Visitor registry with signatures, what software to use ?

Hello,

We are trying to build a visitor registry. We manually enter the visitor's information, but the visitor has to write down his/her signature. We currently have 2 ideas. The first, we will use some tablet or something like that for a signature. The second, the visitor will enter his/her information and we will simply ask for a proof of ID and signature.

registry.xlsx

The one that we currently fill by hand has more fields, but this is a workbook example of what we want to do. The purpose here is to save time.

I *believe* the correct way to doing this would a database... Like Microsoft Access. Is that correct ? Thoughts ? The problem is the signature part. How do we accomplish this ? For example, if we add a signature line to Excel, it makes the file read only. If we want to edit, the signature gets removed.

I am looking for the correct way of doing this. A new "sheet" will be created every day. It will renamed to that current day's date.

If we go for the second idea, the visitor will have to enter its own information, but it should be only visible for us and locked down (so other visitors can't mess with the registry and can't see another visitor's information).

Is an automatic backup possible so we do not lose data, just in case ?

What the correct way to do this ?

Thank you for your help !

What is your operational scenario? That is, do all visitors register at the same physical point of entry? I am wondering if you can do all of this on one device, or if it's distributed.

You will have to have some sort of graphical input device like a tablet (I assume you mean something like an iPad), or a Wacom drawing tablet connected to a PC.

I suppose this could be done in Access although I have limited experience with access and have never used it to capture or store graphical elements. Not sure how that would work. The big question here is one you have recorded the registration data, how will you use it? The answer to that will help inform whether this should be a data, or if Excel files are adequate.

Originally Posted by MasterBash

if we add a signature line to Excel, it makes the file read only. If we want to edit, the signature gets removed.

I am not following this at all. If you add a graphical signature it will not make the file read only. Editing the file will not remove a graphical signature.

A new "sheet" will be created every day. It will renamed to that current day's date.

Not the way you want to go. You want to record a continuous stream of registration data. There is no need to physically separate chunks of it by date.

the visitor will have to enter its own information, but it should be only visible for us and locked down (so other visitors can't mess with the registry and can't see another visitor's information).

This will require VBA but isn't a hard problem and is probably the best way to do it, using Excel.

Is an automatic backup possible so we do not lose data, just in case ?

That is a meta-question outside of how to solve your registration problem. The answer to this depends on your current system infrastructure, any existing backup utilities, etc. Any enterprise should be backing up everything in the whole system so I'm a little worried that you have to ask this.

Posted here : vbaexpress.com/forum/showthread.php?71852-Visitor-registry-with-signatures-excel-the-way-to-go&p=424524#post424524

Originally Posted by 6StringJazzer

What is your operational scenario? That is, do all visitors register at the same physical point of entry? I am wondering if you can do all of this on one device, or if it's distributed.

The registration itself will all be at the same point of entry, on one device, but it will be saved on one drive and other people on the team will have access to the file.

You will have to have some sort of graphical input device like a tablet (I assume you mean something like an iPad), or a Wacom drawing tablet connected to a PC.

That is correct, we will be using some sort of graphical input device.

I suppose this could be done in Access although I have limited experience with access and have never used it to capture or store graphical elements. Not sure how that would work. The big question here is one you have recorded the registration data, how will you use it? The answer to that will help inform whether this should be a data, or if Excel files are adequate.

This is simply for storing information of visitors. We are required to keep all records for 3 years for security reasons. We will be adding information to it such as time of departure of the visitors ourselves.

I am not following this at all. If you add a graphical signature it will not make the file read only. Editing the file will not remove a graphical signature.

How do you add a graphical signature ? In Excel, Insert -> Signature Line -> Microsoft Office Signature will make the workbook read-only once it is signed. Once you click "Edit anyway", it deletes the signature.

Not the way you want to go. You want to record a continuous stream of registration data. There is no need to physically separate chunks of it by date.

No problem, understood. I was wondering if a connection from Excel to Access would be the correct way to go. However, I wonder what kind of advantage I would get by synchronizing excel and access together, because the data would still be in excel. I am guessing if I would clear the data from excel, it would delete it from access too, if it were to be synchronized ? I wonder what the best way is when it comes to performance, so a huge amount of data wont boggle down the system.

This will require VBA but isn't a hard problem and is probably the best way to do it, using Excel.

Agreed. I already started making some sort of interface for it, as a test. I still don't know if Excel if the best way to go. It doesn't matter if I started in Excel already, I can always start over if there is a better solution.

That is a meta-question outside of how to solve your registration problem. The answer to this depends on your current system infrastructure, any existing backup utilities, etc. Any enterprise should be backing up everything in the whole system so I'm a little worried that you have to ask this.

I agree, and I am sure there is a back-up system in place. I just can't image why it wouldn' t.

So far, it is looking like this, that is obviously not the final result, but the information entered in Registry will be sent by e-mail when clicking on Submit and it will appear in the data tab, so I can push it to Access, otherwise I don't know how from a form.

registry.xlsx

Just a quick one here and I'll give this a think.

How do you add a graphical signature ? In Excel, Insert -> Signature Line -> Microsoft Office Signature will make the workbook read-only once it is signed. Once you click "Edit anyway", it deletes the signature.

That's a digital signature to certify the provenance of the file, much different than capturing a signature that a visitor will write out.

This could be done all in Access, or all in Excel, but I don't see any advantage in a hybrid of both, and would make things complicated.