any time. 

9)       Move data to Windows SharePoint Services for better manageability.   Make your data more transparent by moving it to Windows SharePoint Services.  You can routinely back up the data on the server, recover deleted data from the recycle bin, track revision history, and set access permissions, so you can better manage your information. 

10)   Access and use information from multiple sources.   With Access 2007 you can link tables to your database from other Access databases, Excel spreadsheets, Windows SharePoint Services sites, ODBC data sources, Microsoft SQL Server databases, and other data sources. You can then use these linked tables to easily create reports so you can base your decisions on a more comprehensive set of information.

Are you onboard with the new and improved Microsoft Office 2007 yet?

For those who have opened Office 2007 did you find yourself looking for the File Menu and where did they hide the standard and formatting toolbars?   The File Menu is included in the “office button” (yellow circle on the top left) and the toolbars have been replaced with “ribbons”.    Once you get passed the new interface many of the features have remained and several have been greatly enhanced.

A few wonderful upgrades are that a Word document can be saved as a .pdf without having Adobe loaded.   Excel now has 16,000 columns and 1 million rows (improved from 256 columns and 65,536 rows).  Smart-Art Graphics makes a PowerPoint presentation look as if an advertising firm created the slide.  Like color?   You can add a color category to all inbox e-mail messages in Outlook for increased visual identification.

CLI is offering a course in migrating from Office 2003 to 2007.   Basic knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook is required.   Access knowledge is preferred but not necessary.    Read our outline of the topics below and see what Office has to offer.

 Unit 1 : The Office 2007  Interface
                               Topic A:   The Office Button menu
                               Topic B:   The Ribbon   
                               Topic C:   The Mini toolbar
                               Topic D:   The Quick Access toolbar and Status bar

 Unit 2 : The Office XML file format
                               Topic A:   The Office XML format
                               Topic B:   Office XML format compatibility

Unit 3 : New Word features
                               Topic A:  Formatting
                               Topic B:  Quick Parts and Building Blocks
                               Topic C:  Shared documents

   Unit 4 : New Excel features
                               Topic A:  Larger worksheet size
                               Topic B:  Charts and reports
                               Topic C:  Table options
                               Topic D: Pivot Tables
                               Topic E: Excel Services

Unit 5 : New PowerPoint features   
                               Topic A:   Dynamic Smart-Art graphics
                               Topic B:   Slide libraries
                               Topic C:   Sharing presentations
                               Topic D:   Custom layouts

   Unit 6 : New Outlook features
                               Topic A:   Content management tools
                               Topic B:   The To-Do Bar
                               Topic C:   Shared content

  Unit 7 : New Access feature
                               Topic A:   Data features
                               Topic B:   Reports

Class dates and times are scheduled at the client’s convenience at their location.   This allows for customized training and on-site experience.   Call or e-mail for a more detailed course breakdown.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Alice and the Team at CLI

215-538-7354 or alice@trainatcli.com

Computer Learning Institute has partnered with Mary Motz of ProVirtual Solutions for a complement of technology skills.

ProVirtual Solutions has been assisting small businesses, nonprofits and individuals put their best foot forward on the web since 2002. Owner Mary Motz has a unique skill set that combines business administration, web marketing, design and virtual office expertise.

This partnership will enhance CLI to offer our clients a personal technology coach.  You ask the technical questions and Mary supplies the answers.

Coaches, Virtual Assistants and other Solopreneurs often struggle with a variety of technology and resource issues – especially in the startup phase of their businesses. With a multitude of options available for everything from websites to IP phone services… shopping cart systems to domain names, the blizzard of options and choices can be confusing at best.. and costly at worst.  You want the best resources for your business, but how do you know what’s good advice and what’s just hype?

With Personalized Coaching, you can schedule a time of your choosing, and fill that time asking as many questions as you want about any tech-related resource question you like… how-tos, demos, training, and if needed,  remote support (where your PC is accessed remotely) are included.

Personalized coaching is  flexible – get all your burning questions addressed and save both time and money.

Use your scheduled time for:

• Virtual Business Resource Consulting
• One-on-One Training (Applications, Blogging, etc)
• Tech Support
• Product Demos

• …or a bit of each!

In addition, Mary will share her screen with you, (using GoToMeeting) so you can see how to address your questions and you can both visually review the topics being discussed.  Also you can (optional, of course) record the whole session (audio-only or audio + video) – so you can refer to it later if you like.

What kinds of questions can Mary assist with? Here’s a few examples:

• I got a quote from web designer for a basic 5-page website -  $7,500.00 – is this too high? (Yes, it probably is)
• How can I sell my ebook online? (Lots of options here!)
• Could Skype replace my expensive Verizon phone line? (Possibly… but there’s a few things to consider first…)
• I met a guy at my business mixer who says he can guarantee I will be at the top of Google search results.
  (No he can’t -  here’s why..)
• I need a serious email system – my mailbox isn’t enough. What are my options? (Let us recommend a few alternatives..)
• I need some training on how to post to my blogsite. (Happy to help with that!)
• Can you set up my new emailboxes in Outlook? ( We can log into your PC and set them up for you!)

Don’t fumble in the dark… save yourself the aggravation of guesswork and wasted time and get the right answers right away!

Select a block of time that fits your needs – or purchase 4 sessions and get an additional 5th consultation free!

In the past 17 years that Computer Learning Institute has been serving the Upper Bucks area it has been my experience that Microsoft Excel has been the most popular class year after year. I believe it is because of the versatility of the application that has made it one of the most widely used packages on the market.

The versions have changed and the interface has changed but the basics have remained the same. Excel performs three major functions. First, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Second, creates colorful charts/graphs.  Third, serves as a database for large quantities of records. Sounds simplistic but the possibilities are endless.

We offer Excel 2003 and 2007 with three levels of each.

Below is a topic-by-topic list of what is covered in each course. These course descriptions are directly from the Table of Contents of the course manual. Each manual contains a CD with the exercises used in the class.

Additionally, these topics can be re-arranged for a customized approach.

Introduction to Excel

Unit 1:  Exploring the Excel window
Unit 2:  Entering and editing data and simple formulas
Unit 3:  Moving and copying data and functions 
Unit 4:  Using SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, and MIN functions
Unit 5:  Formatting worksheets, rows, and columns 
Unit 6:  Printing and page setup options 
Unit 7:  Creating charts, modifying charts, and printing charts
Unit 8:  Web features using Hyperlinks and e-mail attachments

 
Intermediate Excel

Unit 1:  Large Worksheets – hiding, displaying and printing data
Unit 2:  Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks – linking using 3-D formulas
Unit 3:  Customizing Excel toolbars and menus
Unit 4:  Advanced Charting and creating combination charts
Unit 5:  Advanced Formatting with dates and number formats
Unit 6:  List Management by sorting and filtering lists
Unit 7:  Documenting and Auditing and worksheet protection
Unit 8:  Creating and managing Excel templates

Advanced Excel

Unit 1:  Advanced formulas such as IF and nested IF statements
Unit 2:  V-Lookup functions, MATCH and INDEX functions
Unit 3:  List management using sub-totals and database functions
Unit 4:  PivotTables & Pivot Charts -summarize large quantities of data
Unit 5:  Exporting and importing from other software packages
Unit 6:  Using analytical options – Goal Seek, Solver, and Scenarios
Unit 7:  Create macros and assign to an icon on the toolbar
Unit 8:  Interactive Web spreadsheets and PivotTables

Additional software services provided by CLI are:

• Microsoft Access Database design, implementation and troubleshooting
• Website Design and Hosting
• Blog Installation & Consulting
• QuickBooks Pro Set-Up and analysis

CLI has developed a customized new approach to our class offerings…

The monthly course schedule is no longer be published.   All classes are arranged at a time convenient for the client and instructor.   This flexibility is resulting in a quicker response time for scheduling classes.    Classes are held at the clients’ location.   All the client will need is a quiet conference room and CLI will provide the laptops, projector, and the course manuals.

If a client does request a class to be held at the Quakertown location we can do so but a minimum of three attendees are required for the course.

Class prices have increased to $250.00 for the first attendee. Each additional attendee is only $150.00.  This fee includes a six-hour structured class and the manual with a CD. It has been our policy at CLI to offer free follow-up assistance to anyone who has taken a class with us. If after several months an individual has a question concerning anything from the course they are able to call and chat with the instructor and work through the problem. We strive to offer same day outstanding customer support.

In the future our next initiative will be web-based “tele-classes”. These are 45 minute classes on a particular topic such as an Excel Pivot Table or an Excel VLOOKUP function. An attendee can participate without leaving their workstation. More to come on “tele-classes” in our next newsletter.

Thank you for your continued patronage. We always welcome your ideas and feedback.