Hey all. New to the site and in need of some advice and help.

I am a dealer of hardware and software and as such have contracts with a variety of distributors. A large proponent of the price lists come in Excel format.

What I would like to do is be able to link each of these to one database that could be updated on receipt of new price lists easily so that I can compare the prices of each component with those from the differing companies.

Can anyone recommend the best option for me as I hate trawling through each price list to find the best priced component.

As you may have gathered I am not a DB guru.

Well, there are no doubt many approaches, and it would depend on many things!

How about simply maintaining one single list (in the Excel meaning of list, that is, just like one data table ina database)?

With headers (field names) such as, SupplierName, ReceivedDate, ProductID, ProductName, ProductCost, etc

It is simple to filter on a list, or, run reports from it - such as pivot tables.

HTH,
Fazza

In other words create another Excel spreadsheet with links to all the other workbooks? Will the prices be updated automatically?

I'm thinking without links. The KISS principal. If it suits what you're doing... And the scale of things. How many records, how many suppliers, etc.

Just have one big list - all the actual data, no links - where you put all the info. If there are say 100,000 records, Excel will be working pretty hard & MS Access might be better.

You'd have to think about what you do with superseded prices. As in, keep them or delete them. With one big list, either way would be easy.

Linking different data tables requires some consistency of design of the linked tables, control of revisions/updates.

Automatic updating of prices. Really the specification of exactly how what you want to do would have to be considered.

It is difficult to offer definitive comments without being familiar with your requirements. My initial thought of a single (unlinked) list in Excel would be the simplest to set up and use for someone with little database knowledge. And lots of people can help if you have questions about Excel.

What do you think?

Fazza

There are quite a few records and approximately 10 suppliers.

The problem is that I do not really have t6he time to continually udate the price list manually, so one that would automatically update the prices would be more suited to my requirements. Some suppliers update their list weekly, other fortnightly or monthly.

Most keep consistent spreadsheets. I was thinking about using Access, but I have no clue on how to use it properly, so in keeping with the KISS principle, Excel would in all probability be the better option.

You'd like the updates automatically; the source files are mostly consistent; you don't have time for manual updates; you don't have much DB knowledge.

We seem to have different perspectives on this.

If you can not be 100% sure that source data files are consistent then manual updates are much safer & simpler for you IMO. The time involved is miniscule. It is as simple as opening the new updated price list, opening the single master list of all prices and copying from the new list to the master list. If you know how!

Maybe also deleting old records along the way if that is what you want to do - I don't know what you want. It can be done with some basic Excel skills.

If you wanted, it can be coded into Excel's VBA so that it is automatic.

If you improve your Excel skills you can do all you want very easily. Suggest that a good approach is to either sit down with someone who has the ability to do this in Excel and they show you how to do it, or you read up on Excel and learn yourself. Excel has built in help, there are many free on line help resources, there are many books available, there are many forums to learn some Excel.

You'll grow & develop for the better. Take the challenge!

Best wishes,
Fazza