So they made an Access app with giant buttons that would run on vdi. They figured out how to automate 4-5 key business functions on iPad, which saves them a ton of time in the field.
The brass found out about it, and has spent $400k writing a "proper" replacement, but have been 75% complete for 3 months.
- Move data into any DBMS (e.g. SQL Server, Oracle, IBM, Postgres, etc).
- Get a reporting solution that hooks into the DBMS (SQL Server Reporting Services, Power BI, Domo, Tableau, SAP Crystal Reports, IBM Cognos, et al).
- Reproduce the reports you have in Access in the reporting solution.
These reports CAN be delivered via HTTP/HTML, or even created that way in some cases. But they can also deliver reports in static formats (Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, images, etc).
The power of MS Access is the reports building functionality (and forms which generate reports with bespoke values). You can actually point Access at a DBMS and it still remains a powerful tool.
Most companies won't move away from MS Access in one go. They'll move their data and then later move their reports, and most of the reason to move reports is to better centralise operations (no more Access file on Bob's computer which Sam cannot access) and provide an improved remote access facility.
Not a bad replacement.
From my perspective across a number of jobs and project clients, SharePoint installations are rare (and often out-of-date and equally often loathed) and I've never actually seen a Dynamics CRM install in the wild. (I know they exist, I've just never seen one/worked with one.)
I admire your use of Dynamics CRM as a hammer for all nail-like objects as a means of job security.