BESPOKE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Most businesses that come to us for bespoke software are in a similar place, they have been running on off the shelf tools or legacy systems that were fine when the business was smaller but now the team spends more time working around the software than actually working with it. Sometimes it is a system that everyone tolerates but nobody trusts, sometimes it is a process that still runs through spreadsheets because nobody ever built anything better and sometimes the business has just changed so much that the software does not reflect how things actually work anymore.
Working with founders and enterprise teams across the UK and internationally, and from our base in London and Surrey, we build everything from internal platforms and business tools to SaaS products and client facing portals. Most of the people who find us have already tried the off the shelf route and it got them so far but now they need something that actually fits around them and that is where we come in.
BESPOKE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
What success looks like
We judge success by the impact the custom solution has on the business and whether the team that spent days pulling together a task can achieve the same in thirty minutes, or the operations lead who can finally see what’s happening and all the blockers are now smooth pathways.
Problems we solve
Most teams come to us running on a legacy system nobody wants to touch or systems that should be connected but are not and sometimes the business has simply changed so much that the workflows no longer make sense and need rebuilding from scratch.
We optimise
After launch is when we get to see how people actually use the product, where they go, what they do, where they get confused and what converts. Once we can see it we can optimise it and that is where the real growth comes from.
SOME CUSTOM SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT EXAMPLES
CYSIAM
Making cybersecurity assessments simple
ROCKETER
Making paid media reporting an asset
CHAINBREAKER TECHNOLOGIES
Making sustainable home refits simple
BESPOKE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
What We Build
Business software and internal systems: This is where we take the manual processes your team has been working around for years and turn them into optimised workflows.
Legacy system replacement: We replace the systems that everyone still relies on but nobody really likes and we do it without breaking whats working.
Data dashboards and reporting: We develop dashboards that extract data from multiple sources into a single digestible dashboard so you can make decisions based on the numbers.
AI-enabled applications: We bring AI in where it can summarise data in seconds, speeding up content creation or automating repetitive work.
Membership and portal systems: Secure portals where members can access resources, renew subscriptions or connect with each other.
SaaS platforms: We build SaaS products around the user experience because that is what drives the business forward whether it is acquisition, onboarding or retention.
Marketplaces: We help marketplaces grow by getting both sides moving, buyers finding what they need and sellers finding new customers.
Consumer and mobile apps: We build apps that make people’s lives easier, ones that help them book or buy something or stay on track or simply keep them updated and informed.
HOW WE OPTIMISE BUSINESS PROCESSES
How We Deliver It
Strategy: Every project starts with understanding the business, what is driving growth or not, where the blockers are and how the software product needs to address them.
User experience: We focus heavily on the user experience and use those decisions to drive the technology not the other way around because a great product comes from understanding how people use it.
Development: We work in agile sprints and we are transparent with our tickets and releases so you always know what is being built and when.
Quality assurance: We use internal QA for every sprint and always bring in an external QA team before launch because one should never mark their own homework.
Launch support: Launch day is more than pushing the software live, it is making sure the campaigns are ready and the marketing site is tuned to back it up.
Ongoing support and performance: Its only after Launch when when we get to see how people engage with it, where they go, where they get frustrated and we review all the data to track conversion, retention and performance so the product keeps improving.
OUR THOUGHTS ON BESPOKE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Our point of view
We have been building software for over two decades now and the one thing we have learned is that it does not matter how skilled the developers are or how solid the architecture is if the interface is not something people want to use.
Some of the best software we have either developed or use is where the user interface just feels invisible, and you do not have to think about how to use it you just do. We believe this is what separates the products that get traction from those that don’t.
Don’t get me wrong. the technical side matters of course, it has to be reliable and scalable and secure to OWASP standards and perform well under load. But those are staples not differentiators to us.
FAQs
Questions we are asked before we are hired
Why do companies choose bespoke software?
Its usually when the off the shelf software your using are no longer effective or your adjusting your business workflows to suit the software. This is the time business turn to bespoke solutions to ensure your business processes are followed and you own the IP and source code so as your business grows the software can be updated to help you maintain your competitive edge.
How does your development process work?
Our Software developers always start with a discovery phase where we get to ask lots of questions about your existing systems, your business processes, your goals and your audience. Its in these initial stages we get to fully define the exact requirements to create a digital strategy and a seamless experience for the users as well as how this new platform may link to your other internal systems.
How do you handle legacy systems?
Most legacy systems are existing software that nobody wants to touch but everyone still relies on. You have to start by auditing whats there, what does it do, what does it talk to, what data is captured and how is it processed as well as the code if its not to legacy. Sometimes we have to rebuild from the ground up whilst other times we can wrap an APIs around it to keep operations running.
What makes your team different?
What makes us different is that we are founders and business owners who have built and scaled companies across international markets. We are different because we are an agency and not a software house but have a strong proven track record, Our team blends software developers, designers, and marketing strategists who plan how the product goes to marketing and how it grows over time it’s that mix of creative thinking, technical expertise and commercial insights that makes us different.
How long does a project usually take?
It depends on what our bespoke software developers are building along with the scope and complexity. for example mobile applications can run a 5-6 months while full bespoke development projects often run from 9 months to over a year.
Can you integrate with our existing tools?
Yes, that’s a big part of what we do, we build connections between your existing systems and other general tools like sales, CRM or accountancy packages. Our bespoke developers need to fully audit and understand how everything stitches together before they can create any scalable software.
How do you price bespoke software projects?
This is straight forward, in bespoke software design, we price for the discovery phase first, out the the back of that once all the business requirements and business models are defined we provide a full pricing breakdown and timelines.
What happens after the software is live?
Once users are in monitoring for user behaviour is key to optimising for more sales or sign-ups or conversions. We look at all the analytics data to ensure the platform is optimised, sometimes adding new features if necessary. We have various on-going support and maintenance retainers available to help steer budgets.
How secure is bespoke software?
As the whole point of going bespoke is to customise it to your exact requirements we can build into whatever security your compliance team demands, obviously there are some staples here like oWasp top 10m GDPR and Pen Testing but your CISO team may insist on ISO27001 or other standard too. We are happy to work to any compliance terms.
Who owns the software when it’s finished?
We try to keep this simple, as soon as bills are paid IP is transferred. You own the code and any project artefacts like documentation that was build for your unique business. You can still run it with us, take it in-house or hand it to another partner later. By you have ownership it gives you freedom to scale and change direction whenever you need.
Do you train our team to use it?
Yes all the time, every project has handover sessions, clear documentation and walkthroughs for your internal teams. We show you how to manage the system, add data, or users and your tech team how to support it.
How do we get started?
We usually start with a free consultation, please reach out via our contact form or give us a call with a short description of your business needs and what you are looking to achieve and we will setup a workshop or 2 to understand your goals, business requirements so that we can accurately quote you for the discovery phase.
Brands we’ve built for
