There are of course a multitude of uses for a relational database system. Remember that although natively Access defaults to storing data relationally in tables using the file based ACE system (Access Connectivity Engine), it can really use any ODBC or OLE DB compatible driver. So Access as a “relational database” is kind of a misnomer.

In my opinion Access shines as a front end rapid development tool for any compatible database server.

The generic tools to build applications around any relational database in Access are pretty good for rapid development.

You have forms which will allow you to visually build intuitive interfaces for non-technical users to interact with the underlying data.

You have queries which allow you to use a visual builder or enter SQL directly to create what might be considered views in the relational database backend and you can also access backend stored procedures or views as tables in the Access interface.

You have reports which are great when creating static outputs for users to view data in a formatted way. These reports can be printed, viewed on screen, or exported to images or pdfs, as well as straight data exports to comma delimited or Excel files.

You have macros which just suck, so don’t use them… but if you are really in a pinch and your non-programming power user needs to do some programming type automation, they could use said macros. And thankfully there is an automated tool to convert any macro in the database to VBA code.

VBA Code gives Access amazing extensibility with other Office applications and Windows itself.

So using all these interfaces to your data you can build amazing prototype applications quickly. Access is not limited to a single database either. You can use some tables off the office SQL Server database, data directly from a spreadsheet, and data from the company MySQL server for the web site and combine the data into a single view allowing users to potentially edit multiple database technologies and tables at one time.

You can consider training employees in house to create Access front ends or hire a professional like myself. There are a myriad number of ways to use Access to input, display, and update your data anywhere, the way you want it. That said, even though the sky really is the limit, the more complex your solution needed, the more work it will be to create and maintain, so remember to consider your budget and go after creating the parts of the system that will provide you with the most value.