Simple Invoicing Desktop Database with MS Access 2013/2016

Overview

This hands-on guide teaches you how to build a practical invoicing desktop database using Microsoft Access (2013/2016). Focused on real-world tasks rather than theory, the walkthrough emphasizes clear table design, reliable relationships, intuitive data entry forms, and printable invoice layouts. Step-by-step instructions, illustrative screenshots, and short exercises help you reproduce a working invoicing workflow that you can adapt for small businesses, nonprofits, classrooms, or internal office use.

What you'll learn

Follow a structured path from data model to printed invoice. Core learning outcomes include:

• Designing normalized tables for customers, products/services, invoices, and line items to keep data consistent
• Implementing relationships and referential integrity to prevent orphaned records and maintain accuracy
• Creating user-friendly forms (including subforms and lookup controls) that speed data entry and reduce errors
• Writing queries and expressions to calculate totals, taxes, discounts, and to filter or summarize sales data
• Designing printable invoice layouts and basic reports for client delivery and bookkeeping

Core topics and key concepts

The guide balances foundational database principles with Access-specific techniques. You’ll learn when to normalize versus when to use lookup fields, how to enforce referential integrity with primary/foreign keys, and which form controls (combo boxes, subforms, bound/unbound controls) improve usability. Query design guidance covers transactional calculations and aggregate reporting, while report design tips focus on grouping, pagination, and layout so printed invoices look professional and PDF-ready.

Hands-on projects and exercises

Short, focused exercises reinforce each chapter and let you build a working system as you go. Typical tasks include populating sample customer and product records, building an invoice entry form with an order-details subform, configuring lookups to auto-fill descriptions and prices, and testing calculations for line totals, taxes, and invoice sums. Each exercise is scoped for rapid iteration so you can test and customize features in a single Access file.

Who this is for

Ideal for small-business owners, office administrators, instructors, and students who need a compact invoicing solution or a classroom example. The guide assumes basic familiarity with Access and is accessible to beginners, while offering extension ideas for intermediate users—such as adapting the model for service/hourly billing, subscriptions, or simple point-of-sale workflows. According to the author, David W. Gerbing, examples are intentionally adaptable to different business rules and local tax requirements.

How to use this guide effectively

Work chapters in sequence to avoid missing dependencies: create tables before building forms, and validate queries before adding them to reports. Reproduce examples in a copy of your database, use representative sample data to verify calculations, and iterate on form and report layouts to match branding and printing preferences. Apply the sections on form controls and report grouping when tailoring the interface and printed output to real-world workflows.

Practical benefits

• Reduces duplicate or inconsistent customer and product records through structured table design
• Speeds invoice creation and reduces manual calculation errors via automated totals and lookups
• Produces consistent, printable invoices and PDF-ready reports for client delivery and recordkeeping
• Provides a foundation for simple sales tracking and lightweight analysis using queries and grouped reports

Quick FAQs

Do I need advanced Access skills?

No. The guide is written for beginners and explains concepts in clear, practical steps. Intermediate users will find customization and enhancement ideas.

Can I adapt the design for hourly or service billing?

Yes. The data model and form techniques are flexible: replace product-quantity fields with rate and hours, adjust calculations for hourly billing, and add validation rules to enforce business policies.

Next steps

Start by following the stepwise examples and completing the included exercises. After you validate the basic invoicing flow, customize forms and reports to reflect business labels, tax rules, and printing preferences. Use the guide as a stable foundation for future enhancements such as template invoices, additional validation, or lightweight automation within Access.