Concepts

When should I use a database?

A database helps you organize and retrieve information. A database can be used whenever you need to keep track of lots of related data.

Another good tool for storing and organizing information is a notebook. There are no absolute rules about when it's better to organize your data on a computer. As a rule-of-thumb an electronic database is the best choice when you have lots of data or complex relationships between your data. For example, in a small business the number of customers may be manageable without an electronic database, but customer data is related to other data such as orders, billing, and marketing. These complex relationships makes an electronic database a more attractive options.

At work, some of the classic uses for a database are:

1. Inventory. A database allows you to keep track of inventory and helps you decide when to order specific items.
2. Customers. If you store specific information about your customers you can give them more personalized service. Having the information also helps you develop a profile of your average customer. A database used in this way demonstrates how data can be turned into information.
3. Mail Merge. If you have a list of customers or potential customers you can use mail merge to create a personalize form letter for each person.

Outside of work, some of the classic uses for a database are:

1. Community Activities. Many people are involved in community activities such as a softball league or a church choir. A database can be useful within a community group to keep track of members, patrons, and activities.
2. Music Collection.
3. Household Inventory.
4. Recipes.

How does a database compare to a spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is also a powerful tool for storing and organizing data. If, right now, your spreadsheet skills are more advanced than your database skills, you may be tempted to use a spreadsheet when a database is the best option. It takes experience working with both database and spreadsheet tools to know their strengths and weaknesses. After you have gone through the spreadsheet and database modules you should know which is best for a specific task. Here is a summary of the most important points:

Spreadsheet and database tools share the following similarities:

1. Both store and organize data electronically.
2. Both can import and export data.
3. Both provide search and sort capabilities.

A database is better choice for storing your data when:

1. You have lots of data. A database is designed to work efficiently with tens of thousands of records. A spreadsheet can only efficiently handle a few hundred records.
2. There are complex relationships between your data. Databases are designed to store the relationships between data. (Access is a relational database.) Storing relationships between data eliminates the need to store duplicate or redundant data.
3. You want to ensure data integrity and validity. You can type almost any value into a spreadsheet cell. With a database you can restrict field values to a certain type or format.