MS Access
Microsoft Access is part of the Microsoft Office family of applications. A large portion of the projects
I've programmed have been using Access databases. It is a very flexible tool for both stand-alone applications
as well as user interfaces to other databases such as SQL Server.
Below are some examples of clients for whom I've created programs using MS Access.
Pine Falls Paper Company
PFPC was a paper mill in Pine Falls, Manitoba. Over a period of many years I wrote or co-wrote programs for almost every
department within the mill. A few of them were:
- Production Statistics - numerous quality control databases where the users would record data for their
department. A reporting database would bring all of the data together to produce summary reports for the
entire mill. A graphing program was connected to all of the seperate databases and with it, users could
generate data sets and graphs for virtually all data types within the mill.
- Waste Paper Inventory - both an Access database and an interface program to handle their inventory of
recycled newsprint and magazines. A program was written to interface with a bar code scanning system where
the users could label and scan bales of paper as they came in or were used. The database program kept track
of inventory levels and allowed them to more effectively manage the plant.
- Weigh Scale Interface - An interface to a truck weigh scale was programmed that allowed
truckers to enter their shipment information and communicate with the scale. Signals from the scale sent gross, tare, and net weights to
the database program which then printed tags for the driver. The program used this information for tracking
their wood chip inventory.
- Many other database programs were written, including maintenance tracking, train scheduling, and waste
water treatment plant management.
Western Forest Products Ltd.
WFP is a forestry company on the west coast of British Columbia. Here are a few of the programs I've written for them:
- Forest Object Database - A large program that tracks all aspects of a given piece of land. It contains data on cut
blocks, roads, bridges, and permits. Costs and potential revenue from each area was a large component of the program.
- Stumpage Appraisal - A program that duplicated the data and calculations of the provincial stumpage program. This
allowed them to predict and check the company's stumpage costs.
- Felled & Bucked Inventory - An inventory program that keeps track of an area's timber that has been felled.
Ministry Of Forests and Range
I've written three programs for the Ministry of Forests - Pt McNeill division.
- First Nations Database - A program to record all of their dealings with First Nations bands.
- Permit Tracker - A program to track all of their cutting permits, road permits, and other licences.
- Training Database - A program to record all training types completed by their staff.