Why Buy Access?
System-wide benefits of the Access range
Introduction
Microsoft’s SQL Server database is the engine powering your Access Supply Chain solution. All Access modules are designed to work in harmony with – and extract maximum value from – this industry-standard database application.
Each module combines the best in functionality with real flexibility and ease of use. From the look and feel of the entire solution, all the way down to individual screens and toolbars, careful customisation helps to ensure immediate acceptance and a fast return on investment.
Here are some of the other ‘system-wide benefits’ which really set Access apart… and make your life so much easier.
Security
Processing, analysis and sign-off procedures are all geared to the stricter controls required by large organisations. Users can be granted or denied access at two different levels: through the Supply Chain solution itself and within the SQL Server database. This enables you to segregate duties at transaction level, or all the way down to individual fields, options and tables.
Use this flexibility to mirror your existing controls and to build profiles that give your staff the functionality they really need (hiding options that are inappropriate). Your Supply Chain solution can then be deployed in every department and for every individual with complete confidence. In the unlikely event of a power or hardware failure, roll-back facilities protect the integrity of your data.
Speed & Capacity
Because data processing occurs on your server (rather than on individual PCs) tasks can be completed with far greater speed. In a typical manufacturing environment, Access performs between 20 and 40 times faster than solutions built using proprietary databases. The outcome is a system capable of finding one record in 10 million in less than a second.
With the capacity of SQL Server to draw upon, there is no practical limit to the volume of historical data that can be stored, interrogated and analysed within Access. The only restriction in capacity experienced by most companies is that imposed by hardware. This helps to ensure that excellent processing speeds are maintained, regardless of transaction volumes and user numbers.
Integration
Access modules integrate seamlessly with one another in real-time and include powerful facilities for exchanging information with your customers, suppliers and all your other business applications. Transactions generated on everything from the shop floor to custom software packages (and remote systems, such as web sites) can enter straight into your daily workflow.
Building a single database on all your business activity is the most important step in eliminating data re-keying and producing higher quality management reporting. With their open architecture and SQL Server power, Access solutions are ideal for this task. To help maintain the accuracy and integrity of your data, transactions brought in from other systems are fully validated before they enter your database.
Multi-Periods Auditing & Enquiries
Access brings greater transparency to your trading activities. Completed transactions update your system immediately and automatically become part of an indelible audit trail. You can retain the full line by line detail of every transaction indefinitely, or purge selected items at your discretion. Two years’ accounts can be kept open at all times, allowing transactions to be posted forwards and backwards from the current trading period.
Individual transactions can be traced using a wide range of facilities, including detailed reports, instant enquiry screens and powerful drill-down options. Each detail line can be annotated for complete clarity and source documents (such as sales orders and invoices) can be re-printed at will. This helps to keep your accountancy and audit fees to a minimum.
Management Reporting & Business Intelligence
Stronger integration and improved data flow gives you greater control over your business activities. Providing timely management information – exactly when, where and how it is needed – is an essential part of this process. To begin with, a 3-year ‘snap-shot’ is available instantly for each individual record, while sort keys allow you to establish your own guidelines for system-wide reporting and analysis.
For more detailed enquiries and reporting, choose from 230 conventional (paper based) Crystal reports, over 250 (on-screen) Business Intelligence summaries and dynamic links to Microsoft Office. Every report and summary can be configured to your precise business needs – ensuring that you can spend your time analysing information that is directly relevant to the task at hand.
Multi-Currency & Multi-Language
Access offers true multi-currency processing across all modules, including your financials. There is no limit to the number of currencies you can use, or the number of exchange rates that can be allocated to each currency. The system calculates exchange rate differences and passes full currency analysis into the nominal ledger, for detailed management reporting.
Throughout every module, field names can be changed to match specific industry or company terminology and the entire system can be operated using any Western (script based) language. You can have different languages on each terminal in a multi-user environment and defaults can be established for individual customers and suppliers – allowing documents to be printed in the language of the recipient.
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