The verdict in three sentences
A 2009 Access database running your quotes and inventory is an operational risk: one dead PC, an Office update or the departure of the only employee who understands it, and business stops. A migration to a web application costs EUR 15,000 to 30,000 (about USD 16,000 to 33,000), imports 12 years of data and brings multi-user access and automatic backups. The 8 to 12 week timeline should be scheduled in your low season, for an outdoor equipment business ideally between April and July.
Assess the risk before pricing
Before talking technology, measure what an outage would cost. For an SME with EUR 4.5 million in revenue, a 3-day stop in peak season represents about EUR 55,000 of delayed or lost sales.
| Risk signal | Common situation in 2026 | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Only one employee knows the VBA macros | 1 person, often close to retirement | Critical |
| .accdb file shared on a network drive | Corruption beyond 5 simultaneous users | High |
| Database size | Close to the 2 GB limit | High |
| Backups | Manual weekly copy to a USB stick | High |
| Remote access | Impossible without VPN or remote desktop | Medium |
| Compatibility | Tied to a 32-bit Office version | Medium |
| Customer personal data | No access log, weak privacy compliance | Medium |
If three or more signals apply, the migration is no longer a comfort project but a business continuity measure.
Options and their cost
| Option | Budget excl. tax | Timeline | Pros | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status quo + automatic backups | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 | 1 week | Reduces data loss risk | Fixes neither dependency nor multi-user |
| Access data on SQL Server, Access front end kept | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 | 3 to 5 weeks | Little change for staff | Still tied to Windows and Office |
| No-code tool (Airtable, Power Apps) | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 + EUR 20 to 40 per user per month | 4 to 8 weeks | Fast | Struggles with complex quote calculations |
| Custom web app, same scope | EUR 15,000 to 22,000 | 8 to 10 weeks | Multi-user, access anywhere, durable | Needs precise scoping |
| Custom web app + improvements | EUR 22,000 to 30,000 | 10 to 12 weeks | Adds e-commerce, dashboard, mobile | Higher budget |
For an SME with 15 to 40 users, the same-scope custom app is the best trade-off: you keep your screens and calculations without depending on one PC or one person.
Data migration, the key workstream
12 years of Access data always contain duplicates, repurposed fields and orphan tables. Migration accounts for 15 to 20% of the budget. The method that works:
- Inventory: list of tables, queries, forms, reports and macros, often 40 to 120 objects.
- Documenting business rules hidden in VBA, through interviews with the key employee, 3 to 5 half-days.
- Cleansing: deduplicating customers and items, normalising references.
- Dry runs: two full rehearsals before cutover, checking inventory and revenue totals.
- Cutover over a weekend, with rollback possible for 2 weeks.
Mini case study
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Julian, owner of an outdoor equipment SME in New York (22 staff, EUR 4.5 million revenue), depends on an Access database built in 2009 by Mark, a technician retiring in 18 months. A 3-day outage is estimated at EUR 55,000 in sales. Julian launches a EUR 24,000 migration delivered in 10 weeks between April and June. Sales reps can finally check stock from trade shows, and quote preparation drops from 25 to 10 minutes, saving 350 hours a year across 1,400 quotes. At EUR 38 loaded cost, that is EUR 13,300 a year: the project pays back in under 2 years, before counting the outage risk removed.
FAQ
Can we keep Excel for some uses?
Yes, the web app exports to Excel or CSV in one click for your analyses. The rule is simple: master data lives in the app, Excel is only used for reading.
What happens to Access printed reports?
They are rebuilt as PDFs, usually 10 to 25 reports for an SME. Layouts are reproduced identically so delivery notes and invoices look the same to your customers.
Do we have to stop operations during cutover?
No, cutover happens over a weekend after two dry runs. On Monday, teams work in the new app, with the old database kept read-only.
Where is the data hosted?
With a hosting provider in your region, with daily backups kept 30 days, for EUR 50 to 150 a month. You remain owner of the code and data.
What does maintenance cost afterwards?
Allow 12 to 15% of the build cost per year, i.e. EUR 2,900 to 3,600 for a EUR 24,000 app. This covers fixes, security and small enhancements.
Let's scope your project. Send us a copy of your Access database or Excel files, and we will produce the inventory, an indicative migration budget and an 8 to 12 week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.