At a glance
The eClinical Forum, a global member organisation, replaced a 15-year-old Microsoft Access database with a cloud application on Zoho Creator. ThoughtLogik migrated 20,000 member records and event history in four weeks, rebuilt more than 50 reports, added two-way Xero integration for invoicing, and delivered the full system in eight weeks.
| Client | eClinical Forum, global member organisation (200+ member companies) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Life sciences, clinical research membership |
| Project | MS Access to Zoho Creator migration |
| Platforms | Zoho Creator, Zoho Analytics, Xero |
| Outcome | 20,000 records migrated, 50+ reports rebuilt, Xero sync, live in 8 weeks |
About the eClinical Forum
The eClinical Forum brings together pharmaceutical, healthcare, regulatory, academic and technology professionals working on eClinical data innovation. Run by members for members, it operates across Europe, the Americas and Asia with more than 200 member companies.
The challenge
- A 15-year-old MS Access application shared on a network drive, with no concurrent access
- 20,000 member records and extensive event history
- Complex modules, each related to five or more tables
- More than 50 custom reports to redevelop
- A need for two-way invoicing integration with Xero
The solution
A tailored migration strategy
Zoho’s standard Access-to-Creator utility could not handle the database’s size and dependencies, so ThoughtLogik built a manual, sequenced migration. After data review and cleanup, modules with the fewest dependencies were migrated first, building up to the most connected ones, with validation after every load. The data migration was completed in four weeks.
A better user experience in Zoho Creator
We built workflows to automate key processes and a tabbed page layout that shows all related data for a record on one screen.
Two-way Xero integration
Contacts sync with Xero, storing Xero IDs in Zoho Creator, and scheduled automation retrieves payment status for open invoices.
Reporting and dashboards
Query tables in Zoho Analytics blend data from multiple sources to rebuild complex reports, with dashboards for every module.
Implementation steps
- Requirements analysis and prioritisation by dependency
- Database review, cleanup and export
- Sequenced migration with field mapping and validation
- Workflow and interface build in Zoho Creator
- Xero integration
- Reporting and dashboards
- Testing and user acceptance
- Training, deployment and ongoing support
Results
- 20,000 member records and historical events migrated with integrity
- Cloud access for multiple users at the same time
- 50+ reports rebuilt with real-time dashboards
- Less manual finance work with Xero invoicing and payment sync
- Delivered in eight weeks, ready to scale
Frequently asked questions
Can you migrate a Microsoft Access database to Zoho Creator?
Yes. Simple databases can use Zoho’s migration utility. Large or complex databases need a planned, sequenced migration like the one ThoughtLogik delivered for the eClinical Forum.
How long does an Access to Zoho Creator migration take?
It depends on size and complexity. The eClinical Forum’s 20,000-record migration took four weeks, with the full system live in eight.
Can Zoho Creator integrate with Xero?
Yes. Zoho Creator can sync contacts and invoices with Xero and retrieve payment status automatically.
Why move from MS Access to the cloud?
Cloud applications support multiple simultaneous users, secure remote access, automation, integrations and modern reporting that desktop Access databases struggle with.
Still relying on an old Access database? ThoughtLogik migrates legacy databases to Zoho Creator. Book a free consultation or explore our Zoho Creator services.
