Database or not?

[jgabba]

Hello,

I have been tasked with creating some sort of database involving hundreds of excel spreadsheets from multiple sources. The spreadsheets are compliance audits from external and internal sources. They list the findings for multiple categories, regulatory reference(s), recommendations, action plan, completion date. Each audit can consist of 5 or more pages when printed. Each source labels their column headings differently. The goal is to be able to see what deficiencies need to be corrected without having to review each spreadsheet. Another goal is not to create, or reduce, the amount of additional work needed to get the information from the spreadsheets into a database. My initial thought was to create an Access database, but know I'm not sure. I have minimal experience with Access, and only slightly more experience with Excel. I wondering if this group has any suggestions on how I may be able to accomplish this. Thanks

[alansidman]

First, if you are planning to import the data from the Excel sheets, they will all need to be in the same format. Second, the data in the sheets needs to be normalized. If you are unsure about normalization, then I urge you read the following:

http://sbuweb.tcu.edu/bjones/20263/a...sdb_design.pdf

This should help you to understand what you need to make this transition.