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We use it to quickly work with data and pull out required information for our customers. it is being used across the whole organization as well as with particular customers.
- Easy to work with.
- Easy to learn.
- Easy to convert to SQL if the need arises.
- Would be nice to be able to work with larger databases.
- Certain features have changed over the years - sometimes hard to follow.
January 09, 2020
It is used departmentally for our sales and marketing team to track our client and project history in lieu of previously using Salesforce. The business need that it addresses is creating an accurate and inexpensive database for that team to track our historical projects and clients, and track current pursuits and sales.
- It is inexpensive compared to other database options.
- It is versatile. You can create databases in almost any category, area, market sector, and industry.
- It lets you customize it, and you are able to create custom input forms and reports.
- Well, it requires a lot more training or research than other more "intuitive" Microsoft products.
- The buildout of custom reports is highly complex, and I think that area, in particular, could be more intuitive.
- Queries can be difficult to develop if you don't know the right language or terminology, and I think that those terms could be better visible in the ribbon.
January 03, 2020
Microsoft Access is being used only by a department of the company, which is responsible for working with the information databases. It has not presented problems.
The grouping of data in an organized way adapts to the company designed a set of real strategies aimed at improving the profitability of the company. To date, the results have been positive because since they agreed it was implemented, the company's profit has improved.
Microsoft Access adapts well in departments where databases do not have much content, or where we do not have to have completed programs or require working with many variables.
It is a program that has all the work tools required by the organization to function properly and fulfill the planned tasks.
The grouping of data in an organized way adapts to the company designed a set of real strategies aimed at improving the profitability of the company. To date, the results have been positive because since they agreed it was implemented, the company's profit has improved.
Microsoft Access adapts well in departments where databases do not have much content, or where we do not have to have completed programs or require working with many variables.
It is a program that has all the work tools required by the organization to function properly and fulfill the planned tasks.
- Ability to manage all information
- Tables to store data
- Consult to search and retrieve only the data you need
- Forms to view, add and update or analyze the internet data
- Volume of data or users
- Among its biggest drawbacks are that it is not multiplatform
September 12, 2019
Microsoft Access is being used to organize data collected using Excel spreadsheets as well as through direct input using MS Access form features. I find the reporting feature of MS Access very useful in displaying the data in a professional and uniform way to communicate information and provide statistical data to colleagues including management, peers, and customers. I get the best performance when used in a client/server environment. I create input forms for users to easily input data and provide links to a dashboard to easily access reports and to run queries. Queries are excellent for filtering information and allowing the use of parameters to extract data. In addition, users can see real-time information because the information can be generated instantly.
- Importing data from external sources such as MS Excel and creating tables for use in queries and reports.
- Linking to external data sources so that users can use existing data entry tools and MS Access can pull that information to instantly query or generate reports.
- Creating queries using wizards - allows even novice users to create desired results when running a query.
- Reporting - made easy using the wizards and is easily edited using the built-in design tools.
- Forms - creating dashboards to easily access different views of data including queries and reports.
- Not as accurate with calculating numeric values using decimals - when dealing with financial data, it is not as accurate as MS Excel. I have to calculate in Excel and only use Access for generating the report.
- When using wizards to design reports, it is difficult to remove some of the default properties easily.
- I preferred the navigation panes in earlier versions of MS Access that had a straightforward view of tables, queries, etc. I find it difficult navigating to only see tables.
- Access is very sluggish over a network and it gets bloated the more you open and close objects. It should have a way, or at least a setting , that automatically compacts to get rid of excess memory usage
- Improve security to prevent data from being compromised. There should be a way to prevent users on the client-side from seeing the database objects and changing settings. Maybe prompt for a password or set the application to identify the owner/creator automatically.
November 29, 2019
We get data from a lot of different sources for reporting purposes. MS Access helps us bring the data files into a proper relational table structure, link it and output it for reporting purposes. In other cases, it is used as our query and reporting tool linked with our data warehouse kept in SQL Server. In such cases, MS Access is used as a middle layer of data manipulation before pushing it to Excel for data visualisation.
- Imports data from almost every common data format. Custom import specification allows more flexibility.
- Excellent forms and report writer together query designer. Complete collection of tools in one place.
- VBA allows complex manipulation of data and automating it to cut down repetitive work.
- Data in MS Access can be linked directly with MS Excel, combing the powers of data management in MS Access and data visualisation in MS Excel.
- Overall capacity, such as file size (currently 2GB max) and the number of fields allowed (currently 255) needs to be increased.
- Needs significant enhancement to address file bloating issues.
- It's an excellent RAD tool. Haven't been overhauled in the last 10 years or so. It's about time that Microsoft commit more resources to this brilliant product
October 18, 2019
Access is used on a 1 by 1 basis, dependent upon the person, their department, and their work. Predominantly, the tool was used with Sales Ops or Marketing for territory analysis, sales insights, product penetration in new markets, and other market research use. We did not have a lot of "cool new" data tools to use because the organization was locked into enterprise-level agreements. Typically, Access came into play when the data needed for manipulation surpassed Excel's capabilities.
- Intuitive tool for anyone comfortable within the Microsoft ecosystem.
- Life saver when Excel kept crashing, but you'll need to understand databases first so beware.
- Amazing tool within existing product suite at work, meaning no cumbersome management approvals needed to use!
- This doesn't have to do with the core function, but I wish it felt better aesthetically to use. I saw a lot of people moving toward tools like Tableau simply because they looked cool even though the user essentially only used it for basic functionality that would be better serviced in Access.
- Having in-app tutorials would be really nice, especially for further education and better use of the tool.
Microsoft Access is used throughout the organization. Microsoft Access is ideal for the easy creation of databases that help with organization and efficiency.
- Access is user-friendly.
- The interface allows for creativity and Microsoft provides a range of templates that can be easily edited for a specific use.
- There are many YouTube videos and resources available for use if you get stuck.
- Access may not be ideal for larger databases.
Microsoft Access is used by one of my clients to manage a simple ticketing system. Each user who manages the practice tracks daily the motivations of the call, the current state of practice, and progress of this ticket passing between multiple and different states of analysis.
- Management of data between related tables
- Development of simple and essential masks
- User side masks are easy to use
- it is now an old-fashioned rdbms
- a bit cumbersome to handle
- limited functions
May 23, 2019
We currently use Microsoft Access as a front end to some of our databases that are in other formats and link the tables. This allows us to create queries and reports in a simple interface that many of our staff can use with some training and once the ODBC connections have been set up. There are times when we want to cross-reference data between different data sources, and Access allows us the ability to link/import multiple sources to achieve our analysis goals.
We also currently use Access throughout the workforce when there are specific departmental needs for collecting data.
We also currently use Access throughout the workforce when there are specific departmental needs for collecting data.
- Links to existing data sources
- Allows for importing of data from different data sources
- Lets you create queries and reports without having to know proprietary database syntax
- For the average user, better assistance with table relations
- Some sort of prompt when creating reports and queries that they should be based off of queries as to provide more flexibility rather than from tables
- More advanced reporting tools
May 01, 2019
Microsoft Access is used for multiple databases throughout the organization. One main use is the bill of materials for projects. We use it to manage revisions of the bill of materials. Each revision has a table within the bill of material and we are able to run a comparison between revisions and produce a cover sheet which shows the differences. This is very useful in tracking changes and maintaining up to date documents. This also helps with processing document changes and it makes revising the bill of materials quick and easy. Also, Microsoft Access is used for our parts catalog in AutoCAD Electrical. There are multiple tables within the database and this is where we put part numbers and descriptions for these parts. This is used when a bill of materials report is run on a circuit diagram.
- One good aspect of Microsoft Access is how the software can be customized for different applications. This is very useful because we are able to use this software for multiple applications, which makes it cost-friendly.
- Another strong point of Microsoft Access is the skill required to customize, the amount of programming required is less than most other database programs. This is good for a beginner looking to get into database management.
- Microsoft Access is one of the more cost-friendly database applications, and most of the time it comes with Microsoft Office. Other database programs can be expensive and not as easy to use.
- One downfall of Access is some of the bugs I have encountered using this software. Sometimes our database becomes corrupt and we have to restore from a backup. This can be time-consuming and the worst part is sometimes work is lost if the database is not backed up for a couple of days.
- Another issue I have encountered with Access is sometimes the database will think someone has it opened and it then becomes read-only. This causes issues if someone has to make a modification and it thinks someone else is working on it. It will tell you the last person who had it opened, but sometimes it is not correct.
- Access also has some issues with performance on larger databases, it can take a little bit to open databases with a lot of data. It sometimes also freezes while loading some items.
March 28, 2019
End users use Microsoft Access for simple single-user interfaces to input data, store data, join data, and report. The data used is generally specific to one person's job (or sometimes a small group) but it is NOT used for data that is delivered enterprise-wide or even when it leaves a department. As this is a desktop application, it does not handle multi-user access very well. It is generally used to essentially modify data held in spreadsheets, although there is some direct ODBC access to data in Oracle, SQL Server, etc.
- Quickly use simple database features to join tables.
- Provides a GUI to perform tasks that can usually only be done with SQL code.
- Runs a database on a personal computer, without having to have a server installation.
- Provides a GUI to input data to tables.
- Table data (or views) can easily be put into simple reports and delivered to end-users.
- Does not work well for multiple concurrent users. It is a single-user application.
- There is obviously no point-in-time recovery of the data, as would be provided with enterprise-grade databases.
- Part of the Microsoft Office Suite, which is a mixed blessing. It has a similar interface to other Office products, which I find cumbersome. Others might like that.
June 14, 2019
Microsoft Access is still used by many governmental organizations with historical databases, and as a result, when we consult with them, we occasionally need to turn in deliverables through Microsoft Access. The tool is somewhat dated, but it functions as a database and can create queries, forms, and reports. Clients often use Microsoft Access to store data on buildings, equipment, and other real estate infrastructure. For consulting projects, we occasionally create forms where data collectors can fill in the information they collected.
That data is then spun into bespoke reports for clients.
That data is then spun into bespoke reports for clients.
- Well established software with a strong history.
- Data tables are simple and functional.
- Queries can be written in SQL or there is a query writing tool for users without SQL knowledge.
- Dated software that does not get used very much anymore.
- Cannot handle large amounts of data or "big" data.
- Does not work on the cloud so collaboration is difficult.
April 29, 2019
Our team is involved in many asset management projects, particularly projects that deal with physical assets. We manage multiple databases and portfolio with single clients and Microsoft Access solves the problem of not being able to keep up and maintain all the databases at once. This program is used among the whole organization for a number of other projects as well.
- No internet connection needed to make any database.
- Importing into images, spreadsheets, & documents is easy.
- Quick and easy tool to create databases, don't have to use SQL.
- Great for storing large amounts of information.
- Limited storage.
- Wish there was a way that macros from Excel can be imported.
- Loads a bit slow.
February 01, 2019
It is used by the whole organization for:
- Database of customers.
- Contact information.
- Products and services purchases.
- Other detailed information.
- Marketing lists.
- Run queries. Prepare reports.
- Analyze and quantify data.
- De-duplicate contacts.
- Slow when large amounts of data are being queried.
- The dashboard could be better styled.
- Not user-friendly. Training needed.
May 23, 2019
It is used across the whole organization as a database tool to host and store data. Each department decides for itself how to use it. It is generally used for more internal tools or if the client specifically asks for it. Normally, a better database tool is used like SQL Server.
- Can create a clean user interface
- Strong ability to customize
- Easy to setup data table relationships within a database
- Customization options are not intuitive to find
- Needs more pre-loaded features for very common tasks while building forms
- The program is slow even for small data tables
December 20, 2018
I utilize Access databases frequently, ignoring 'weird looks' given to me by IT professionals who consider anything less than Oracle not a true database, but some sort of a 'toy'. However, Access fits the bill perfectly in some cases. Back in 1996, I had to resolve a problem very quickly, by creating a 'tool' to keep track of problems encounters by buyers from the procurement department in ordering certain parts, like parts for old designs and currently unavailable due to obsolescence, or parts having an unacceptable long lead time. The need was for a relatively simple and small database, allowing recording of such problems, recording of the progress made by the Component Engineering department in finding a solution and the recording of the solution itself, when one was found. I selected Microsoft Access as a platform, since it appeared relatively simple compared to more powerful databases, and my proficiency in other members of the Office suite making the learning curve shorter. And it worked very well. The implementation took only three weeks and the results were very much appreciated by its users. I believe this database it is still in use.
- An Access database can be designed and put to use rather fast, in order to answer an immediate need, even if the design must be done by someone with no previous exposure to Access. It can be modified/improved later on, without much impact on the users.
- A relatively simple Access database does not require knowledge of any programming language. It can be implemented by using 'macros', which are of a 'point-and-click' type.
- If a more complex application is required, Access is fully compatible with Visual Basic for Applications language, which is a object-oriented, even-driven programming language, designed by Microsoft specifically for utilization by all modules belonging to the Office suite.
- Since the commonality of VBA across Office, Access databases can be made to interface with other Office applications, and in particular with Excel.
- Access is easy to master, cheap, and allows easily the construction of aesthetically pleasing interfaces with the user, while remaining quite powerful. Due to these reasons, it yields itself to be sometimes used for the design of non-database applications, but specialized calculators.
- It cannot accommodate as many records or as many concurrent users an Oracle or similar database can.
- It is not as reliable as a database of 'industrial strength' is.
- It does not work fast, particularly when when large amount of code was used for its design or when a relatively many users attempt to utilize it simultaneously.
Microsoft Access is being used to run a wide variety of reports for both operations and accounting. There are numerous queries that have been set to help managers get data up to production and plant efficiency. It helps managers quickly analyze performance on the numerous jobs that are going on at one time.
- Since Microsoft Access is a Microsoft product it is easy to use and relay data to and from Excel.
- With the tools inside Microsoft Access, you can quickly establish the relationships between tables. It is easy to view the relationships between tables.
- It is a robust tool that can handle large amounts of data without having to spend additional money on other reporting tools.
- I would like to have within Microsoft Access a way to build dashboards without having to pull data into another program such as Excel.
- I would like to see Microsoft Access with more filtering/shading tools to differentiate data.
- It would be nice if it was a little easier to build report formats. Sometimes it is challenging getting boxes to line up and make the report better aesthetically.
January 02, 2019
We have multiple databases within the department. One of them has images that are stored with the data. When working on database management Microsoft Access is the easiest to use and sort out the information for clean-up and export for reporting. If you don't have a lot of time for database management Access makes it faster and easier than Filemaker, or several other interfaces. I like it as much or more so than Excel for larger database information and reporting.
The downside is that people are intimidated by the program.
I am the primary person using Access in my department.
The downside is that people are intimidated by the program.
I am the primary person using Access in my department.
- Sorting for particular information.
- Exporting to Excel to create reports.
- Storing multiple types of data and media within a singular record.
- Formatting could be better.
- If you are having any amount of data that is inconsistent it causes breaks in the system, sometimes.
- The interface makes people think they are using excel, and so do miss out some of the features.
October 19, 2018
Microsoft Access is used throughout the organization for the capture, management, and communication of data in a professional manner and for the administration of databases considering that it provides a series of easily accessible work tools that staff can quickly understand their tools and in this way, implement them in the tasks related to the process of organization of information in databases. The problems solved are basically based on the organization of information, and standardization of information for the analysis of data necessary for decision making to facilitate the growth and development of the company.
- Facilitate the integration of databases provided by Windows-based development programs.
- It is compatible with widely used programs that are not necessarily from Microsoft such as Oracle and Sybase.
- You have the possibility of placing the information processed in the databases online.
- It is one of the programs that work with the most popular databases in the world, therefore, it does not require expenses in training activities or the hiring of very specialized personnel, thus being a saving for the company.
- Microsoft Access should seek the option to increase its capacity to greater than 2GB so all the company can use it without a problem, currently, it's used by small and medium enterprises.
- I think they can expand the option of expanding the capacity of users allowed for large organizations to use.
- Microsoft Access is not the best database tool for immediate use but for long-term work.
- Among the tools that may hinder its use are that Access has a relatively low design compared to other programs. It is difficult to customize and adapt to the controls and forms at the beginning.
Microsoft Access is used as a tool to fulfill the role of a back-end relational database when one is needed. Access is available enterprise-wide as it is available in the Microsoft Office bundle, but it is used more heavily by the data and analytics departments. We use it for things such as accounting systems, customer transaction tracking, and high volume data processing. Access serves as a more powerful database than Microsoft Excel or traditional client-server based databases and has capabilities for migration that make it useful.
- Access has a simple user interface and is intuitive enough for more people to use without much confusion. While this may seem to imply that it has fewer functionalities than other software, that is not true.
- Good performance for small personal applications. For example, when reporting about a small company, its performance is great.
- Access is a popular program which means more people have knowledge of it and it is included on the expectation of most people hired for data positions.
- Access has slow performance when dealing with tens and hundreds of thousands of records. As an enterprise we have millions of customers and assets and Access doesn't seem to be equipped to handle such volumes.
- Access is not really ideal for bigger companies because of limited space and allowed number of users
April 18, 2018
Use of Microsoft Access is pretty much restricted to the Finance Department of my organization. We use it as a database that both stores information, and also transmits selected data on a daily basis to related peripheral systems. It is not used very often throughout the day, nevertheless it's role is integral to operations.
- Microsoft Access is fast performing software, which is always a plus. I also appreciate that it connects seamlessly to Microsoft software, among other products. It is easy to troubleshoot just by googling solutions.
- Critics might say that the software is simple when compared to similar other products, but I would argue that the simplicity of Access is an advantage. It is easy to learn and it rarely malfunctions, even when communicating with other systems.
- Microsoft Access does have its limits in terms of performance. Our use for it does not mean we've reached this point yet, but we are a relatively small organization. For a larger company, I'm not sure how well Access would suit the needs of high data usage, or multiple users in the tens or hundreds.
- The front end interface could be viewed as fairly simplistic (it's not the newest software out there in this category as far as I know). I don't necessarily mind this fact, but I could see it being viewed as a negative in certain situations.
It is the back end of an ERP system that we are using at our company. The ERP system keeps track of our inventory, sales orders, production, and invoices.
- It is relatively easy to use. It behaves much like Microsoft Excel.
- It is very powerful in that it has a lot of capability.
- The user interface has not been updated in 10 years, when I used it for the first time. Given other products the user interface is awkward. It feels like you need to make many mouse clicks to perform tasks.
- Setting up forms for the screen and for printing is hard to set up.
January 30, 2018
My organization currently uses Microsoft Access primarily as a fast and easy way to compile data and have a manageable database for different projects and ideas. Since we all already use Microsoft Office Suite and are familiar with the various products within that, especially Excel, we all have adapted very quickly to the software as well as our own standards for consistency. This way, we are able to customize different dashboards and reports and use data with which we are already familiar.
- Organization - Its layout is particularly conducive to organizing data and is very user-friendly. Working with data is simple so long as you have a working knowledge of either building your own forms/reports or SQL.
- Integration - Since Access is an Office product, it integrates nicely with Excel. This allows for not only the freedom of designing the data and reports you generate but also that it is quick to pick up as most people have some experience with Excel.
- Support - Since there is already a large compendium of help and useful tricks/tips for Office products, there is always an answer to whatever question you may have or outcome that you are trying to achieve.
- Long loading times for larger datasets - Depending on the data with which you are working, it can take a while to open and save documents. Additionally, if you are working with multiple datasets that are joined, this is all saved into one file and seems to make the issue worse.
- Learning curve - Without a relatively strong background in either database management or SQL, it can be difficult to adapt to Access. The layout isn't very intuitive for new users and so it takes time to learn the ins and outs.
- File size limit - Access has a 2GB file size limit, which, for the large majority of cases is not a problem. For those instances where you are working with multiple large datasets, though, this will be an issue unless you link multiple Access databases.
Microsoft Access is used in the company as a database to manage the information we use, and any of our consultants can refer to tables, queries, forms, and reports simultaneously. It has a user-friendly interface and we can migrate the data from Excel to Access. You can create an Access table and show it in the Data Sheet view (which looks like an Excel spreadsheet).
- You can make many Tables to store data
- Forms to view, add and update the data in the tables
- You can store the data once in a table and view it from several places
- I can consult for and recover the data that only I need
- Access works with Visual Basic so that applications can offer greater functionality
- Has a great competence of databases
- Has very little capacity, should expand more
- If your database needs to be protected by extensive database security protocols, then Access may not be the best option
- It limits the options to choose and use the data since all the information in your database is saved in a single file
- Has a limit of users, which does not work very well or for large companies
I use Microsoft Access as an individual user for my own organizational needs within the workplace, not as a company. The database requirements I need (organizing student data, class assignments, etc) can be easily handled by Access. I used to use this database set up in a large Excel spreadsheet, but I eventually grew out of that and Excel couldn't handle the amount of data I was processing. Access was the next step up.
- Easy to use as an "intro level" database tool
- Intuitive design
- Familiarity if users are current Excel or Word users
- Updated interface
- More connection options (both live and static)
- Potentially higher processing power
Microsoft Access Scorecard Summary
What is Microsoft Access?
Microsoft Access is a database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools.
Categories: Relational Databases
Microsoft Access Competitors
Microsoft Access Pricing
- Does not have featureFree Trial Available?No
- Does not have featureFree or Freemium Version Available?No
- Does not have featurePremium Consulting/Integration Services Available?No
- Entry-level set up fee?No
| Edition | Pricing Details | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Access | 139.99 | per PC |
Microsoft Access Technical Details
| Deployment Types: | On-premise |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems: | Windows |
| Mobile Application: | No |