Linking access to fax

[Barnie]

I have been requested to setup a database where the end product will be the
printing and record keeping of purchase orders, invoicing etc. As a complete
newbie to access I am not aware of the full capability of access but have
been asked to put on the database a function where the end user can type in a
fax message and and recipient number and then run a macro that transfers this
data to our existing fax client to send, and also will keep record of all
outgoing/incoming faxes that I can print out monthly on a report. Is this
possible? How would I do this?

 

[chris.nebinger]

Yes, it should be possible, but without knowing more about your fax
client, I can't say for sure. I wouldn't recommend jumping into
something that complex without a bit of knowledge, however. My
recommendation would be to either:

Hire a contractor to build it. It will cost more money, but will save
your time.
Hire a college student to build it. Cheaper, but you get what you pay
for.
Look at a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) product that will do what you
are looking for.


Chris Nebinger

 

[Larry Linson]

Yes, it should be possible, but without
knowing more about your fax client, I
can't say for sure. . . . My
recommendation . . .

Chris' recommendations are good ones, however, if you simply want plain text
(no bold, highlight, tables, bullet lists, etc.) that can be simple, because
many fax clients install as a printer. You can create a simple report
containing the information and choose the FAX as the printer. The HP
All-in-One device I have installed itself twice, once for printing, once for
faxing, for example.

And, I'd add a final option, often overlooked when advising new users: If
you are interested in learning Access or becoming an Access developer, you
_can_ undertake the project yourself. Note that doing so is often not the
most cost-effective approach, you may still need to hire an experienced
Access developer as a consultant/coach, and it is likely to take longer.
But, in addition to the application, you will come out with better knowledge
(and certainly enough to be able to maintain and enhance the application in
the future).

On the other hand, I know of a good many users who jumped right in to a
more-complex-than-beginner application, invested in a few good self-study
text, relied heavily on answers in newsgroups, attended user group meetings,
and ended up being extremely well-qualified Access developers.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP