Alternative SolutionsThere are several solutions to my project. One of them is simply to maintain the current system. The current system has been in use for more than a decade and it has worked. It provides sufficiently detailed information on student attendance. The main advantage of the current system is that it is economical in the short term. You don't need to invest more money in the system, so it can result in cost savings. However, it is neither flexible nor efficient. It cannot produce ad hoc reports right away, it has to be done manually if desired, which would be time consuming. It also cannot provide as detailed a report as alternative solutions. Another solution is to have a spreadsheet, where teachers will type the number of minutes late into a classroom-ready template. Spreadsheets have good calculation capabilities, however they do not have all the required features. Spreadsheet software is most appropriate for financial or statistical analysis due to its built-in formulas and functions. However, spreadsheet software is not suitable for storing large amounts of data and daily data. It does not have good search capabilities or the ability to create ad hoc reports. On the other hand, there is database software. Database software allows users to store large amounts of data such as student address and the ability to search and sort the data as the user wishes. It has a comprehensive search capability that reduces the amount of time wasted searching for a particular record, it's actually a matter of seconds. Database software has the ability to handle complex amounts of data in various interconnected forms. In other words, each piece of data about the student would be in a separate document and the master file would compile them all into one... in the middle of the paper... watch out for the cameras, otherwise the students might lose their papers. Teachers may also lose their PDAs, which aren't cheap. In such systems the equipment does not require much care nor can it be easily lost. Even though other systems may be automated, that doesn't mean they are easy to use. System users and administrators may have problems managing the system. For example, they may have problems registering new students or moving everyone to the new system. Works cited "Microsoft Office Access 2007 Product Overview." Microsoft Office Access 2007 Product Overview. Microsoft Corp., Web. Feb. 21, 2010. "Office Excel 2007 Product Overview." Office Excel 2007 product overview. Microsoft Corp., Web. 21 February 2010. .