Successful businesses need to keep good records for their business operations to enable effective management and the growth of the business. There are various methods of recording data for future references and management of the business venture such as the spreadsheets and databases. Before the development of the modern technology, many businesses had problems with data management since the only method of data presentation was in tables or just handwritten records. Technology made things easier and convenient for many business persons and business organisations. It is possible to keep and manage records of huge businesses and analyse by just clicking the mouse to produce the required result. The most suitable methods of data management are the databases and spreadsheets. This report will analyse the two by comparing them to come with a good recommendation on the best data management system for business dealing with the sale of second-hand cars. The databases must include the name of the company, the list of the customers, the suppliers, and the product on sale. The report will also involve the use of literature materials to provide the comparisons between the two management systems. The paper will also provide recommendations and a design of the preferred system to use in this particular company. For the company dealing with the sale of second-hand cars, below are the comparisons between databases and the spreadsheet that will provide a base for the selection of the suitable system.

Comparison of spreadsheets and databases

Databases

A database uses tables for its data storage, which has rows and columns. The main technologies in databases are the Microsoft access, SQL, Oracle, and many more. The use of the programming language is mandatory in databases and requires high technology for the users.

Databases help to perform different functions, such as filtering, manipulating, querying, Databases allow the linking of related data instead of duplicating it several times, which makes it suitable for large companies.

One thing to note about the databases in that they allow many users to edit the data at the same time. The databases also offer security to the information against corruptive errors by people with little training on the computer applications. A change made on an item reflects clearly for that item in various forms. Data that requires frequent manipulation is better stored in databases because it is easier to edit and alter the information its various locations in a single command. Sharing of information is possible in databases as several people can open and edit data at the same time.

Databases also allow production of different reports concerning the same item, for example, reports on employees can be in categories of regions sales, personal sales or the product sales. A single command will organiz However, databases are quite challenging to use for people with little knowledge of the computer and software. Databases require a lot of training for better management in an organization so as to avoid mistakes when generating tables and reports. The databases cannot perform complex computation such as averages and cannot produce graphs, charts, and analysis tables for data representation. The databases are not simple to format since the formatting commands are not in one page and require the user to open different locations to carry out editing on the original table.

Spreadsheets

A spreadsheet is a computer application for recording and analysing data in an organised manner. A spreadsheet contains rows and columns and some inbuilt features, such as, functions, formulae, graphs, charts, and tables. The software designed for spreadsheets include Excel and Lotus 1-2-3 mostly used by business organizations to manipulate data. A spreadsheet performs numerical calculations, such as sums, percentages, averages, sorting, and the differences. The spreadsheets display the data in the form of tables, charts, and graphs, which make it easier to use for comparisons.

The spreadsheets come with many functions for the processing of data, such as sorting, filtering and totalling of figures. For people with the basic computer knowledge, spreadsheets are the easiest to use and manipulate. The spread. Spreadsheets are most suitable for data comparisons, especially with the other industries offering similar products and when the data is for one-time use. Spreadsheets can allow duplication of files by copying and pasting and also they are easy to train and use. The spreadsheets are more suitable for data that requires a long time storage with fewer changes.

However, it is possible to mess the original data because undoing is almost impossible as the mistakes made on the spreadsheets sometimes require somebody to delete and rewrite the content. The spreadsheets pose some difficulties in data retrieval and do not offer data security as people can easily make changes to the workbook. The use of the spreadsheets allows accessibility for only one person at a time not convenient where data sharing is necessary. The spreadsheets allow formatting of data in one way, and for production of many forms of reports such as different tables, one has to copy the workbook several times and then edit the contents.

Recommendations to the organization manager

(     ). The actions will be possible by sorting, summing, and finding the mean by just clicking some commands on the same page. The other reason for recommending the spreadsheet is because it is possible to compare the organizational sales of the cars with the sales of the other companies in the same industry for monitoring purposes. The other reason the spreadsheet is the best for this company is because the company does not need frequent alteration of its records, as it only deals with a single item for sale. The spreadsheet will also enable the management of the employees, the suppliers and the customers, and suppliers by using a few spreadsheets’ pages.

The use of the spreadsheet will also enable the business to analyse its performance at various intervals by use of graphs, charts, and tables generated by the spreadsheet program. The challenges experienced when using the spreadsheet is solvable by employed the qualified personnel to handle the business record. To share the information on the spreadsheets, the users can duplicate the worksheets and save in different names, which will allow accessibility.

A spreadsheet design for second-hand car business for January to June 2015

References

Artymiak, J., 2011. Beginning OpenOffice Calc. [New York]: Apress.

Aydlott, J., 2007. The quick guide to small business budgeting. Lakeside, CA: San Diego Business Accounting Solutions.

Ganesh, G., & Paswan, A., 2010. Teaching basic marketing accountability using spreadsheets: An exploratory perspective. Journal of Business Research, 63 (2), 182-190.

Leong, T., & Cheong, M., 2008. Teaching Business Modeling Using Spreadsheets. INFORMS Transactions on Education, 9 (1), 20-34.

Rood, R., & Forbrich, H., 2009. Mastering Oracle Scheduler in Oracle 11g databases. Birmingham, U.K.: Packt Pub.

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