Bespoke software development for complex systems

Software that fits the way your organisation works

A new application is an investment in how people work, access services or serve customers. It needs to solve the underlying problem and fit the systems around it. We help you establish where bespoke software is justified, what an existing product could already do and which parts need further investigation.

Some clients need a new product taken from discovery to launch. Others need to replace a fragile legacy system, connect disconnected tools or improve an application while people continue to use it. We bring a small team of senior developers, UX expertise and product oversight to those decisions and the delivery that follows.

Define the work before choosing the technology

We begin with the users, business objectives and constraints. That includes the information people need, the systems holding it, the permissions governing access and the consequences of the service being unavailable.

The initial work may be discovery, a prototype or a technical assessment of an existing application. It establishes a prioritised scope, the assumptions to test and the decisions you need to make. Estimates reflect those findings rather than treating an outline idea as a finished specification.

Build in stages your team can evaluate

Our designers, engineers and product specialists work together through short iterations. You review working software, understand the decisions behind it and see how the remaining scope affects cost and timing.

Delivery can cover application architecture, accessible interfaces, APIs, data migration, automated testing and deployment. We investigate difficult integrations early and agree acceptance criteria around important user journeys. A launch plan includes who will run the service, how users move to it and what support is needed afterwards.

For a specific platform or product need, explore Ruby on Rails development, web application development or mobile app development.

Experience with complex, existing services

For the GOV.UK Trade Tariff, we replaced a legacy service, reverse engineered complex data structures and checked the integrity of migrated records. For Easol, we worked alongside an established engineering team on upgrades, permissions and performance, helping halve page-load times for some customers.

These projects required different approaches. We assess what to retain, improve or replace before recommending a rebuild.

Who owns the software after launch?

We agree responsibilities for source code, documentation, infrastructure and third-party accounts as part of the engagement. Your team can take over an agreed handover, continue working alongside us or arrange support and maintenance.

Our technical assurance approach explains how we agree security, testing and operational responsibilities. Bring the problem, current systems and any deadlines to an initial conversation; you do not need to arrive with a complete specification.