The verdict in three sentences
An Access database that has run invoicing for twenty years became an operational risk when Office 2016 and 2019 support ended on 14 October 2025. For a typical database of 40 tables and 60 forms, migrating to a web app on PostgreSQL hosted in Germany costs 30,000 to 90,000 EUR and takes 8 to 16 weeks. The real risk is not technical: it lies in the business rules hidden in VBA code, which must be inventoried before any quote.
Why keeping Access gets expensive in 2026
At a Berlin wholesaler of building materials or food products, the Access database was often built by an employee who left years ago. It runs on a network share, crashes when two sales reps type at once and cannot be opened from a phone. Add the e-invoicing timeline: every German business has had to receive structured e-invoices since 1 January 2025, and issuing them becomes mandatory from 2027 for companies above 800,000 EUR turnover and from 2028 for all, in XRechnung or ZUGFeRD format.
| Risk | Common symptom | Estimated impact |
|---|---|---|
| End of Office 2016 and 2019 support | No more security patches | Ransomware exposure through macros |
| File shared over the network | Database corruption 4 to 8 times a year | 0.5 to 1 day of invoicing blocked per incident |
| 2 GB file limit | Slowdowns, repeated compacting | Forced archiving of older years |
| Remote access | Fragile VPN, no mobile use | Reps re-keying orders in the evening |
| E-invoicing 2025-2028 | No native ZUGFeRD or XRechnung export | Extra development or third-party tool |
| Single-person dependency | Undocumented VBA | Total lockout if that person leaves |
Options and their cost
| Option | Upfront cost | Annual cost | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep Access with Microsoft 365 | 0 EUR | 12 to 15 EUR per user per month | Same network fragility, no web |
| Access front end, data on SQL Server or Azure SQL | 12,000 to 28,000 EUR | 2,000 to 5,000 EUR | Transitional, VBA kept |
| Power Apps (Microsoft low-code) | 20,000 to 50,000 EUR | Licences of about 20 USD per user per month | Per-user cost, complex logic is hard |
| Off-the-shelf ERP for wholesalers | 8,000 to 35,000 EUR | 60 to 150 EUR per user per month | Your processes adapt to the tool |
| Bespoke web application | 30,000 to 90,000 EUR | 15 to 20 % of build | Requires a serious audit of the existing base |
For a wholesaler whose pricing rules (customer discounts, delivery thresholds, net prices) carry the margin, bespoke is often the only option that does not degrade the business.
Budget and timeline by database size
| Database profile | Content | 2026 budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 15 tables, 20 forms, little VBA | 30,000 to 40,000 EUR | 8 weeks |
| Medium | 40 tables, 60 forms, 30 reports | 45,000 to 65,000 EUR | 10 to 12 weeks |
| Heavy | 80+ tables, dense VBA, EDI imports | 65,000 to 90,000 EUR | 14 to 16 weeks |
| E-invoicing option | ZUGFeRD and XRechnung export, GoBD-compliant archive | 7,000 to 15,000 EUR | 3 weeks |
| PostgreSQL hosting in Germany | Daily backups, encryption | 100 to 350 EUR per month | Included in project |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
The proven method: a 1 to 2 week audit (tables, queries, macros, reports), PostgreSQL modelling, data migration with consistency checks, development in batches, then parallel running for 2 to 4 weeks with Access and the new app side by side.
Mini case study
Markus, IT manager at a wholesale distributor in Berlin, runs an Access database from 2004: 40 tables, 60 forms, 12 users. He prices today's losses: 12 users losing 2 hours a week to slowness and re-keying, over 45 weeks, is 1,080 hours at 45 EUR, 48,600 EUR, plus 6 corruption incidents a year at 1,500 EUR, 9,000 EUR. The migration costs 60,000 EUR, with 9,000 EUR of maintenance and 1,800 EUR of hosting per year. Net annual gain reaches 46,800 EUR, a payback of about 15 months.
FAQ
Can we migrate without stopping invoicing? Yes: parallel running lets you switch over on a Friday evening after 2 to 4 weeks of dual operation. Actual downtime is limited to a few hours of final data load.
What happens to 20 years of history? It is moved into PostgreSQL after cleaning duplicates and orphan records. On a 1 to 2 GB database, migration takes 2 to 5 days of work.
Is the VBA code reusable? No, it is rewritten, but it serves as the specification: every macro is inventoried during the audit. A medium database holds 50 to 150 VBA procedures.
Why PostgreSQL rather than SQL Server? PostgreSQL carries no licence fee and is widely supported by German hosting providers, saving 1,000 to 3,000 EUR a year in licences for a small company.
Do users need training? Plan half a day per user profile. Screens follow the logic of the Access forms to limit change.
Let's scope your project. Send us the list of your Access tables, forms and reports, and we will run a pre-audit and price the migration with budget and timeline. 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.
