Enterprise Microsoft Access Modernization Framework

Background & Key Terms

The Five Domain Architecture Framework

We align your Microsoft Access modernization with broader enterprise goals through five key architectural domains, following the TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) methodology. This enterprise approach ensures strategic alignment and organizational coherence while leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate modernization.

Our AI-enhanced modernization framework:

  • Optimizes data models automatically
  • Streamlines workflow automation
  • Predicts and prevents system bottlenecks
  • Accelerates modernization timelines
  • Maintains system control and quality

Core Domain Architectures

Each domain exists at different maturity levels, measured through the CMM (Capability Maturity Model):

  1. Data Architecture
    • Structures enterprise data management
    • Optimizes data models and integrity
    • Evolves from basic (Level 1) to governed models (Level 5)
  2. Application Architecture
    • Drives application design and deployment
    • Enhances user interfaces and module integration
    • Progresses from reactive (Level 1) to proactive (Level 3)
  3. Technical Architecture
    • Powers infrastructure and performance
    • Ensures cross-platform compatibility
    • Advances from ad hoc (Level 1) to scalable (Level 4)
  4. Business Architecture
    • Aligns with enterprise strategy
    • Integrates business processes
    • Develops from informal (Level 2) to fully integrated (Level 5)
  5. Change Management (CM)
    • Orchestrates organizational transformation
    • Manages version control and updates
    • Evolves from chaotic (Level 1) to automated governance (Level 5)

The Microsoft Access roadmap to maturity framework provides an established and proven protocol for addressing each of the gaps within the three actors comprising the Microsoft Access ecosystem.

3 Base + 4 Advanced – Support Services

At the very basic level of support, every custom Microsoft Access database application requires three support services:

  1. Supporting the existing application (bug fixes).
  2. Development of new software enhancements to support new business requirements.
  3. Modernization to leverage best practices, code-reuse, error logging, normalization et al.

Additionally, these 4 services come later as the organization and the product(s) grow in maturity:

  1. Training.
  2. Migrations to more robust technologies.
  3. Discovery and assessment.
  4. Data Governance and Change Management.

As an application matures, it requires less and less support from each of the 3 base support services and more from the 4 additional maturing services.

Using a triage approach, our priority is to ensure the existing Microsoft Access database application is supportable and decide if any emergency procedures are needed to ensure the business functions it supports remain operational. To accomplish this, we perform an assessment. The assessment measures the application within each of the 7 domain architectures, including the maturity of the change management process.

Application Maturity Roadmap

Help4Access has developed a standard treatment protocol for the modernization of any Microsoft Access database application. This protocol is described in detail in a document titled “Help4Access – Maturity Roadmap” (H4AMR).

The Help4Access – Maturity Roadmap describes the characteristics of each of the 5 domain architectures as they mature through each of the five maturity levels from zero to five.

Planning – The Assessment – Finding the current state

The initial assessment grades the Microsoft Access database application in each of the 4 domain architectures and the maturity of its change management process with respect to Microsoft Access development. Grades range from 0 to 5. These grades are then averaged to come up with a GPA or grade point average for the entire Microsoft Access database application and the organization’s change management process.

We typically see new client database applications scoring a GPA of 1.5 and requiring immediate support for critical business functions. The bulk of our work occurs in improving an application from a GPA of 1.5 to a more stable GPA of 3.0 or 3.5. Only 5% of all Microsoft Access database applications ever need to achieve a maturity rating greater than 3.5.

The assessment establishes the current maturity level of the database application, after which time we can determine what the next steps are in the future state by simply examining the body of the H4AMAR2M which describes the treatment plan for each domain architecture, acting as a roadmap to maturity.

Tools

Many of the milestones within the H4AMAR2M leverage tools and programming utilities developed at Help4Access to programmatically perform much of the heavy lifting required to implement the milestone.

It’s important to incrementally nurture an application toward maturity and not try to take too big a jump forward, such as moving from maturity level 0 to maturity level 3. Such non-incremental jumps are riskier and often incur higher financial costs. In general, we recommend staying within the Microsoft Access technology stack as long as possible, nurturing the solution forward incrementally and making those transitions to the next level of maturity only when business requirements necessitate further maturity.

In Conclusion

The Microsoft Access Roadmap to Maturity is an enterprise level approach designed to continue to inspire innovation while reducing the risk from the proliferation of MS Access database applications being produced within shadow IT workgroups to fill the gaps between current business needs and enterprise systems.

This unified approach allows Microsoft Access as a platform to gain acceptance in the enterprise and further enhances its ability to complete its mission of enabling innovation by leveraging technology and giving business users access to their data.

Our approach is strengthened by AI-driven optimizations, but we never lose sight of the importance of human emotional intelligence (EI). Balancing technology with human insights ensures a seamless experience for our clients, where innovation meets empathy.

Contact Us to learn more.

Contact our enterprise team to begin your modernization journey.