The Microsoft Access System That Grew With the Business

The Story

This didn’t start as a business system. It started as a way to track part numbers.

Then came bills of materials.

Then I tied it into AutoCAD using VBA — automating drawing creation, managing revisions, and filling out title blocks without touching a template.

Then came purchasing.

Then quoting.

Screenshot of the Microsoft Access Part Details form at Precision Conveyor, showing part 542-10 with linked BOM data and Inventor integration.
Part Details screen in our custom-built Access system, showing real-time BOM data pulled from Inventor, full revision control, and purchasing-ready metadata.

At one point, we seriously considered buying an off-the-shelf ERP system. I was all for it — being a full-time database developer and a full-time machine builder wasn’t exactly ideal.

“Bob took one look at the price tag and hardware requirements — and vetoed it.”
(He was right.)

After that, I doubled down and took it further. When we transitioned to Autodesk Inventor as our primary design platform, I integrated that too. The system now pulls BOMs directly from Inventor assemblies, auto-populates them in Access, and keeps everything synced. It also manages Inventor file metadata and keeps assemblies current with the latest post-revision models.

What we ended up with was far better: complete control, no subscription fees, no outside dependencies, and the flexibility to evolve as the business does. If something needs to change, I just change it.

What It Does Today

  • Parts & BOM Management
    Every part, every BOM, and every revision — fully traceable, version-controlled, and job-linked.

  • AutoCAD + Inventor Integration
    Automatically generates drawings, fills out title blocks, manages file metadata, and keeps assemblies up to date.

  • Inventor BOM Automation
    Pulls bills of materials directly from Inventor assemblies and syncs them into the database — no manual entry required.

  • CAD Document Control
    Manages PDFs, jigs, spreadsheets, spec sheets, and everything else tied to the job.

  • Purchasing & RFQs
    Generates RFQs and purchase orders, tracks supplier pricing, and ensures clean handoff from engineering to purchasing.

  • Job Quoting & Sales Orders
    Tracks opportunities, quote stages, and sales orders all the way through production.

  • Inventory & Job Tracking
    Provides real-time visibility into stock levels, job-specific material tracking, and automatic reorder prompts.

  • Engineering-to-Purchasing Bridge
    Engineers specify parts. Purchasing buys them. The system keeps it clean, consistent, and connected.

  • Automated Invoicing
    When a job ships, the invoice is auto-generated — no spreadsheets, no waiting.

Screenshot of VBA code from Precision Conveyor’s Access system showing the recursive BOM crunching engine used to update assembly part structures.
VBA function used to recursively crunch BOMs in our Access-based ERP system, ensuring each part and sub-assembly is properly calculated, cleaned, and synced during engineering updates.

Bonus Features + What’s Next

One of the most impactful results? We’ve eliminated nearly all traditional administrative roles. No more printing POs, chasing drawing files, checking stock manually, or tracking job paperwork by hand. Between this system and our automated phone system, we no longer need secretarial positions — and that’s freed us up to hire for roles that actually drive the business forward.

“We didn’t just eliminate admin overhead — we replaced it with productivity.”

Coming soon:

  • Smarter Shop Scheduling
    A better scheduling module to prioritize jobs, manage capacity, and help the floor stay ahead of production demand.

  • Accounts Payable Integration
    Connecting POs, receipts, and vendor payments for a full end-to-end purchasing and financial workflow.

It’s all built in Microsoft Access, powered by VBA, and lives on a shared network drive. No cloud. No fees. No bloat.

Just a system that works — because we built it to fit us.

In future posts, I’ll break down the architecture, share screenshots, dive into the VBA behind it, and walk through what I’d do differently if I were starting today. Whether you’re trying to build your own internal tool or just tired of wrestling with software that doesn’t fit your workflow, this might give you a few ideas.

Screenshot of the main navigation menu in Precision Conveyor’s Microsoft Access system, showing custom ribbon tabs for quoting, parts, production, purchasing, and inventory operations.
Custom navigation ribbon in our Access-based business system, providing direct access to quoting, purchasing, production, and job tracking modules.