When should a business replace Microsoft Access?
A business should consider replacing or modernizing Access when the current system creates material risk, blocks required capabilities, or costs more to maintain than a better-supported architecture.
A business should consider replacing or modernizing Access when the current system creates material risk, blocks required capabilities, or costs more to maintain than a better-supported architecture.
What this means in practice
Age alone is not a reason to replace a database. The decision should be based on reliability, security, access needs, scale, supportability, and the importance of the process it runs.
The practical next step
Many organizations do not need an all-at-once replacement. Stabilizing the application, documenting it, moving the data layer, and replacing selected workflows can reduce risk while preserving valuable business logic.
This answer provides general guidance. The right recommendation depends on your application, data, users, licensing, and business requirements.