The verdict in three sentences
A 2009 Access database with 48 tables and 120 queries, maintained by a single person, is a major operational risk: a resignation, a corrupted file or a Microsoft 365 update that breaks the macros, and order entry stops. Moving to a multi-site web app takes 3 to 5 months if you first rebuild the processes people actually use, not every historical query. With an Irish software house this costs roughly 30,000 to 80,000 EUR; at Kolonell it usually lands in medium complexity, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR).
Why Access becomes dangerous in 2026
The finance director of a 60-employee industrial supplies distributor, with a head office in Dublin and depots in Cork and Galway, depends on an Access database built in 2009 by an employee who became, by default, the company's only developer. It handles customers, negotiated price lists, orders, delivery notes and reminders.
The symptoms are classic: the database on a file server locks when more than 8 users work at once, the depots go through a slow remote desktop, the file is close to the 2 GB limit, and nobody else understands the 120 nested queries.
| Risk (2026 estimate) | Probability over 3 years | Estimated impact |
|---|---|---|
| Sole maintainer leaves or is off long-term | high | 2 to 6 weeks of degraded operations |
| Corrupted .accdb file | medium | 1 to 3 days of entries lost |
| 2 GB limit reached | high | forced archiving, history cut |
| Breakage after a Microsoft 365 update | medium | VBA macros rewritten in a rush |
| Remote access from depots | certain | 20 to 40 min lost per day per user |
| Security gap (copyable file, no audit log) | medium | customer and pricing data leak |
A two-week stop in order entry on 15M EUR of revenue means roughly 580,000 EUR of revenue delayed or lost.
The method that avoids the tunnel effect
A successful Access migration follows four steps. The first is a usage inventory: out of 120 queries, experience shows around 40% are no longer used. We review logs, interview users and tag each object as rebuild, merge or drop.
Next comes data model design: the 48 Access tables often become 30 to 35 normalized tables in PostgreSQL, with integrity constraints that never existed. Then migration of 15 years of data, with cleanup scripts replayed several times before cutover. Finally, a parallel run of 2 to 3 weeks.
| Step | Duration | Deliverable | Watch point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory of tables, queries, forms, reports | 2 to 3 weeks | annotated map | interview the maintainer first |
| Data model and mockups | 2 to 3 weeks | schema, approved screens | do not copy Access flaws |
| Priority screens | 6 to 10 weeks | orders, prices, deliveries | releases every 2 weeks |
| Migration of 15 years of data | 2 to 3 weeks, in parallel | replayable scripts | duplicate customers, item codes |
| Reports and accounting exports | 2 weeks | PDFs, exports to Sage or Xero | formats your accountant expects |
| Parallel run and cutover | 2 to 3 weeks | go-live | freeze Access as read-only |
Budgets compared
| Option | Indicative cost | Timeline | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep Access and document it | 3,000 to 9,000 EUR | 1 month | postpones the problem |
| Move to a standard distribution ERP | 45,000 to 160,000 EUR + licenses (2026 estimate) | 6 to 12 months | changes every process |
| Dublin software house, custom rebuild | 30,000 to 80,000 EUR (2026 estimate) | 4 to 6 months | local market budget |
| Kolonell, medium complexity | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) | 3 to 5 months | scope fixed after the inventory |
| Kolonell, high complexity (ERP connectors, supplier EDI) | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) | 5 months and more | integrations quoted separately |
Kolonell maintenance after go-live is 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) depending on the service level. Irish SMEs can also check whether a Grow Digital Voucher or a local enterprise office grant applies to part of the project.
Mini case study
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Aoife, finance director of a 60-person distributor in Dublin, approves after the inventory a medium-complexity scope at 6,800,000 FCFA (about 10,370 EUR), plus 75,000 FCFA of monthly maintenance (1,370 EUR a year).
Estimated annual gains:
- 22 depot users saving 25 min a day × 220 days × 38 EUR loaded hourly cost = 76,600 EUR.
- The Access maintainer frees 30% of his time, about 18,000 EUR redirected to sales support.
- Lower outage risk: the probability of a two-week stop drops from 30% to 5% over 3 years on a margin at stake of about 120,000 EUR, so 10,000 EUR a year of expected loss avoided.
Total: about 104,600 EUR a year for a first-year investment close to 11,700 EUR. Payback in about 2 months of use.
FAQ
Can we keep Access running during the migration?
Yes, Access stays live until the parallel run, then goes read-only for 6 to 12 months for lookups. No double entry is needed before the last 2 to 3 weeks.
Will all 15 years of history be migrated?
Usually yes for customers, items and orders, often 300,000 to 800,000 rows. Temporary tables and duplicates are dropped after the finance director signs off.
Do we need to buy Microsoft licenses?
No, the web app runs in a browser and PostgreSQL is open source. Access licenses can be dropped after the lookup period.
What happens to printed reports?
The 10 to 20 reports actually used (delivery notes, statements, price lists) are rebuilt as PDFs, often with a cleaner layout. The rest become filterable Excel exports.
Let's scope your project. Send us the list of your tables and how they are used, and we will price the inventory and then a migration scope deliverable in 3 to 5 months. 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.
