The verdict in three sentences
A 15 year old Access database carrying the quotes, production and after-sales of a manufacturing SME is a valuable business asset and a real operational risk: beyond 3 simultaneous users, it locks up or corrupts. Migrating it to a multi-user web application costs EUR 20,000 to 60,000 excl. VAT in 2026 in Dublin, depending on the number of tables (40 to 150) and forms. The realistic timeline is 3 to 6 months, data migration included, without stopping operations.
Signs it is time to migrate
Access remains an excellent prototyping tool, but it hits its limits as soon as the company grows:
- The shared file on the server locks when the 4th user opens it.
- The file exceeds 1.5 GB and approaches the 2 GB limit.
- The original developer has left and nobody understands the VBA macros anymore.
- Field sales staff and the workshop cannot access it from a tablet.
- No audit trail: nobody knows who changed a quote or when.
- Backup relies on a manual copy of the .accdb file.
| Criterion | Current Access database | Target web application |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous users | 3 to 5 before locking | 50 and more |
| Access | Windows PC on the local network | Browser, tablet, mobile |
| Maximum size | 2 GB per file | No practical limit |
| Audit trail | None | History per record |
| Backup | Manual copy | Automatic, daily, encrypted |
| Access rights | All or nothing | By role (sales, workshop, after-sales) |
| Maintenance | Depends on one person | Documented, versioned code |
What the migration costs in 2026
The first cost driver is the complexity of the data model and of the logic hidden in forms, queries and VBA. A well structured 40 table database migrates two to three times faster than 150 tables accumulated without rules.
| Database size | Tables / forms | 2026 budget excl. VAT (Dublin) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 40 tables, 20 to 30 forms | EUR 20,000 to 28,000 | 3 months |
| Medium | 60 to 90 tables, 40 to 60 forms | EUR 28,000 to 42,000 | 4 to 5 months |
| Large | 100 to 150 tables, 80+ forms | EUR 42,000 to 60,000 | 5 to 6 months |
| Data migration only | Cleaning, deduplication, checks | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | Included in timeline |
| Accounting or ERP connector | Journal export, customer sync | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Hosting and maintenance | Server, backups, fixes | EUR 250 to 700 per month | Ongoing |
There are automatic conversion tools to SQL Server or no-code platforms, around EUR 5,000 to 12,000. They move the tables but not the business logic, and often leave an application as hard to maintain as the original.
The method that avoids bad surprises
A successful migration happens in stages, with the Access database still running during the build:
- Inventory (2 to 3 weeks): mapping of the tables, queries, macros and reports actually in use. It is common for a third of the objects to be obsolete.
- Clean data model: normalisation, foreign keys, removal of duplicate fields.
- Module by module build: quotes first, then production, then after-sales. Each module is validated by users before the next one.
- Dry runs: the data migration is repeated 2 or 3 times on a copy, with checks on totals (number of quotes, revenue per year).
- Cutover: one weekend, with Access switched to read only for reference for 3 months.
Mini case study
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Aoife, finance director of a 45 employee precision engineering SME near Dublin (illustrative persona), handles 2,500 quotes a year in a 70 table Access database.
- Time lost today: 6 people wait or re-key data for about 25 minutes a day because of locks and double entry, i.e. 6 × 25 min × 220 days = 550 hours a year.
- Cost of those hours at EUR 38 fully loaded: about EUR 20,900 a year.
- Migration budget: EUR 34,000 excl. VAT, plus EUR 450 per month for hosting and maintenance (EUR 5,400 a year).
- Estimated net gain: 20,900 - 5,400 = EUR 15,500 a year, i.e. payback in just over 2 years, not counting the removed risk of losing the database.
FAQ
Can we keep Access as the front end and only move the data to SQL Server?
It is possible and cheap, EUR 5,000 to 10,000 excl. VAT, and it removes the 2 GB limit. However, access stays limited to Windows PCs and the VBA dependency remains.
What happens to our 15 years of history?
It is migrated in full after cleaning. Checks are done by comparing totals, for example the number of quotes and revenue per year, before and after migration.
Do we have to stop operations during the migration?
No. The Access database keeps running during the 3 to 6 months of build, and the final cutover usually happens over a weekend.
Wouldn't an off-the-shelf solution be cheaper?
An ERP for manufacturing SMEs costs EUR 80 to 200 per user per month, plus EUR 15,000 to 50,000 of configuration. If your processes are standard, it is a serious option, if your Access database encodes specific know-how, custom software preserves it.
Will the application be GDPR compliant?
Yes if it is designed for it: role-based rights, access logs, hosting in Ireland or the EU, retention periods for customer data. This scoping represents 2 to 4 days of work in the project.
Let's scope your project. Send us the list of your Access tables and forms: we will price the migration module by module, with an indicative budget and a 3 to 6 month plan. 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.
