Event
Still running your business on Microsoft Access? Move to Microsoft Dataverse
- When
- 25 November 2026 · 11:00
- Where
- Online
About this event:
Is your business still relying on a Microsoft Access database that has become increasingly difficult to maintain, report from or integrate with modern technology?
Join Valto’s Hugh Valentine and Sam Gareh for a practical session exploring five common signs that an Access database is starting to hold an organisation back, and what moving to modern Microsoft technology such as Dataverse and model-driven Power Apps could look like.
In this session, you’ll learn why organisations are moving away from Access as their businesses grow, particularly when databases become business-critical, difficult to maintain or a barrier to AI, automation and reporting.
You’ll explore five key reasons to consider moving away from Access:
- Your team is constantly firefighting fixes rather than improving the system
- Your Access database is limiting your route to AI, Copilot and automation
- Getting straightforward answers and reports from your data takes too long
- Your database is struggling to scale with more users and data
- Access is becoming an isolated system that is difficult to connect with the rest of your business
Through a practical demonstration, Hugh and Sam will also show how Dataverse, model-driven Power Apps and Power Pages can provide a more modern approach.
You’ll see an example CRM built using a model-driven app, including lead and project management, business process flows, reporting, Outlook integration and automation. The session also demonstrates how Power Pages can provide an external-facing portal where customers can view project progress and access relevant documentation.
Finally, you’ll get an introduction to Valto’s Access Scanner, which uses AI alongside consultant review to assess an existing Access database, identify migration complexity and highlight potential risks before modernisation begins.
Whether Access supports a single process or sits at the centre of your business operations, you’ll leave with a clearer understanding of the warning signs to look for and what a move towards Dataverse and the Power Platform could involve.
Experts featured in this webinar
Running order
The agenda for the session
- 1
When maintaining Access becomes firefighting
Explore how business-critical Access databases can gradually become difficult to maintain, leaving key people spending increasing amounts of time fixing problems and responding to issues.
- 2
Why Access can become a barrier to AI
Discover why organisations looking at AI, Copilot, agents and automation may need to reconsider the technology underpinning their business data and processes.
- 3
Getting better answers from your data
Understand the reporting challenges organisations can encounter with legacy Access systems and how modern platforms can make business information easier to access.
- 4
Scalability and integration
Explore the challenges Access databases can face as organisations grow, from increasing numbers of users and larger datasets to connecting finance, CRM and other business systems.
- 5
What replacing Access can look like
See a practical demonstration of Dataverse, model-driven Power Apps and Power Pages, including CRM, project management, automation, reporting and external customer portal examples.
- 6
Assessing your Access database
See Valto’s Access Scanner in action and learn how an existing database can be assessed for its tables, queries, forms, VBA modules, migration complexity and potential risks before planning a move to modern technology.
Questions, answered plainly
Common warning signs include frequent fixes, performance or scalability issues, time-consuming reporting, reliance on individual employees and difficulty integrating the database with newer technology. If maintaining Access is becoming a significant part of somebody's role, it may be time to assess your options.
The webinar focuses on Microsoft Dataverse and model-driven Power Apps as a modern alternative for building business applications, with Power Automate supporting automation and Power Pages providing externally facing experiences.
The webinar explains why organisations relying on Access can find it difficult to build modern AI and automation projects directly around their existing database. Moving business data into platforms such as Dataverse, SQL or Microsoft Fabric can provide a more suitable foundation for future projects.
Rather than immediately rebuilding everything, Valto’s process starts by assessing the existing database. The Access Scanner examines its structure and helps identify elements such as tables, queries, forms and VBA modules, alongside potential migration complexity and risks.
Valto offers an initial assessment combining its AI-backed Access Scanner with review from a migration consultant. This is designed to provide a clearer picture of the existing database, its complexity and a recommended approach to modernisation.
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