Development Cost GPC Data

Typically, a Readiness Evaluation or Pre-Deployment Quality Review takes 4 to 6 hours of my time and the same amount of your time.

A custom development project may take as much as 100 times that long. Investing 10% of the total project cost in preparation and quality reviews just makes good sense. The exact cost of any project depends on a number of different factors.

Two Doors Or Four?

Some people claim to use a formula that calculates costs on the number of forms, tables and other objects in the database.

Two-door sedan

That makes about as much sense as trying to calculate the cost of a car based on the number of doors. Four doors may cost more than two doors, but that's only one factor in the overall cost, and it is not often the most important one.

Custom databases almost always cost more than "off-the-shelf" applications

Are you sure you need to create a new application? Can you afford it? Do you have the time and expertise?

Review some relevant points before you begin.

Your business rules and requirements

In addition to storing data, a database enforces your business rules. That's why I devote sufficient time to evaluating whether you've got that part right. Understanding your business is part of the review process.

But a second aspect to consider is how well YOU are going to be able to translate that knowledge into database principles. Liken it to teaching a new hire how to do your job. Where would you start? What would you tell that new person to do first, not do at all? Where do they get information needed for the job?

Decades of Experience Make the Difference in Estimating

Grover Park Consulting has years of experience in Access Database Development

There is no simple answer to the cost question. It depends on many factors, some of which you may not have thought about yet .

I Provide an Estimated Range of Hours

I estimate the time required to complete all of the requirements specified in your project description. That estimate is based on my more than 24 years experience as well as a review of your stated requirements. The estimate will include a range of hours from the minimum I think it will take up to a maximum I think it would take a qualified, professional developer to do it. That helps you decide whether an investment in your custom database application makes sense. Perhaps you have the time and skills to do it yourself. Or perhaps hiring a pro is the way to go after all.

If my estimate is for more hours than you had expected, let's talk about those expectations and how they differ from mine. I've been building database solutions since 1994. In that time, I've completed enough Access and SQL Server database projects to have a realistic idea of how long a database development project is likely to take, but I'm not infalliable. If you complete the work sooner than either of us expected, we're all happy.

I Will Understand Your Business Well Enough to Advise You on How to Proceed

Before I begin work on reviewing and analyzing your existing Access database or your plans for a new Access database, I have to understand enough about your business rules to design the database to fulfill those rules. Again, having worked with clients in many fields, I am confident I can learn how your business works fairly quickly. Blueprints

There are no "Typical" Database Projects

Each database I have ever built or migrated was unique and specific to the needs of that client and the purpose for the database; there is no such thing as a "typical database project" in my experience. I've developed or rescued databases to track inventory, to handle financial transactions, and to manage case loads in a law firm, for example. We should talk about the time it might take to build a custom database tailored to your business needs, after we complete a review.

Should You Hire Someone Else?

I would never work on the wiring in my house myself. I could probably get away with it, but the hazards of a misstep are too great to risk it. On the other hand, I have no concerns about painting the kitchen, minor repairs in the bathroom and so on. The point is knowing one's skills and limitations.

Ask yourself before you begin, "Can I pull this off and still run my organization efectively at the same time?

If you decide to interview potential developers, one of the most important questions to ask is whether they plan to design your database according to the Principles of Normalization .

If you don't plan to do the work yourself, you don't need in-depth knowledge of Normalization yourself, but your developer must understand it, and must be prepared to discuss it with you before committing you to a budget. If not, you are most likely dealing with an amateur. Proceed at your own risk.

If you do plan to do the work yourself, you need in-depth knowledge of Normalization yourself. It's an investment in quality.

Normalization is the process of efficiently organizing data in a relational database.

The primary goals of normalization include:

Eliminating redundant data (storing the same data in more than one place).
Databases which fail in this regard end up with Access tables that look like spreadsheets. That's not good.
Ensuring data dependencies make sense (storing only related data in each table).
It's hard to get good data out of unnormalized databases; you can do it, but it's more work.

Grover Park Consulting understands ERD - Entity Relationship Diagrams

A developer who tells you that it costs too much to normalize, or that normalization isn't necessary because your database "is really pretty simple", is either inexperienced or only interested in signing you up for a minimal "working" database today. You will continue to pay for upgrades and modifications frequently as problems emerge--and they will.

You should also understand that a properly normalized database often does take more time to set up correctly.

It's a little like building a car in your backyard. If you're satisfied with four tires, an engine, a driver's seat and a steering wheel, you can build that open-air version cheaply. However, if you want your car to have a windshield, doors and additional seats for passengers, that's going to take more work--and cost more. However,it will be a lot safer, more pleasant to sit in, and easier to drive.

If your needs can be met on the "quick and dirty" plan, go that direction knowing what you are getting. Just be sure you budget for the future maintenance work you'll need next year, and the year after that....

If you're interested in learning more about good table design this Power Point Presentation covers it in some detail.

Example project sizes, timelines and costs

Consider the following examples as rough comparisons between project types, not guidelines for any one of them. All of these costs are based on an assumed rate of $100/hour (US) for a professional Access developer. Many developers charge more; a few do a decent job for less. Your project might fit one of these profiles, or it might not fit any of them comfortably.

Do It Yourself. Or Not.

Keep in mind that your a Do-It-Yourself project may take longer than these benchmarks.

If you decide to do the work yourself, a safe estimate of time would be to double these amounts. And, of course, the hourly rate would be based on the value of your time, which may be less than that of a professional software developer doing this kind of work. Or it might be even more.

A small Access to Access database project which takes about 30 to 50 hours to complete, could cost between $3,000 and $5,000 if you hired a professional developer. In that range, you might find projects using a handful of tables, and a small number of forms for input and retrieval of data, with maybe three or four reports. Not much complex logic can be implemented at this level. Most things are going to be accomplished with out-of-the-box, native Access functionality. Don't expect application automation (i.e. interacting with Excel or Word) at this level.

In this range you're going to get a bicycle or tricycle, maybe a small electric scooter.

Fortunately, Access is really good for such projects. That's one reason it's so popular still.

A larger Access to Access, or Access to SQL Server, database project, where a professional developer would have to expand a database to support multiple users and add functionality to control shared procedures might take 80 to 144 hours or more, and cost between $8,000 and $14,400 or more. Most of the projects I've worked on myself were this size and larger. If you need to incorporate complex business rules into the interface, encoding that logic adds to the time required to build and test that Access database. You might see some basic automation in these applications.

In this range you're going to get a custom motorcycle, or perhaps even a small sedan.

A very large database project involving a SQL Server database and extended functions in the Access interface, could take more than twice as long and cost twice as much, or even more. For example, a database built to track financial transactions for a medium-sized organization, which involves journaling of transactions, monthly and quarterly reporting, along with sophisticated auditing, could take 450 to 600 hours to plan, design, build, test, and implement. The more complex the business rules, the more coding is involved in making sure the database reflects all of your data accurately. Plan on spending $45,000 to $60,000, or more for a team of professional developers.

In this range you're going to get a nice fleet of small vans to carry your workload.

Projects involving migration to a "cloud" database solution, e.g. SharePoint or a "cloud-based" SQL Server database, will normally take longer to implement than comparitive desktop databases, and, therefore, cost more. But there are too many considerations to be much more specific.

Other Considerations

Database Project Duration vs Project Hours

Based on an 8 hour workday, an estimate for 5 days of work means about 40 cumulative hours on the design, development, testing and installation of the database. I imagine that you might find it hard to devote that much time each day to the project, unless it becomes your sole job for the duration of the project. So a 40 hour project might actually take 3 or 4 weeks to complete. As the saying goes, "Stuff happens." If you have a tight deadline, you need to understand that up-front. Again, plan accordingly.

Outside Specialists

Because of my years of experience, and my contacts in the software industry, I can call in technical experts in several specific areas, e,g, SharePoint, should the need arise. If I were leading the project, I would bill their time to you at the rate they charge me. You should keep that in mind as you commit yourself to the project. Expert help is available, at a cost. It might be more efficient than toughing it out yourself, though.

Progress Checks

Regular progress checks are part of the process for database projects that will take more than a few days. You need to know that you're on track in meeting your requirements.

Database Software License Costs

You will need to own, or purchase, MS Access™ licenses from Microsoft for each workstation where the full version of Access is used. Alternatives are available, including the Free Run-Time. Call or email me to discuss your options .

You'll find more information on the Frequently Asked Questions Page

Fixed Bids

Fixed bids are dangerous to both the client and the developer. They leave no room for contingencies and modifications as the project progresses. Except for VERY small jobs (under 10 hours), they're not in the business model of many professional developers. If you decide to go outside your own organization for help, don't go here.