Microsoft Access Health Check
An independent, practical review of your Access application. Find out what condition it is really in, what the risks are and what your options are, before you decide to repair, upgrade or replace it.
Decisions about a legacy system are better made with facts
When an Access system has been in use for years, opinions about it tend to be strong and evidence tends to be thin. One person says it must be replaced. Another says it has always worked. Meanwhile nobody is quite sure what the VBA does or whether the backups would restore.
The Health Check replaces that uncertainty with a clear assessment. It can be performed before committing to a larger development project, and the report is yours to use however you choose.
The scope is sized to the system. A small database used by a few people needs a short review. A large multi-user application needs a deeper one. What will be covered is agreed with you before the work starts.
Have a specific question instead, such as whether a proposed rewrite is sensible or whether to move to SQL Server? See Microsoft Access Consultancy.
What is assessed
- Database structure
- Tables and relationships
- Queries
- Forms
- Reports
- VBA code
- Performance
- Multi-user design
- Data integrity
- Error handling
- Security considerations
- Backup arrangements
- Maintainability
- Dependencies
- External integrations
- Risk areas
What you receive
A practical written report, intended to be read by the people who run the business as well as the people who look after its IT.
Immediate risks
Anything that could cause data loss or stop the system, and what to do about it now.
Problems found
Faults and weaknesses in the design, the data and the code, explained in plain terms.
Recommended fixes
Specific corrective work, with an indication of the effort involved.
Performance opportunities
Where time is being lost and what would improve it.
Supportability concerns
How dependent the system is on individuals, undocumented behaviour or ageing components.
Modernisation options
Realistic routes forward, including the option of leaving a sound system as it is.
Suggested priorities
What to do first, what can wait and what is not worth doing.
How the Health Check works
The review is carried out on a copy of the application wherever possible, so day-to-day work is not disturbed. Confidentiality arrangements can be agreed before any files are shared.
- Initial conversationYou describe what the system does, who uses it and what is worrying you.
- Access to the applicationA copy of the front end and back end is provided, with any notes or documentation that exist.
- Technical reviewThe structure, queries, forms, reports and VBA are examined, and the questions that arise are raised with you.
- Report and discussionYou receive the written report, followed by a conversation to go through the findings and priorities.
Find out where your Access system stands
Describe the system briefly and what prompted the question. There is no obligation to proceed beyond the Health Check.