Frequently Asked Questions
- How much will it cost?
- How long will it take?
- Can you remodel my existing database?
- What if I need something built from scratch?
- What about training?
- Do you have a money-back guarantee?
- Do you have an office near me?
- Can I check your references?
- What is a SimpleScreen?
- I need to build some queries... can you help?
How much will it cost?
Some projects cost only a few thousand dollars, most probably fall within the range of about $5,000 to $12,000, and some will cost more than that. But it's impossible for us to know how much your project will cost before we've learned more about it. So please feel free to contact us and we can discuss your needs in detail.
Once we've looked at your project and come up with an estimate, we generally require payments of 50% in advance, 25% before delivery, and 25% within 30 days after delivery.
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How long will it take?
This really depends on a lot of factors, including how long our waiting list is when you first contact us. However, once we have determined your needs and designed your database, it usually takes only a few weeks to finish the work.
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Can you remodel my existing database?
Absolutely. And we can usually remodel it while you are still working in your old copy of it, so we don't interrupt your work flow.
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What if I need a something built from scratch?
No problem. We'll custom-build your database first, and then (if you wish) add a SimpleScreen to it.
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What about training?
You'll need a lot less of it with our SimpleScreens. Just go through a brief on-line tutorial (which is built in to the SimpleScreen itself) and you're ready to go. Whereas other custom-built databases are created from scratch and each one is different, a SimpleScreen database is more standardized than other custom databases. This means that it doesn't change over time, even if your database's tables change. Once you know how to use it, that's it. You'll know it forever, like riding a bicycle. Contact us for more information and an on-line demonstration.
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Do you have a money-back guarantee?
Not exactly, but if by chance you do find an error ("bug") in our programming, we'll fix it for free. After all, we tend to re-use a lot of our code, and we want to fix any bugs that might pop up. We can't be held responsible for problems caused by anything outside our control, such as a hardware conflict or software conflict, but if it really was our fault, we'll fix it for free. Guaranteed.
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Do you have an office near me?
Since 1995, we've been serving customers from our Silicon Valley office in San Jose, California. In 1999, we added an office in Portland, Oregon. Yet we have customers all over the United States. How do we manage this? We send databases and spreadsheets back and forth via the Internet, we fax design documents and estimates back and forth, and we spend a lot of time on the phone. We're good communicators, and we make sure you're comfortable with every step before we proceed.
We can even arrange to dial in to your computer or network (with proper authorization from you and your company) to provide tech support and maintenance.
If you're willing to pay our travel costs, we will come to you. But the majority of our customers simply find this unnecessary.
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Can I check your references?
Absolutely. Just contact us and we'll put you in touch with some of our customers so they can tell you all about us.
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What is a SimpleScreen?
Our patent-pending SimpleScreen is a database front-end, or interface, that can be added to any SQL Server or MS Access database. It allows you to interact with your entire database, or even with several databases at once, all from one screen. It's not menu-driven like most databases, and because it all sits on one screen, you never have to click from screen to screen to find what you're looking for. Even novice users find it absolutely impossible to get lost. With a SimpleScreen Interface, you can find, filter, add, edit, and delete records, run queries, and print reports, all from one powerful, truly simple screen.
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I need to build some queries... can you help?
We can, but you may find that you don't need us to. That's because the SimpleScreen Interface already includes one of the most powerful query- and report-writing tools ever built. While we can't guarantee that you'll never have to build another query (or have us build one for you), you should find that 98% of your query-writing needs are completely taken care of through the easy-to-learn SimpleScreen. And you won't believe how easy it is to use.