Custom software and internal tools for work that off-the-shelf software does not cover.
I design and build focused software for the parts of a business that standard products handle badly: internal tools, admin systems and applications shaped around how you actually work. Building is not always the right answer, and I will say so.
Scoped individually
Focused projects are often around £2,500, some below and some above.
Want an outside view first? Business Automation Review, £395
Leave it, connect it, extend it or build it
Most of a first conversation is working out which of these applies. Not every spreadsheet needs replacing.
Leave it
One or two people maintain it, nothing depends on it and mistakes are cheap. A spreadsheet like that is fine.
Connect it
Each system does its job but they do not share data. An integration is usually cheaper than a rebuild.
Extend it
Your current software mostly fits and supports custom fields, reports or add-ons. Adjusting it is easier to support.
Build it
The process is specific to you, nothing off the shelf fits, and the work happens often enough to justify it.
What a focused tool looks like
- Internal dashboards
- Administrative systems
- Data-entry forms
- Small customer portals
- Tools built on your existing software’s API
Typical examples, not specific client projects.
Software I have built
For Building Ventilation Services I built a fast React front end on top of WordPress, so their team manages case studies, services and product information themselves.
It is a website rather than an internal tool, but the engineering is the same: a working system, built around how the people using it work, that stays fast and maintainable.
- 56 to 98
- Mobile PageSpeed
- 69 to 100
- Desktop PageSpeed
I am one developer, so I build focused tools for a team, not platforms for hundreds of users.
We start with the smallest version that solves the real problem, put it to use, and add to it once it has proved itself. You see working software early, and the cost and risk stay down.
Ownership. I use mainstream technology so another developer could take it on, and where possible the code, data and hosting sit in accounts you control.
Ongoing care. Hosting, backups and security updates are discussed during scoping, so you know what looking after it costs before you commit.
Pricing. Agreed in writing after we settle what the first version does. See how projects are priced.
Not sure what is worth doing first? The Business Automation Review is a £395 look at the workflows you choose, credited against implementation commissioned within 60 days.
About the reviewNeed something that does not exist yet?
Tell me what the tool would do and who would use it, and I will say whether building, extending or connecting is the sensible route.