Database Projects

Here is a partial list of some of the custom software projects we have been involved in over the past several years. As you can see, one of our strengths is the ability to make use of 3rd party tools to go beyond what the base tools are capable of doing:


American Metal Processing (Warren, MI)

American Metal Processing heat treats metal parts (washers, clips, pins, nuts, etc.) for industry. They needed a custom program that would handle their needs without extraneous features that might confuse their staff. Previously they had been using a prepackaged program that was far too complicated for their needs and was difficult if not impossible to have customized.

In 2020 we finished a major rewrite of the application we wrote back in 2001. The original application we designed and developed for them using MS Access with the Jet database. The new version takes advantage of a lot of new technology. It's a Windows forms application with the front end written in VB.net and the backend in MS SQL Server. The front end makes extensive use of tools from Developer Express, one of the leaders in software development tools. The database is stored in the cloud so they can access it from multiple locations.

The application tracks parts lists, heat treating "recipes", work orders, hardness test results, quotations, invoicing and more. It has extensive reporting built in, automatically, emails reports to customers and captures signatures for shipping and processing steps that require authorization.

The original version automatically posted accounting data when a job is closed to their Peachtree accounting system but that feature was no longer needed in the new version.

American Metal Processing has been a valued, regular customer since 2001.


Detroit Legal News Publishing (Troy, MI)

This has been an ongoing project for nearly 20 years. Detroit Legal News Publishing is one of the largest legal newspaper publishers in Michigan. We initially created a Microsoft Access database system to manage the foreclosure notices they publish. Eventually this grew into a tool for managing many other types of ads for the paper.

Several years ago the database was rewritten for MS SQL Server. The front end was changed over to a MS Access ADP. We have also written several other tools in VB.net to handle automated input and output to and from the main database. This enables them to take in data from their biggest customers with very little human interaction.

Since the DLNP also handles legal notices for other legal papers in Michigan, the system automatically sends these notices out to the other papers for publishing. The tools we've created for DLNP incorporate many software technologies in order to best suit their needs.

We are currently working with this client on plans to completely rewrite this system in 2020 or 2021. The new version will still use MS SQL Server but the user interface will be browser based. Covid19 has thrown a hitch into this for now.

Detroit Legal News Publishing has been a valued, regular customer since 1998.


Social Security Counseling Center (Southfield, MI)

One of our talents is understanding our customers' needs. Cliff Weisberg's previous programmer passed away unexpectedly and there was very little documentation on the application he wrote. We came in and quickly learned the program and their needs so that we could maintain the existing program. Shortly after that we rewrote the backend from MS Jet to MS SQL Server and converted the front end (MS Access) to be able to use the new database.

Since then we have made a great many changes to the program including the ability to scan and store documents as PDF files so the staff no longer has to waste time locating their clients' physical files in the file rooms. We have been able to make this office nearly paperless by taking advantage of this sort of technology.

We hope to rewrite the front end for the web very soon and possibly convert the backend to MySQL. This program also takes advantage of automation in order to generate a great many reports in MS Word. The new conversion will no longer use any MS products and instead take advantage of the many open source options such as Open Office.

Cliff Weisberg has been a valued, regular customer since 2001.


KitchenTools Software, Inc.

Catering Management Software Developed for professional catering houses by the principals of Quintesoft, this system written in Borland Delphi with extensive use of 3rd party tools. It was designed to manage accounting and production of large scale food production companies. It was built to take advantage of the free licensing of Microsoft's MSDE and SQL Express data engines. To see details about this project click here.

The Kitchen, Inc has been a valued, regular customer since 1997.


Aon Risk Services (Southfield, MI)

Aon is a very large global insurance company. We created and maintained two separate applications for Aon for many years. First is a FoxPro program that was originally written in FoxPro 2.5 for DOS and later converted to VFP. It is used to handle their commercial McDonalds Restaurant client data. Second is an MS Access/Jet application to handle their commercial Little Caesar's, Burger King and other restaurant chain client data. Both programs manage customer and location data, policy information, and among other things are used to generate proposals and invoices. They both make extensive use of automation with MS Word and MS Excel. A few years ago Aon decided to handle all of their I.T. in house so we no longer maintain those applications for them.

Aon Risk Services was a steady customer for many years from about 2003 to 2017 but chose to have all programming done in-house.


Construction division of Siemens USA (Chicago, IL)

Keith did some of the design and programming work on this project and lead a team of programmers to carry out the bulk of the work. It was a conversion from an archaic monster set of Excel spreadsheets that had been in use in many of their North American offices for a dozen years or so and had grown too large to manage properly. Keith worked closely with the Vice President of North American Operations in Chicago during most of the project. The program is in use throughout the USA and Canada and manages scheduling of employees and job costs. Tools used: MS Visual Basic and MS SQL Server.


Meadowbrook Services (Farmington Hills, MI)

Prior to our developing this application, the customer had been using paper and various programs not well suited for data management such as documents and spreadsheets to maintain customer information and generate invoices. As a small business owner, this customer was on a very tight budget and we were able to stay within his spending limit while giving him the results he needed to better run his business. This program manages customers, scheduling and invoicing and was written using MS Access and the Jet database.

We are currently working with this client on plans to completely rewrite this system in 2020 or 2021. The new version will still use MySQL with a browser based user interface. Covid19 has thrown a hitch into this for now.

Meadowbrook Services has been a valued, regular customer since 1997.


Center for Progressive Learning (School Fees/Management System in Troy, MI - no longer in business)

This system was written to handle data such as student records, student enrollments, tuition & fees, class scheduling, invoicing, teacher salary tracking, tax reporting, general accounting, reporting for a banking education company. It was written using MS Access with the Jet database.


Crane & Crane, Inc (Fruit Orchard / Packer in Brewster, WA)

This program was written using MS Access with the Jet database to handle vendor & customer data, packing, orders, scheduling and invoicing.


Childrens' Music Academy (Colorado)

This was a nice, clean, simple little custom application (and relatively inexpensive) written in MS Access with the Jet database. It was used to maintain student & teacher data and scheduling. Tools used: MS Access and Jet database.



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