Tracking requests is a common need for both systems development projects and also for IS departments and, indeed, with any service department. With accurate request tracking, management can get involved when requests are repeatedly made for the same problem, when too many problems are being reported for the same facility or piece of equipment, or when too many problems are being reported by the same user.

• In this exercise, you will create such a system for an IS department that wants to track system problems and responses.

• Suppose an organization keeps the following data about requests:

Ticket#

Date_Submitted Date_Opened Date_Closed Type (new or repeat)

Reporting_ Employee_Name Reporting_Employee_Division Technician_Name Problem_System Problem_DescriptionONE

• You can find sample ticket data in the Excel file Ch11Ex01_E7e on this text’s Web site.

• However, managers often need more information.

Among their needs are information that will help them learn who are their best- and worst-performing technicians, how different systems compare in terms of number of problems reported and the time required to fix those problems, how different divisions compare in terms of problems reported and the time required to fix them, which technicians are the best and worst at solving problems with particular systems, and which technicians are best and worst at solving problems from particular divisions.

a. Use either Access or Excel, or a combination of the two, to produce the information listed above from the data in the Excel file Ch11Ex01_E7e. In your answer, you may use queries, formulas, reports, forms, graphs, pivot tables, pivot charts, or any other type of Access or Excel display. Choose the best display for the type of information you are producing.

b. Explain how you would use these different types of information to manage your department.

c. Specify any additional information that you would like to have produced from this data to help you manage your department.

d. Use either Access or Excel or a combination to produce the information in part c.