Access to SQL Server Case Study

The Business Problem

The database had grown up with the business. Its data was stored in a single Access file shared by five users at once, and as the volume of jobs grew it became very slow. Screens took a long time to open, searches dragged, and everyone felt it when several people were working at the same time. A shared Access file also carries a risk of locking problems and damage when many people write to it together. The team relied on the database, so replacing it with something unfamiliar was not an option.

The Solution

wildesoft.net moved the data out of the shared Access file and onto Microsoft SQL Server, a database server designed for many users working at once. The tables and their data were moved across, and the Access application the team already knew was reconnected to SQL Server as its back end.

The screens, reports and everyday routines stayed as they were, so the office team carried on working the way they always had. The heavy lifting of storing and finding data now happens on the server.

The Result

The production database is now noticeably quicker for all five users, even when everyone is busy at once. The data sits on a proper database server instead of a shared file, which makes it more robust and easier to back up, and gives AJS a solid footing for the shop floor app and whatever comes next.

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