The verdict in three sentences
An Access database built in 2006 and shared by 25 people on a file server exposes a Manchester SME to a data loss nobody can really put a price on. A custom web rewrite costs between EUR 25,000 and 50,000 excluding VAT in 2026 (roughly GBP 21,000 to 42,000), for about 12 weeks of work including 15 years of history. The return comes mainly from sales time: 1 hour saved per day per sales rep pays the project back in under a year.
Why a 2006 Access database becomes a risk in 2026
Access served trading SMEs remarkably well: customers, products, price lists, quotes and orders in one file, built in a few weeks by a curious employee or a local contractor. Twenty years later the same .mdb or .accdb file carries 25 users, the 2 GB limit is getting close, the original developer has left and the VBA macros break with every 64-bit Microsoft 365 update. Beyond 10 to 15 concurrent connections, record locks become a daily event and the file corrupts as soon as a workstation drops off the network mid-write.
| Symptom | Observed frequency | Estimated annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Corrupted database, compact and repair | 1 to 2 times a month | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 (lost half-days) |
| Multi-user record locks | Daily above 12 connections | EUR 5,000 to 9,000 of re-keyed work |
| Remote access via RDS or VPN | RDS licences EUR 150 to 200 per user per year | EUR 3,750 to 5,000 |
| Double entry in Access and Excel | 30 to 45 min per day per sales rep | EUR 40,000+ for 10 reps |
| Backups never tested | Potential loss of a week of orders | Uninsurable |
| Reliance on the original developer | One person, often gone | Support at EUR 80 to 120 per hour |
These are 2026 order-of-magnitude figures observed at SMEs with 20 to 40 staff. The heaviest cost never shows up in the accounts: the time sales reps spend working around the tool, re-typing quotes in Excel or waiting for a colleague to release a customer record.
Modernisation options compared
A rewrite is not the only route. Moving storage to SQL Server extends the tool's life, Power Apps appeals to companies already on Microsoft 365 and a distribution ERP may be enough if your processes are standard. The table compares the five options we see most often at North West SMEs.
| Option | Upfront budget excl. VAT | Recurring cost | Timeline | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status quo and patches | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 | EUR 3,000/yr of support | 2 weeks | Risk unchanged |
| Access front end, SQL Server back end | EUR 8,000 to 15,000 | EUR 2,500/yr hosting | 4 to 6 weeks | Same UI and VBA, no web access |
| Power Apps (low-code) | EUR 15,000 to 30,000 | Licences, about EUR 6,000/yr for 25 users | 8 to 10 weeks | Complex pricing logic is hard, vendor lock-in |
| Standard distribution ERP | EUR 30,000 to 80,000 of configuration | EUR 40 to 90 per user per month | 4 to 8 months | Your processes bend to the tool |
| Custom web rewrite | EUR 25,000 to 50,000 | Support and hosting EUR 600 to 1,200/month | 12 weeks | Requires rigorous scoping |
The web rewrite wins when the Access file holds real business value: customer-specific discount grids, special terms, margin calculations, price history. Those rules are exactly what a standard ERP flattens and what Power Apps struggles with beyond twenty or so screens.
Detailed budget for a 12-week web rewrite
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| Work package | Weeks | Budget excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Database audit, mapping of tables, queries and macros | W1 to W2 | EUR 3,000 to 5,000 |
| Wireframes and user journeys | W2 to W3 | EUR 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Core build: customers, products, pricing, quotes, orders | W3 to W9 | EUR 12,000 to 25,000 |
| Migration of 15 years of data | W6 to W10 | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Security, roles, Microsoft 365 SSO, backups | W8 to W10 | EUR 2,000 to 4,000 |
| Testing, training 25 users, cutover | W10 to W12 | EUR 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Total | 12 weeks | EUR 25,000 to 50,000 |
Data migration deserves special care. Fifteen years of history often means 300,000 to 500,000 order lines, with 8 to 12% duplicate customers and free-text fields used as dropdowns. We run two dry-run migrations, a reconciliation of totals by year and a two-week parallel run with Access switched to read-only. Hosting stays in the UK, with daily backups kept for 30 days and an access log, which also closes several UK GDPR gaps left open since 2018.
Mini case study
Daniel, finance director of an industrial supplies distributor in Trafford Park, Manchester, runs 25 users including 10 sales reps on a 2006 Access database. He signs off a rewrite at EUR 41,000 plus EUR 900 per month for support and hosting, EUR 51,800 in year one. Estimated annual gains: 10 reps × 1 h × 210 days = 2,100 hours, valued at a loaded EUR 42 per hour, i.e. EUR 88,200, plus EUR 4,500 of RDS licences removed and about EUR 4,000 of corruption incidents avoided. Against EUR 96,700 of gains, the project pays back in roughly 6.4 months.
FAQ
Can we keep using Access during the transition? Yes. Access stays live until cutover, then goes read-only for 2 to 3 weeks so everyone can check the data. Users do not lose a single working day.
How long does it take to migrate 15 years of data? Plan 3 to 5 weeks within the 12-week schedule, run in parallel with the build. We target a rejection rate below 0.5% of rows, with every rejected row listed and fixed with your team.
Will the app work on the road? Yes, from a browser on laptop, tablet or 4G phone, with sign-in through your Microsoft 365 accounts and two-factor authentication. The RDS server and its EUR 150 to 200 per user per year in licences disappear.
Do we need a server on site? No. Managed UK hosting costs EUR 80 to 250 per month depending on volume and is usually included in the support plan. Backups run daily and are restore-tested every quarter.
What happens to our printed reports and VBA macros? The audit lists them one by one. A typical database holds 40 to 120 reports of which only 30% are still used: we rebuild the ones that matter and retire the rest with your approval.
Let's scope your project. Send us the structure of your Access database (number of tables, users and reports) and we will price the rewrite within the EUR 25,000 to 50,000 range with a 12-week 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.
