Ideas on how to deal with tables on MS Access 2013 database

[bentumkoitaba]

For me, this is the first big app I am working on because what I have been doing have always just been for fun. I am making an app for store management where the database holds the items in stock and quantity. Also, the database hold the existing clients information as shown in the attached image, the systems they have, the materials used in installation of their systems, maintenance history and maintenance dates and finally, cost.

My problem comes with the table design. The existing number of customers is about 5,000. Do I create independent table for each customer in the database? How many tables can access database hold? This doesn't show the maximum number, but shows maximum number of open tables. On the other hand, if I use one table for all the customers, how do I go around with the rows and columns and querying them?

Any Ideas? I use MS Access because I know a little about it. On SQL, I am completely green. I tried once and I kept getting a message that Server not available blah blah...

[FunkyDexter]

Do I create independent table for each customer in the database?

No, you have one table called Customers. In it you have one row for each customer.

Then you would have a table for Systems containing a row for each system any of your customers has. That row would contain a field with a CustomerID in it so you can tell which System belongs to which customer.

Then you'd have a table for MaterielsUsed which would have a SystemID in it so you could tell which system the material was used on (and you'd probably have another field in it called MaterialID so you could tell which material was used) and so on.

Each type of thing in your system gets a table and you use the ID columns to relate individual instance of those things together.

[IkkeEnGij]

i would like to advice:
go to the library, and lend every book on database design you can find
one i can recommend for beginners is: "database design for mere mortals"