Database Table Structure: New or Merge? 2

[ahmun]

Hello All,

Here is a generic yet specific question.

I have an Access database that tracks Employee Safety Training (obviously part of the safety department). And now other departments are interested in the same capability of tracking training.

Within this Database is a table that tracks all training info. To simplify, 3 major tables:
Employee
SafetyTrainingData <-- main table!
SafetyTrainingCourses

should I:
1. create a two new tables:
- AccountingTrainingData
- AccountingTrainingCourses

2. put the data into the same table (SafetyTrainingData) and create a field that delimits the different departments the training is from (requires major restructuring of my queries/forms/reports)

I'm leaning towards option 1... but I wanted to find out what kind of professional ideas are out there, since I am new to database biulding.

Appreciate any input! Earnie Eng
If you are born once, you will die twice.
If you are born twice, you will die once

 

[LittleSmudge]

This is not an Access database question.

It has far greater repercussions within the whole of the organisation.

What happens when HR want to add their PresonnelProcedures training ?
Sales want to add their ProductKnowledge Training and their SalesSkills training

etc.. ..

Are you going to develop the database into a corporate wide training database - or are you going to allow individual departments to record and track their own training.


With option one - you've still got to duplicate all of the forms and reports and then edit to change the bound tables

With option two - you end up with fewer forms and reports but a larger single data store


You could have one central database that contains the employees table ( managed by HR ? ) and then have every other dept maintain their Training Courses and TrainingData tables locally - just linking to the employee table.




'ope-that-'elps.

G LS
accessaceNOJUNK@valleyalley.co.uk
Remove the NOJUNK to use.

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[JeremyNYC]

Use option 2, no questions about it. Take a look at the &quot;Fundamentals...&quot; link on

http://www.alphabetcitydataworks.com/Developers/Index.html.

You may want to just save the word document to your hard drive.

Basically, option one will cause you a lot of headache and extra work. Option two makes your life a LOT easier. This is a fundamental (as the document says) database design issue.

Jeremy =============
Jeremy Wallace

http://www.AlphaBetCityDataworks.com

Designing, Developing, and Deploying Access databases since 1995.