Improving Decision Making: Using Databases to Analyze Sales Trends

Software skills: Database querying and reporting

Business skills: Sales trend analysis

In this project, you will start out with raw transactional sales data and use Microsoft Access database software to develop queries and reports that help managers make better decisions about product pricing, sales promotions, and inventory replenishment. In MyMISLab, you can find a Store and Regional Sales Database developed in Microsoft Access. The database contains raw data on weekly store sales of computer equipment in various sales regions. The database includes fields for store identification number, sales region, item number, item description, unit price, units sold, and the weekly sales period when the sales were made. Use Access to develop some reports and queries to make this information more useful for running the business. Sales and production managers want answers to the following questions:

Which products should be restocked?

Which stores and sales regions would benefit from a promotional campaign and additional marketing?

When (what time of year) should products be offered at full price, and when should discounts be used?

What reports and queries do I need