MS Access As A Dev Tool
Access continues to be a highly efficient tool for business database development.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Arizona
Microsoft Access Programmer Services In Arizona
MS Access Solutions Has 36+ Years Of Hands-On Microsoft Access Development Experience
If your Access database is corrupted, behaving erraticaly, or is simply not capable of managing yor data, contact us so we can help you right away. We begin by checking deployment (front end/back end), then tune the queries and indexes behind your busiest screens, clean up VBA/macros, and fix linked tables or ODBC connection issues. If the file has outgrown a shared setup, we can move tables to SQL Server while keeping your Access interface. We provide Access programmer services in all Arizona cities, including Phoenix, Tuscon, Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, and Tempe. Call (323) 285-0939 for a free consultation.
Access Programmer In Arizona
MS Access Solutions
Microsoft Access
Microsoft Access is a flexible, reliable database tool used widely for business applications. Visit our Microsoft Access Tech Talk section for practical how-tos. Expert Microsoft Access programming for businesses across Arizona.
Access + SQL Server
SQL Server is an enterprise relational database platform from Microsoft. Pairing a user-friendly Microsoft Access front end with SQL Server gives you secure, fast data storage and reporting, with optional integration into ASP.NET or Azure-based web applications.
Access Repair
Slow, bloated, or corrupted Access databases cost time and money. Start with a diagnosis, then run Compact and Repair, rebuild indexes, clean up queries and forms, and recover data where possible so staff in Arizona can work without freezes and random errors.
VBA, Forms & Reports
Automate the work your people do every day. Custom forms, reports, and VBA handle data validation, document generation, and integration with Excel, Outlook, and ODBC sources so your team spends less time managing spreadsheets.
Enterprise Client: Lockheed Martin
MS Access Solutions has a long history of providing Microsoft Access programmer services to Lockheed Martin across Arizona, including the Airborne Ground Surveillance Radar Systems facility in Goodyear, the Arizona Support Center in Gilbert, Missiles and Fire Control in Tucson, F-35 program support in Glendale and Yuma, and commercial offices in Phoenix and Mesa. Alison Balter, founder of MS Access Solutions, developed a custom Microsoft Access database used company-wide across Lockheed Martin operations. The work involved designing tables, building queries and reports, writing Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) automation, configuring macros, and integrating the application with SQL Server as the back-end data store. Because MS Access Solutions signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Lockheed Martin, the specific nature of the application cannot be discussed publicly. What can be discussed is the depth of experience that engagement required. Alison Balter has worked with Microsoft Access for over 36 years, has authored 15 published books on Microsoft Access through Sams Publishing, and has produced more than 300 internationally marketed training videos. She holds Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and Microsoft Certified Partner (MCPa) credentials. Arizona businesses looking for a Microsoft Access programmer with verifiable enterprise-scale experience can call on the same expertise that supported one of the largest defense contractors in the United States.
Enterprise Client: Bombardier Inc.
Bombardier Inc. has been an MS Access Solutions client for years, starting with its Tucson Service Centre at Tucson International Airport, the largest Bombardier aircraft service center in the world. Alison Balter, owner of MS Access Solutions, was brought in when Bombardier's maintenance tracking had fragmented across three separate airplane-line databases, each with its own Access frontend, backend, tables, queries, reports, forms, macros, and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code. The same change had to be made three times every time something needed updating. MS Access Solutions merged the three applications into one, moved the backend from Access to SQL Server, and restructured the code so updates happened in a single place. Bombardier offices in Scottsdale and across Arizona use that system today. As the work expanded to other sites, including Wichita, KS and Singapore, a separate application for each location was the original plan. Moving the backend to Azure SQL made more sense: aircraft are regularly transferred between facilities, and a cloud-based record means the full maintenance and documentation history travels with the plane. No re-entry, no gaps. The engagement is ongoing. Arizona businesses looking for Access, SQL Server, and Azure SQL work are dealing with the same programmer who built and maintains Bombardier's global fleet database.
Microsoft Access Help For Businesses In Arizona
Across the Phoenix metro, the I-10 corridor, and the Tucson market, a lot of Arizona businesses are running Access databases that were built for a smaller operation and never caught up. Manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and professional services firms are the most common callers. The file works until it does not, and by then nobody on staff knows it well enough to fix it.
MS Access Solutions handles repair, rebuilds, VBA automation, SQL Server migration, and new development for businesses across Arizona. Call (323) 285-0939 or request a rapid response to talk through what your database needs.
Microsoft Access Services Across Arizona's Key Markets
MS Access Solutions works remotely with businesses in every Arizona city. Below is a quick look at what we see most often in the markets that call us most frequently.
Phoenix
Phoenix is our busiest Arizona market for Microsoft Access programmer work. The most common calls involve multi-user locking issues on shared network drives, databases that have grown far past what a single Access file can handle reliably, and files that have been patched by three or four different people over the years with no consistent structure. We stabilize the front end, move heavy tables to SQL Server where needed, and rebuild the queries and VBA code that are causing the most friction. Phoenix businesses in healthcare administration, logistics, and professional services are the most frequent callers.
Scottsdale
Scottsdale financial services, real estate, and wealth management firms use Microsoft Access for client tracking, billing, and regulatory reporting. When those databases slow down or break, the pressure to restore them quickly is real — data cannot sit in limbo during business hours. The repair work in Scottsdale typically involves query optimization, index rebuilding, and ODBC connection issues between Access and SQL Server backends. We also handle new custom Access database development for Scottsdale firms that need a polished, professionally built system from the start.
Tucson
Tucson clients most often come to us with Microsoft Access databases that have been running without maintenance for several years — sometimes a decade or more. The Bombardier Tucson Service Centre at Tucson International Airport is one of our longest-standing Arizona clients. Stabilization and documentation are usually the first priorities: we inventory the tables, queries, forms, reports, and VBA modules, map the key workflows, and get the system into a state where it behaves predictably. After that, we address whatever repairs or performance improvements the Tucson business needs most urgently.
Chandler & Mesa
Chandler's manufacturing and logistics businesses use Access for production tracking, order management, and inventory work. Mesa clients tend to have form and query performance problems — screens that open slowly, reports that take too long to generate, and buttons that have stopped working correctly after an Office update. In both markets, the fix usually touches both the front-end code and the underlying table structure. We also see a lot of Excel-to-Access migration work in Chandler and Mesa, where growing teams have outgrown their spreadsheets and need a proper relational database.
Gilbert & Tempe
Gilbert is one of the fastest-growing markets in Arizona, and the Microsoft Access programmer work there reflects that growth — databases built for a small operation that have not kept pace as the company expanded. Tempe has a different mix: smaller businesses and university-adjacent organizations that run lean but heavily used Access files, where problems almost always surface right after a Microsoft 365 update changes something the VBA code depended on. In both cities, we prioritize a quick assessment, a clear explanation of what went wrong, and a fix that holds up long term rather than just getting the file open again.
We Are Your Microsoft Access Database Experts
Alison Balter is the founder, owner, and principal programmer of MS Access Solutions. She has been working with Microsoft Access since the early versions: 36 years of hands-on development across hundreds of applications for businesses of all types. She has written 15 books on Access programming that developers still use as desk references, and she speaks at Microsoft Access conferences regularly.
When a new client comes to us, we start by listening. We ask the people who actually use the database every day what frustrates them, where things break, and what they wish it did differently. That conversation shapes everything: the table structure, the forms, the reports, the automation. The goal is a system that fits how the business works, not one that requires the business to work around it.
Example Projects
Corporate Database
Microsoft Access front end with SQL Server back-end database
Access Forms Development
Access data entry form connected to a SQL Server back-end database
Accounting Company
ASP.NET website with SQL Server back-end database
Corporate Reports
Microsoft Access reporting solution built on top of SQL Server
Clients Love Our Work
Sheldon Bloch, Oil and Gas Company
Alison from MS Access Solutions has provided both
training and mentoring services to us over the past several years. Our developers use Alison Balter's books on programming with Microsoft
Access as a desk reference. They have provided our staff members with much-needed training in Visual
Basic, client/server development, SQL Server, and Microsoft Access. This has helped us ensure that our
employees keep up with evolving technologies. MS Access Solutions has also provided mentoring on an as-needed basis, giving our in-house
programmers the expertise they need to
overcome tough challenges. More Reviews
Lisa Dosch, Motion Picture Editors Guild - Local 700
Alison Balter at MS Access Solutions developed the application that helps us properly service all of our members. This program handles billing, payments, tracking of jobs worked, available list, and other important data about our members. The system automates many tasks
that were previously performed manually, allowing our employees to use their time
more effectively. This client/server system is used by employees in multiple offices
and has proven to be stable and dependable. MS Access Solutions worked with us on specifications and design, then programmed, tested,
and implemented the application throughout our organization. More Reviews
Contact Details
When you need a truly expert Microsoft Access database development company to design and develop your
mission-critical custom database, contact MS Access Solutions, serving all Arizona cities, including:
Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, & Tempe
Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, & Tempe
- Phone: (323) 285-0939
- Office Hours: Mon - Fri : 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Get In Touch
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Arizona Microsoft Access Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What do you need from us so you can get started quickly?
Answer: To move quickly, we ask for a current copy of your Access file, a recent backup, and a short description of the problems you are seeing. Screenshots of error messages and a simple list of "step one, step two" helps us reproduce issues on our side. It is also helpful to know which version of Office and Access you use and who your main users are. If you have a shared back-end or SQL Server, we will request safe connection details and a test login with limited access.
Question: Can you support different versions of Office and Access for our staff?
Answer: Yes. Many of our clients run a mix of Access 2016, 2019, and Microsoft 365 on both 32 bit and 64 bit machines. The process involves reviewing your references, cleaning up old libraries, and building the right ACCDE files for each version that needs to run the application. When mixed installs cannot be avoided, we ship separate front ends, set up trusted locations, and give you simple update steps so your staff gets new builds without breaking add ins or VBA code.
Question: How do you speed up slow forms, reports, and long running queries?
Answer: The starting point is finding the forms and queries that cause the most pain in day to day use. From there, we tune indexes, reduce the amount of data pulled at once, and remove filters that force full table scans. Heavy joins and calculations are moved into saved queries or SQL Server views when that makes sense. Subforms, images, and lookups are delayed on load so screens open faster and multi user work feels more responsive.
Question: Can Access integrate with Power BI or the cloud apps we already use?
Answer: In many cases, yes. Connecting Access to SQL Server and other data sources through ODBC and publish clean tables or views that tools like Power BI can read. When you rely on cloud systems, we often automate CSV, SFTP, or API based exchanges so your staff does not have to export and import files by hand. The goal is a small number of trusted data sets that update on a regular schedule, not a pile of one off spreadsheets.
Question: How do you protect sensitive data and support compliance needs?
Answer: We design role based screens and apply least privilege logins so people see only the data they need for their work. Encrypted SQL connections and secure file locations are used where they are appropriate. We also add basic logging for important changes and deletions so you know who changed what and when. Finally, we document backup and restore steps so you can test recovery rather than just hoping a backup file will work when you need it.
Question: We inherited an undocumented Access application. Can you take it over?
Answer: Yes. We begin with a structured review that inventories your tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules. Then we map the key workflows, check references, and identify the areas that are most fragile for your staff. Once the system is stable, we put the objects under version control and start a simple change log. You end up with an application that behaves predictably and a record of what changed for future updates.
Microsoft Access Tech Talk
Microsoft Access Connections To Other Data Types
Microsoft Access connects to SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and cloud databases using ODBC. Linked tables give Access real-time interaction with external sources without importing data or duplicating it locally. It supports on-premises and cloud platforms including Azure SQL, Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL, and Snowflake.
Microsoft Access ODBC Connections: SQL Server, Oracle, And More
Most Access databases that outgrow a shared network drive end up needing a stronger back end. ODBC is how Access connects to one. Instead of storing data in the .accdb file itself, Access links to tables sitting on SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, or a cloud database. The forms and reports keep working without any changes to the front end.
The connection to SQL Server runs through ODBC. Administrators set up ODBC Data Source Names that store the server address, authentication settings, and database name. Once connected, Access links to SQL Server tables directly. The front-end forms and reports keep working exactly as before, while the data itself lives on SQL Server. Best practice is to link tables rather than import them, so Access is always reading live data from the server rather than a stale local copy.
Connecting Access To Oracle And Other ODBC Sources
Oracle connections work through the same ODBC approach, using Oracle's own drivers. The setup is similar to SQL Server -- configure a DSN with Oracle's connection string and link the tables. The main thing to watch for is data type differences between Oracle and Access. Oracle's NUMBER, DATE, and VARCHAR2 fields do not always map cleanly, so careful type mapping is worth doing before the tables are linked.
Beyond SQL Server and Oracle, ODBC lets Access connect to MySQL, PostgreSQL, and IBM Db2, as well as cloud-hosted databases including Microsoft Azure SQL, Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL, and Snowflake. Access can also link directly to Excel spreadsheets, CSV files, and flat text files. These integrations let businesses keep Access forms and reports in place while moving the data to a more capable back end.
ODBC Connection Management And Performance
Using System DSNs keeps connection settings consistent across multiple workstations, which avoids the "works on my machine" problem that comes up when each user has their own DSN configuration. Where possible, Windows Integrated Authentication is a cleaner approach than storing credentials in the connection string -- it ties authentication to Active Directory and removes the need to manage passwords separately.
For performance, avoid binding Access forms directly to large linked tables. A form that opens against a full SQL Server table with 500,000 rows is going to be slow regardless of how fast the server is. Parameterized queries and pass-through queries filter the data at the server before it hits the network, so Access only works with the records it actually needs. That change alone fixes most of the slowness that businesses report after a migration.
Call MS Access Solutions at (323) 285-0939 for a free consultation on connecting your Access database to SQL Server or any other back end.
Arizona Cities We Serve
These city pages cover the specific Microsoft Access problems we fix most often in each market -- repair work, performance problems, older files that need stabilizing, and databases that have outgrown their current setup.
Microsoft Access Programmer Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix is our busiest Arizona market. Multi-user locking, oversized files, and databases that have been patched by several different people over the years are the most common problems we see.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Tucson, AZ
Tucson clients often come to us with Access files that have been sitting without maintenance for several years. The work is usually stabilization first, then whatever fixes are needed to make daily use reliable again.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Mesa, AZ
Mesa work tends to involve form and query performance -- databases that open slowly, reports that take too long, and buttons that have stopped behaving the way they did when the database was first built.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Chandler, AZ
Chandler manufacturing and logistics businesses use Access for production tracking and inventory work. When those files start breaking down, the repair usually involves both the front-end code and the underlying table structure.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert is one of the fastest-growing markets in the state. Businesses there often have Access databases that were built for a smaller operation and have not kept pace with how the company has grown since.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Glendale, AZ
Glendale clients call us when a database that has been reliable for years suddenly is not. The problems are usually a mix of deferred maintenance, Office update side effects, and code that was never updated after the original developer left.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale financial and professional services firms rely on Access for client data, billing, and reporting. When those systems break or slow down, there is real pressure to get them back quickly without losing data.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Peoria, AZ
Peoria clients usually have a specific thing that broke -- a macro, a report, a button -- and want it fixed without a long project. We handle those targeted repairs and flag anything else we notice while we have the file open.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Tempe, AZ
Tempe has a mix of small businesses and university-adjacent organizations that use Access for tracking and reporting. The databases tend to be lean but heavily used, and problems usually surface after a software update changes something the code depended on.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Surprise, AZ
Surprise is a growing residential and commercial market where we see a lot of service businesses running Access databases that nobody has formally supported in years. Getting those files documented and stabilized is usually the first priority.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Goodyear, AZ
Goodyear is home to distribution and light industrial businesses that track inventory and orders in Access. When those databases break, the impact is felt immediately on the floor, so turnaround time matters.
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Microsoft Access Programmer San Tan Valley, AZ
San Tan Valley is one of the fastest-growing communities in the East Valley. Businesses there often need Access work that keeps pace with how quickly the operation is expanding.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Yuma, AZ
Yuma's agricultural and military presence means Access databases there often handle specialized tracking work that has been running for a long time without formal support or updates.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Avondale, AZ
Avondale sits in the West Valley corridor alongside Goodyear and Buckeye. Businesses there typically need the same practical Access repair and support work we handle across the rest of the metro.
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Microsoft Access Programmer Buckeye, AZ
Buckeye is where we see newer businesses that have grown quickly and need a database built properly from the start rather than pieced together as the workload grew.
Learn MoreMS Access Solutions Arizona Service Area Map
Back To Arizona Cities We Serve: Jump To The City Links Above