Where Should You Store Your Contact Information?


Where Should You Store Your Contact Information?

Topic at a glance

You can use Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, or Microsoft Access to set up and maintain information about your customer contacts, and you can move information between applications easily. If you’ve started your contact list in Microsoft Word, you’ll benefit by moving the list to one of these three applications. (To store your data in Microsoft Access, you’ll need either Microsoft Office, Professional Edition or an individual copy of Microsoft Access.) Use the table on this page to decide which application best fits your needs. See the topics in the rest of this part of the book for more information on how each application lends itself to contact management.

Should you use?

Ask yourself ...

If yes, consider that ...

Do you have several types of contacts? Do you want to track multiple phone numbers and other points of reference for these contacts? Do you plan to use your list not only as a business card file, but also as a place from which to send e-mail or assign tasks?

Outlook lets you organize and keep track of your contact list easily. You can store as much information about each contact as you need, and you can look at your contact list in several different ways, depending on the information you want. Outlook provides categories for information, but you can also customize those categories.

Do you need to set up custom categories or analyze the data associated with your contact list?

In Microsoft Excel, you can organize your data and display it in ways that allow you to analyze it. You can assign column headings and then rearrange the columns or display a partial set of columns.

Do you need to be able to search and filter your contact list?

Each worksheet tab in Microsoft Excel stores up to 65,535 contact entries. You can search through your list, or filter it to display the contacts that match criteria you specify.

Is your contact list very large, or part of a larger multiuser database?

In Microsoft Access, many users can work in a database simultaneously. If your contact information feeds into sales quotes, packing lists, invoices, or other database applications, your department or company might want to make a multiuser Microsoft Access database the central focus for these activities.

Do you need to print reports based on specific sets of contact information?

With Microsoft Access, you can easily create reports that make your data meaningful.

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Should you use?	Ask yourself ...	If yes, consider that ...

	Do you have several types of contacts? Do you want to track multiple phone numbers and other points of reference for these contacts? Do you plan to use your list not only as a business card file, but also as a place from which to send e-mail or assign tasks?	Outlook lets you organize and keep track of your contact list easily. You can store as much information about each contact as you need, and you can look at your contact list in several different ways, depending on the information you want. Outlook provides categories for information, but you can also customize those categories.


	Do you need to set up custom categories or analyze the data associated with your contact list?	In Microsoft Excel, you can organize your data and display it in ways that allow you to analyze it. You can assign column headings and then rearrange the columns or display a partial set of columns.
	Do you need to be able to search and filter your contact list?	Each worksheet tab in Microsoft Excel stores up to 65,535 contact entries. You can search through your list, or filter it to display the contacts that match criteria you specify.


	Is your contact list very large, or part of a larger multiuser database?	In Microsoft Access, many users can work in a database simultaneously. If your contact information feeds into sales quotes, packing lists, invoices, or other database applications, your department or company might want to make a multiuser Microsoft Access database the central focus for these activities.
	Do you need to print reports based on specific sets of contact information?	With Microsoft Access, you can easily create reports that make your data meaningful.