Custom Software Development
Systems that fit how your business actually runs, built from the ground up.
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Existing Software
Rescue, modernise and extend existing software
Software someone else built, or an in-house project that stalled. We take it over and get it moving again.
Overview
What this is
You have a system that runs part of the business, but the team that built it has moved on, or the internal project ran out of momentum. The code still works, mostly, and starting again from a blank page would be expensive and risky.
We step in and read the codebase, then make it safe to change: a reliable build, plus tests around the parts that break. After that we fix what is brittle and build the features that were on hold.
Included
What’s included
Code and infrastructure review
We read the codebase and map how it is deployed, then give you a written account of its condition and what the fragile parts would take to fix.
Stabilisation
We get a reliable build and deployment running, then add tests to the risky areas and clear the bugs that interrupt daily work.
Modernisation
We update the dependencies that are out of support and replace the parts that actively block progress. Hosting comes up to a current, supportable setup at the same time.
New feature work
Once the ground is stable, we build the changes that were stuck in the backlog, in short cycles you can review.
Handover and documentation
You get up-to-date documentation and access to every account and service. The codebase is left in a state another developer could pick up without a long ramp.
Approach
How we approach it
Understand
We spend the first days reading the code and running the system, not rewriting it. You get an honest assessment of where it stands and the realistic options, including the option to leave parts alone.
Simplify
We resist a full rebuild. Most stalled systems need a smaller intervention that makes the risky areas safe and removes the worst friction, leaving a clear path for the rest.
Build
Senior developers work in short cycles on a codebase that now has tests and a working pipeline. You see progress every couple of weeks and can change priorities as you go.
Improve
We stay on to keep dependencies current and add features as the business needs them, with an eye on performance and running cost.
Stack
Tech we use
An honest starting point, not a fixed menu. We pick per project and tell you why.
- Whatever's already in place
- PHP
- Laravel
- Node.js
- React
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- Docker
- GitHub Actions
- AWS
FAQ
Common questions
- Can you take over a project from another agency or developer?
- Yes. That is most of this work. We need access to the code and the hosting, plus someone who can answer questions about its history. We do not need the original team to stay involved.
- Will you recommend a rebuild?
- Only if the evidence points that way, and we will show you the reasoning. Most systems we look at are worth keeping and fixing. A rebuild is a large cost and we treat it as a last resort.
- What if the code is in bad shape?
- Codebases with no tests and no safe way to deploy are common. The first phase is about making one safe to change, and we tell you what that will take before you commit to it.
Bespoke SaaS
Your own platform, built to your process — not another off-the-shelf tool you have to bend around.
Learn more →Web & Mobile Applications
Fast, reliable apps your customers and staff will actually want to use.
Learn more →If this sounds like your project, Discovery is the next step.Start with a fixed-price Discovery — you get the scope, the plan and the number before you commit.
See how Discovery works →