Replacing an Access database with a web app: cost and migration plan

The verdict in three sentences

A 2009 Access database maintained by a single employee is a production stoppage risk, not just an IT topic. Rewriting a scope of 38 tables and 12,000 records as a web application usually falls in the medium range of 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), or the simple range of 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) if you limit it to quotes and after-sales. Allow 3 to 4 months of project time and a 4-week parallel run to switch over without losing a single record.

Why the Access database becomes dangerous in 2026

In many manufacturing SMEs around Manchester or in the Greater Toronto Area, from precision engineering to electronics assembly, Access was an excellent tool: quick to build, flexible, no server licence. Fifteen years later, the database runs quotes, work orders and after-sales, with forms and VBA code only its author understands. The warning signs are always the same: a file above 1.5 GB approaching the 2 GB limit, corruption after a network drop, no remote access, breakages at every Office update and no audit trail of changes.

The real risk is human. If the employee who maintains the database retires or falls ill, one failure can halt production. For a 50-employee SME with revenue around GBP 6 million (about CAD 11 million), that is roughly GBP 26,000 of revenue per working day.

What the rewrite costs and what the budget covers

The estimate depends mainly on the number of business screens, the calculation rules hidden in VBA and the interfaces with accounting. For 38 tables, around twenty forms and ten printed reports, the app usually falls in the medium category of the Kolonell grid. As a 2026 order of magnitude, local agencies charge GBP 450 to 700 per day in Manchester and CAD 800 to 1,200 per day in Toronto, which puts an equivalent project at GBP 22,000 to 55,000 or CAD 40,000 to 95,000.

The budget covers the audit of the existing database, reverse documentation of the VBA, the new data model, screens, role-based access (sales, shop floor, after-sales, management), migration scripts and user training.

The four-step migration plan

Step 1, audit (2 weeks): inventory of the 38 tables, queries and VBA code, interviews with the key employee, list of business rules to keep. Step 2, development (8 to 10 weeks): delivery by module, quotes first, then production and after-sales, with a demo every two weeks. Step 3, dry-run migration (2 weeks): import of the 12,000 records into a test environment, checks on totals, statuses and attachments. Step 4, parallel run (4 weeks): both tools run side by side, Access becomes read-only at the end, then it is archived.

The parallel run costs input time, about 30 minutes per day per key user, but it avoids the most expensive scenario: a failed switchover on a Monday morning with the shop floor stopped.

Mini case study

Emma, operations director of a precision engineering SME in Manchester, assesses the risk. Her company generates GBP 26,000 of revenue per working day. A major database failure with nobody to fix it would, in her estimate, cause 3 days of partial stoppage at 50% of activity.

• Estimated loss per incident: 3 x 26,000 x 50% = GBP 39,000 of delayed or lost revenue.
• Chosen project: medium application at the low end of the range, 4,000,000 FCFA (6,100 EUR), plus maintenance at 75,000 FCFA per month (1,368 EUR per year).
• Three-year cost: 6,100 + 3 x 1,368 = 10,204 EUR.

At 2026 rates, a single avoided incident (about 45,000 EUR) covers the project more than four times over, before counting tablet access for field service and the 45 minutes the sales team saves on quotes every day.

FAQ

Can we keep the historical data from Access?

Yes, the 12,000 records are migrated with their statuses and attachments. A 2-week dry run checks totals before the real switchover.

Do we need to stop production during migration?

No, the 4-week parallel run lets teams work on both tools. The final switch usually happens on a Friday evening in under 4 hours.

What happens to the VBA code?

It is read and documented during the audit, then its business rules are rewritten in the web app. Out of 3,000 to 10,000 lines, a large share is often obsolete and simply disappears.

Why not move to an off-the-shelf ERP?

A manufacturing ERP for an SME often costs GBP 25,000 to 70,000 in year one as a 2026 order of magnitude, and forces you to change processes. If your business rules are your edge, a custom app keeps them.

Will the app work on tablets on the shop floor?

Yes, a responsive web app runs on tablets and phones. Field technicians log jobs on site with photos, without returning to the office.

Let's scope your project. Send us your Access structure and how it is used, and we will propose a migration scope and a realistic switchover plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.