Microsoft Access Inventory Tutorial
By Louise Balle
If you sell products in the course of business, there comes a time when you can no longer afford to keep track of your inventory by hand. The process often becomes disorganized and confusing, especially when you have a number of different products to manage. Managing your inventory in a computerized format, like a Microsoft Access database, allows you and your employees to keep track of products more efficiently.
Step 1
Load Microsoft Access on your computer. Visit the Microsoft Office Online templates website and choose the "Inventories" category of templates. You can also click "CTRL+N" in Access to start a new database and choose the "Business" category of templates to find an inventory template from the online Office database.
Step 2
Browse through the available templates and download one that is consistent with your version of Microsoft Access. You can also find Access inventory templates on third-party websites.
Step 3
Customize your new Access Inventory database according to your needs. Include your company name, logo, employee names and general contact information.
Step 4
List all of your suppliers (including supplier ID and contact information) in the designated area if that option is available.
Step 5
Enter the names of all of your items in inventory as well as the product ID (if applicable), price, cost and other product-related data requested by the template.
Step 6
Choose the option to add a "New Transaction" or the similarly-named option to add your first inventory entry. The template opens a basic table or separate dialog box that allows you to enter information into specific fields regarding the inventory transaction (including product name, quantity change in inventory and the employee who handled the transaction).
Step 7
Save your new Access inventory database to your computer and open it whenever you need to add a new transaction to the listing. The database keeps a running record of your additions and withdrawals from inventory as well as the amount remaining for each product.
References
Warnings
- Scan all files from third-party websites before installing them to your computer.
Writer Bio
Louise Balle has been writing Web articles since 2004, covering everything from business promotion to topics on beauty. Her work can be found on various websites. She has a small-business background and experience as a layout and graphics designer for Web and book projects.