Your Access system still works. Does it need a complete rebuild?
Check the data, forms, queries and reports separately. You may be able to migrate the system in stages.
The workflow illustrates a possible design and is not a client case study.
- Inventory dependencies
- Trial migration
- Validate and cut over
What work depends on the old Access system?
An older Access system may contain essential queries, macros and month-end reports. Counting its tables misses much of the work involved in migration. Staff may also depend on small details of how the forms behave. Review the actual tasks and external connections before choosing a replacement.
Can you move the database and keep the interface?
Microsoft describes migrations to SQL Server that can keep Access as the front end. If sharing data is the main difficulty, assess that option first. Browser access, external customers or a substantially changed process may call for a new interface.
List what one module needs
Choose one module and identify its forms, queries and reports. Back it up, migrate a copy in a test environment and compare the results. Agree the cutover date, read-only period, treatment of records created during the change and conditions for returning to the old system.
Repeat daily and month-end work
Check record keys, dates, empty values, decimal precision, relationships and important reports. Ask users to repeat both daily and month-end tasks. Logging in successfully does not establish that historical records and calculations were migrated correctly.
Bring backups and key reports
Bring a working backup, the Access version, user numbers, external connections and essential reports. Note any processes that cannot stop during the migration.