Workflow Clarity
The goal of a good Microsoft Access Programmer is to build an Access Database application to fit the needs of the business as best as possible. Trying to build an Access Database without knowledge of the workflow of your client's business is just asking for trouble.
If the business workflow is understood then screens (forms) and reports can be designed to fulfill specific steps in the workflow. Without that understanding the workflow a programmer simply has to guess. Sometimes he or she gets lucky but most of the time the customer receives a database that seems "unfinished" or that does not "do what I need it to". If an Access Programmer wants a happy customer then he or she will need to build a database to fit the processes and business rules of the customer. Having a clear grasp of your client's workflow is the key to designing a great MS Access database.
Similar but Different
Every one of our clients runs their businesses differently. We have built several databases for legal firms and they all have different workflow. Same is true with architects, contractors, manufacturers and many others which you'd think would have similar workflow but they do not. All business software should be designed around the processes, procedures and rules of the specific business that will be using it.
Lost Productivity with Canned Software
Canned or packaged software you can buy "as-is" normally cannot fulfill the needs of the business that's using it because it is not designed around that business's unique workflow. The company ends up changing it's operations to try to fit the flow of the new software. That is totally backwards! Productivity is lost and so is the competitive edge of the business.
