Database
Data and databases are my passion. Yeah, I know, you'd have thought I would have got a life by now. But anyway, nothing pleases me more than to organize data into some new form that suddenly brings new meaning - information - to life.
It may be that the information requires two or more separate lists to be brought together - related - so that data in list A can now be joined to data in list C all because list B was created to link the information. It might be that the data was created in the wrong format and needs conversion. Or it maybe that the data only partially exists, and needs a specialised program created to make the input simpler and less error-ridden. If you have these or similar problems, I can help.
A staff directory had been produced for years as a typed document which required re-formatting as people came and went, changed jobs and so on. When staff worked in several branches, or were temporarily holding several titles, this was accommodated by retyping details in several places, with lots of scope for missing updates. I created a database which allowed for people to work in several buildings, in several jobs and to have multiple phone numbers. Each piece of data was entered in only one place, so a change was effective everywhere. This data was cross-referenced with payroll and e-mail data so that discrepancies (like a terminated employee who still had a login ID) could be found and corrected. Best of all, this was on-line so the main receptionist had the latest data and was empowered to enter updates.
Do you have a list of volunteers, members or clients that isn't meeting your needs? Do you find that you can categorize an entry three ways, but you need to use at least five today, and who knows how many in the future? Or that you can't easily search for some attribute, because it may be recorded in field A, or maybe it's in field B or C? These are all data design problems that can be fixed. I can fix them.
If you have any questions about how I might be able to help you, please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail.
| Software Tools | Access, Paradox, Excel, Quattro Pro, Delphi, mySQL |
| Technologies used | Relational database, object-oriented, event driven |
| Specialties | Data-driven design, Windows-based database applications for small groups |
| Locality | Typically, I communicate via email, and occasionally phone and this works fairly well for application development. For face to face contact, you'd need to be in Oakville or possibly Burlington or Milton. I tried commuting, and didn't like it. |
| Ideas | Membership administration, cataloguing, address lists, patient information, inventory, client list, contacts, billing, invoicing, funding, donors, volunteers |