Articles

The following articles are designed to help business leaders formulate successful execution plans towards realizing their vision.

The Buy vs. Build Analysis

If you need a software system to handle an activity or process in your business, congratulations. This means three things; first, you have identified a valuable business process and decided to ‘elevate’ it. Second, you have come to the realization that spreadsheet models or a legacy application are not adequate to handle the task. Third Read more »


Exploiting Microsoft Access for Corporate Performance Management and Business Intelligence

Many agencies must meet with state-specific reporting and compliance mandates, making it less likely that a packaged application exists to fulfill their requirements. A well-designed custom solution can satisfy the mandates and add the benefits of modern corporate performance management. Read more »


Update And Upgrade to Help Cut Telecom Costs

An outdated technology no longer supported by its software vendor. The outside development firm had gone out of business. To update the technology platform, recoding it to the latest version of Microsoft Access, and upgrade the application’s capabilities. Help4Access provided a fixed price. Read more »


Complex Data Relationships May Require Redesign of a Legacy Application

When complex reports for the Family Education Resource Center demanded more from a legacy database application than its original design could handle, Help4Access carried out a “rescue and replace” project. Read more »


Help4Access Migrates Target Media Solutions to Mobile Cloud

Transition from single- to multi-user with anywhere, anytime access for its employees requires optimization tuning of the application for the Cloud. Target Media Solutions provides focused, niche marketing services to clients in the expectant and new mother marketplace, as well as various life stage markets. The firm already had an internally-built system that effectively managed Read more »


Replacement of Home-Built Database for Cornell University Costs Less than Fixing It

Microsoft Access is a powerful database platform, but for the best results and easy access to reports and data, the programmer needs to follow best practices and standards—with which most managers are not familiar. The result: applications that cost less to replace than to support and update. Read more »


Rescue Operation: A Home-Grown Application Breaks and a Law Firm Cannot Recruit Clients

A law firm had outgrown its ACT Contact Management database, and constructed its own Microsoft Access application. Unfortunately, non-standard techniques were used to design and build the Access application and it was not performing correctly. Read more »


Rapid Prototyping Meets Tight Deadline for DuPont

Rapid growth resulting from mergers and acquisitions left DuPont’s Industrial Biosciences division, a leader in biosciences and pharmaceuticals, with a challenging data management environment. DuPont opted for a “right-size” solution in the form of a custom database application. Read more »


Advantages of Migrating an Access-based CRM System to the Cloud

To provide a high level of service and support for current and potential customers in China, the Hamilton Company of Switzerland needed a way to capture, track, and report on its business development opportunities in that market. Read more »


Patchwork of Spreadsheets Unviable for Client Loads in the Thousands

Many client-facing organizations operate on limited funding while striving to provide the best possible care for their clients. As a result, these organizations are forced to rely on a patchwork of functionality pulled from a hodge podge of applications like spreadsheets and email. Read more »


Two-Phase Development Speeds Project Success at Black & Veatch

Help4Access successfully completed an application migration project that improved functionality, application accessibility, and disaster recovery capability for Black & Veatch. Help4Access was selected in part for its ability to provide a set, fixed price—without the traditional risk premium for fixed bids. Read more »


Hiring a Custom Application Developer: The Four Rules to Avoid Disaster

Do you need a custom business application to save money or increase the speed and accuracy of business processes? If you aren’t a coder or have never hired programmers before, you may feel as though you’re about to travel to a different country. Here are four rules to help you avoid disaster. Read more »


Custom Solutions: Return on Your Investment (infographic)

This first step in elevating your business processes from spreadsheets or an outmoded application is where—using the efficiencies of Microsoft Access—you can realize the highest ROI. Help4Access aims for clients to see a 1,400% return in the first two years. Read how that happens. Read more »


9 Must-Haves in an Application Development Firm

When you hire a custom application developer, look for happy customers, fixed prices, software certifications, and access to a large library of proven code for quick, low-risk functionality. Read more »


#1 Microsoft Access Team on the Planet

Help4Access specializes in helping companies migrate off of Microsoft Access. Established in 1998, we have helped hundreds of companies with their MS Access migration issues. The quick video below explains in more detail. Your browser does not support the video tag. Read more »


From Order Intake to Customer Retention

Magtec Alaska’s combination of business processes was unique enough to require the design and development of a custom application. The solution needed to support the entire procurement chain of activity, beginning with order intake and carrying through to customer service and retention. Read more »