Solution for tender inquiries

[asa1963]

Hi,

I have made a database about our contractors (companies) without client number.

I have collected 300 names and addresses.

I have also put contract numbers and the contract names for our works (around one hundred) in the same database and in the same lay out.

We have now sent some of companies tender inquires about our works and my database is now waiting for to be filled with different information.

The information which is needed to be filled is following:

1. Company whom we have sent the tender inquiry (we might have send many different tender inquiries to the same company)

2. Tender inquiry contract number

3. Tender inquiry contract name

4. Date the tender inquiry has sent out,

5. Date we have received tender inquiry back,

6. What price contractors (companies) are offering,

7. Name for the companies whom we have negotiated with,

8. Negotiation date

9. The final price after negotiation,

10. Companies we have selected,

11. The reason for selection

Finally I need to make a report (or new layout where all information is collected in one page) about every contract case separate:

1. Contract number

2. Contract name

3. Names for the companies whom we have sent that inquiry (list, companies can be 20)

4. Date the inquiry has sent out

5. Names for the companies whom we have received the tender inquires

6. The date we have received inquiries

7. The price contractors (companies) are offering

8. Name for the companies whom we have negotiated with (maybe 5)

9. Negotiation date

10. The final price after negotiation

11. The Company we have selected (only 1)

12. The reason for the selection

The report could look like this for example:

HEADLINE:

1) Contract number and 2) the name for contract (one case separate)

INQUIRY HAS SENT TO FOLLOWING COMPANYS (list)

1) Company names and 2) the date inquiry has sent out (in same line)

INQUIRYS RECEIVED FROM FOLLOWING COMPANYS (list)

1) Date for received offer, 2) Company name, 3) the offered price

NEGOTIATED WITH FOLLOWING COMPANYS (list):

1) Negotiation date, 2) Company name, 3) the offered price, 4) the final price after negotiation (on same line)

WE HAVE DECIDED TO SELECT FOLLOWING COMPANY:

Company name, the final price (only one)

THE REASON FOR SELECTION:

? X X X

My problem is following:

Because the same company can get many inquires and do many different works for us how to make registration about them the simplest way?

Shall I build 1) database with company names (which I already have), 2) separate database only for contract numbers and names for our works and 3) database only for inquiries?

Is it better to make different tables in that case and make relationships between them? What is the logical relationships between tables? How shall I do that? Do I need to put some field more somewhere?

Because I would like to have all my information in same database I am also thinking if the self-joining relationships are the best solutions for me which can solve my problem the simplest way?

I have been thinking about this problem all the time now and my brain is stuck and I think it is not working any more…

I have used File Maker Pro 7 for windows only for two weeks. Since used FileMaker last was ten years ago and at that time I used Mac Intosh. So I try to study all the time also but my thoughts keeps going back to this problem all the time…

Please help me! My report has to be done before 9.12.2005.

[David McQueen]

You have a structural problem in that one table will not do what you want unless you are really tricky.

I would separate out into several tables:

People

Works

Inquiries - Join of People and Works

Invitations to Tender - Join of People and works

Tenders - Join of Invitations and Works?

What you are doing is not trivial.

Hope this helps.

Dave McQueen

[David McQueen]

Just noticed that this is double posted. I had replied to the other post earlier. Sorry for any band width taken.

Dave McQueen

[Lee Smith]

I removed the other post, this is the active one now.

Lee

[asa1963]

Thanks for your advice, I will try fo figure out something : )

[David McQueen]

Don't be shy with any questions.

[email protected]

In the mean time, downlaod all sorts of things to get interface ideas.

Dave McQueen