[AccessD] AC 2007/2010 - Help...this is turning into a research project

Which is why I would say it makes sense - being the bright, seasoned
professional you are who came to them at their request, not yours... that
you advise them you can analyze the features and reproduce this 2-year
effort in 3 months' time with absolute scalability and better life
expectancy plus who knows whatever else you'll find had been done wrong
while you are developing... and throw in some savings and some teasers about
you being the better candidate to move them into the future ... and this
will be a good way to get to know them and vice versa, giving them a great
resource to work with on the future. Maybe even cut your rate a little (or
act like you are) ... to save yourself the frustration of dealing with those
diapers. One of the nice things is you don't have to build in anything that
they don't say they need (now); the other nice thing is that anything that
has CHANGED about what they want built in, you are not going to promise
something that their current structural problems (which you don't know
enough about as of yet - only hints of problems to come) will later prevent
you from actually delivering.

G/L, that is all I have to say.

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Mark Simms
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 2:40 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] AC 2007/2010 - Help...this is turning into a research
project

Dunno.....the existing mess evolved over a period of 2 years.
Interns worked on it...bright Princeton boys, etc., but you get the
picture....
and they wore the most expensive diapers !

Access alone looks to be out....the main form would be way too complex.
And...they want: WHAT-IF analysis capability as well !!, best done in Excel.

I'm now thinking of adding the requested features with the existing
structural problems in-place.
Like adding windows to the Taj Mahal....and ignoring the cracked
walls....that could collapse some day.
The risk is: If I remove one wall and replace it, the whole shebang could
fall down.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-
> bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
> Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 1:30 PM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] AC 2007/2010 - Help...this is turning into a
> research project
>
> Amen!
>
>
>
> John W. Colby
> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>
> On 8/4/2011 11:36 AM, William Benson wrote:
> > I guess i would try to sell them on a complete new design and a split
> > database. Split it. Use automation to bring data into access where
> you can
> > manipulate it more cleanly. I think if you work in a sandbox someone
> else
> > has left their filled diapers all around you might come out with not
> just
> > sand on your feet.
> > On Aug 4, 2011 11:31 AM, "Mark Simms"<marksimms at verizon.net>  wrote:
> >> Long story short:
> >> Got a call from an agency....for a "short term" contract to "clean-
> up" an
> > AC
> >> 2007/2010 application.
> >>
> >> I've finally looked into the plumbing....
> >> All of the usual....some tables have no keys, some tables have
> client
> >> descriptions as keys, etc, etc.
> >> It was all designed by non-professionals.
> >>
> >> It gets better: Most of the work is done in Excel....it acts as a
> giant
> >> "dashboard"....investment/portfolio management application.
> >>
> >> They are using all of the new Table features with OLEDB connections
> from
> >> Excel to Access.
> >> A million calculations are being performed against this linkages in
> >> Excel.....25 worksheets total.
> >>
> >> My first task of creating some VBA to update the OLEDB connections
> took
> > over
> >> 8 hours.....and quite a bit of research. I kept on getting 1004
> errors for
> >> one of the connections. Here, it turns out that connection was to a
> Pivot
> >> Table that went directly to an Access table.
> >> Any attempts to update the DataSourceFile property failed via VBA.
> >> However, get this: it could be done thru the GUI.
> >> So once again, I tried researching this....to no avail.
> >> It appears this whole project might become a research
> project.....and
> >> the client wants a defined time-line.
> >>
> >> What do I do ?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
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> >> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> --
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