Advanced features and functions of Microsoft Excel

Q1

Create an interactive form that will be used to capture membership details using Excel.

The form must include confirmatory buttons and must allow new records to be added to the end of the Excel sheet when the user clicks submit.

The form must also include validation of data entered before it is added to the sheet.

Briefly explain the relative merits and demerits of using macros to make the form interactive.

Q2

Create a membership table using Microsoft Excel. Add a second sheet containing test data that would be imported from the smart parking system for each visit. When creating the tables, include calculated fields where necessary and take care to ensure that the data structure can be used to extract data for sending MailMerge letters to members.

Q3

End-user development

It has been proposed that a Microsoft Access database could be developed in-house to dynamically interface with the car parking system, manage membership and produce management reports. You have been asked to work as an adviser to the Senior Administrator who has been tasked to develop and maintain the proposed system. The administrator has expertise in Microsoft Office products.

a) Make at least FIVE (5) recommendations as to how you would ensure success of this end-user development including support and measures required from Fordley throughout the different stages of the development life cycle.

b) Investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using Microsoft Access as a product. After your investigation, consider ONE (1) alternative solution that Fordley could use instead of using Microsoft Access. Having identified an alternative, compare it to Microsoft Access. The comparison must include costs.