Internal tools instead of spreadsheets
We build internal tools that replace the spreadsheet your business quietly depends on - small web apps for quotes, stock, scheduling or approvals, shaped around how your team already works.
Overview
An internal tool is a small application used only by your own staff: a quote builder, a stock register, a job tracker, an approvals queue or a pricing sheet that finally has rules. It takes the spreadsheet everyone edits and turns it into screens with input checks, one shared database, user roles and a record of who changed what. Usually it does one job and does it well; it does not try to become an ERP.
It is worth building when the spreadsheet has become the system: several people edit it, versions are e-mailed around, a formula breaks once a month and only one colleague knows how it really works. It is not worth building when a standard product already fits the process, or when the sheet is used by one person once a week. In those cases we will tell you to keep the spreadsheet, or to buy the product.
Signs you need it
- The file is called something like "orders_FINAL_v3_new.xlsx" and nobody is sure which copy is current.
- One person built the spreadsheet, and the process stops when they are on holiday.
- Data is typed into the sheet and then typed again into another program.
- You cannot tell who changed a price, a quantity or a status, or when.
- Monthly reports take a day of copying, filtering and checking before anyone trusts them.
What a custom internal tool includes
06- 01
Quote and pricing tools
Your pricing rules turned into a form that calculates, checks margins and produces a consistent PDF, instead of a sheet full of hidden formulas.
- 02
Stock and asset registers
One list of materials, equipment or vehicles with locations, quantities and movements, updated by the people who actually move them.
- 03
Scheduling and planning boards
Who works where, which job comes next and what is still open, on one screen instead of colour-coded cells.
- 04
Approval and request flows
Purchase requests, leave, discounts or expense claims that go to the right person and leave a trail of who approved what.
- 05
Reports from live data
Dashboards and exports built on the same database the team works in, so the monthly report is a click, not a day.
- 06
Moving your existing data
We clean and import the history from your spreadsheets, so the tool starts with the data you already have.
How we work
-
Read the spreadsheet
We start with the file itself: its tabs, formulas and workarounds tell us more about the process than any meeting. You get a short written scope and a fixed price.
-
First working screen
Within the first iterations your team uses a real screen on real data, so we fix the details before building the rest.
-
Switch over
We import the data, run the tool next to the spreadsheet for a short period, then retire the spreadsheet once the numbers match.
-
Your development team
After launch we stay on as your development team on a monthly basis: fixes, new fields and new screens as the process changes, without a new project each time.
No project price list. A fixed price before we start.
Every project is different, so the price depends on what you need and how much of it. The first call is free of charge, and you always get a fixed price in writing before any work starts - no surprises.
- 01The first call is free and commits you to nothing
- 02You get a fixed price in writing before work starts
- 03You own the code and data once the work is paid for
- 04Hourly work and extra developers: €40-60 per hour
- 05After launch: software maintenance and development, monthly
Further reading
- 01 Internal tools that 10x operations: when spreadsheets and SaaS stop being enough Signs your business has outgrown spreadsheets and off-the-shelf SaaS. What custom internal tools cost, how long they take, and where they deliver impact.
- 02 From Excel to a custom application: what about the data Moving from Excel to a custom application: what to check in your data before a quote, how much history to migrate and what to demand at handover.
Related solutions
- 01 Work order and field service app Jobs on the technician's phone, with scheduling, photos, signatures, materials and time, and a report ready for invoicing.
- 02 Product configurator and quote calculator Configure-price-quote software: valid options only, prices from your own rules, a PDF quote and a clean order for production.
- 03 Client portal A secure place where clients upload documents, follow the status of their work, approve drafts and message your team.
Services behind it
- 01 Custom software development Web apps, mobile apps, internal tools and platforms built around your processes - including takeovers of existing code.
- 02 Business process automation Orders, invoices, reports and approvals that move between your systems on their own, with people only where judgement is needed.
Questions
-
01 When should we replace a spreadsheet with an application?
When several people depend on it every day, when errors in it cost money, or when the same data is typed into it and somewhere else. If the sheet is used by one person and works, keep it. A good test is to ask what happens to the process if the file is broken or its author leaves.
-
02 Why not use a no-code tool such as Airtable?
For simple lists with a few users, a no-code tool is often the right answer and we will say so. It gets harder with complex rules, many users, sensitive data or per-seat pricing that grows with the team. A custom internal tool has no per-user licence, and you own the code and the data.
-
03 What happens to the data that is already in our spreadsheets?
We import it. Before the build we check the sheet for duplicates, mixed formats and missing values, agree what to clean up, and decide how much history to bring over. The new tool starts with your existing data, and you can still export it whenever you need to.
-
04 How much does an internal tool cost?
The price depends on the scope: the number of screens and roles, the rules behind the calculations and how messy the existing data is. We do not publish a price list. The first call is free, and the price is agreed in writing before any work starts.
-
05 Can the tool grow later?
Yes, and most do. A tool usually starts with one process, then adds a second once the team trusts it. Because we stay on as your development team after launch, new screens and changes are part of the monthly work rather than a new tender each time.
Which spreadsheet runs your business?
Send us the process, or the file itself. The first call is free, and the price is agreed in writing before work starts.
Completely free. No commitments.
Message sent
Thanks - we'll get back to you within one business day.