Data management in small manufacturing businesses using Microsoft Excel and databases to help decision making

Abstract

Every manufacturing business, regardless of its field, have a large amount of data to store which is necessary analyse to take the right decisions. Solutions for this problem currently exist but they are extremely expensive and are only affordable for the big companies. The methods and techniques used are all free or should be available in every business and do not need changes on the process or particular training. The result indicates, with an example, that even though is not possible handle so many data as the specialized and expensive software does, it is a good and affordable solution that every small manufacturing business should implement to improve its decision making.