In today’s digital world, organizations collect data in many different ways – from customer information at point-of-sale systems to employee timesheets to online survey responses. Understanding how data enters a business helps you organize and manage it effectively.

Let’s consider a local coffee shop. They might collect data through:

• Customer loyalty program sign-ups
• Daily sales transactions
• Online orders
• Employee scheduling forms
• Inventory counts
• Customer feedback surveys

Think about Maria’s growing bakery business. She collects:

• Customer contact information when they place special orders
• Sales data from her register system
• Ingredient usage tracked by her kitchen staff
• Employee hours from the time clock system
• Feedback from comment cards

All this data needs to be organized in a way that helps her make business decisions. In the upcoming lessons, you’ll learn how to use Access to bring this kind of information together effectively.