when off-the-shelf doesn't cut it

Bespoke Business Systems

Custom-built software for businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets, legacy tools, or systems that nobody can maintain. Stock management, CRM, order processing, customer portals, and internal tools built to fit how you actually work.

Discuss your project

Sound familiar?

Your stock management lives in a spreadsheet that three people update manually. Your CRM is someone's Outlook contacts. You had a system built five years ago by a developer who's disappeared, and now nobody can fix it when it breaks. Or the system works, but it's slow, clunky, and your team spends hours on tasks that should take minutes.

These problems cost you real money every day. Not in one dramatic failure, but in wasted time, missed orders, duplicate data, and staff frustration. The longer you leave it, the more expensive it gets.

What we build

We build the tools that run your business. Not websites (we do those too, separately), but the internal systems your team uses every day. Warehouse and stock management. Order processing and fulfilment. Customer relationship management. Product information systems. Staff portals and dashboards. Integrations between systems that currently don't talk to each other.

We typically build these in Laravel, a PHP framework designed for exactly this kind of application. It's mature, well-supported, and fast to develop in. Your system gets a proper database, a clean admin interface, API integrations where needed, and hosting infrastructure that scales.

We don't build and vanish

A business system isn't a project with a launch date and a handoff. It evolves with your business. We build the first version, host it, maintain it, and develop it further as your needs change. Our longest-running bespoke system partnership is over three years and still active. That's the model.

AI tools are part of how we build. They speed up the repetitive parts, scaffolding, test writing, boilerplate. But bespoke systems live or die on the decisions, not the typing speed. Database design, API architecture, integration logic, edge cases. That's senior experience, not something you can generate. We use AI to move faster. We use experience to move in the right direction.

How it starts

We start with discovery. You tell us what's broken, what's slow, and what keeps you up at night. We map out the processes, identify where the real problems are (often different from where you think they are), and propose a system that fits. Fixed-price quote. Clear scope. No surprises.

What's included

How we can help

Warehouse & Stock Management

Real-time stock levels, automated reordering, multi-location tracking, and integrations with your e-commerce platform.

Order Processing & Fulfilment

From order received to dispatched, with status tracking, automated workflows, and integration with shipping providers.

CRM & Customer Management

A CRM built around how you actually work, not how Salesforce thinks you should. Customer history, communications, and pipeline in one place.

Product Information Management

Centralised product data that feeds your website, marketplace listings, and printed materials from one source of truth.

Internal Tools & Dashboards

Staff portals, reporting dashboards, approval workflows, and the admin tools your team needs but can't find off the shelf.

System Integration & API Development

Connecting systems that don't currently talk to each other. Accounting software, e-commerce, shipping, marketing tools, legacy databases.

Built with

Technologies

Deployed on

Platforms

Selected work

Work we're proud of

B2B wholesale & e-commerce

From consultancy to full technical partnership

W Gadsby & Sons LtdOngoing retainer

LaravelPHPMySQLAWSBigCommerceAPI integrationsView live →

The challenge

Gadsby came to us through another agency who handled the initial design and build. They needed a technical consultant to support the development process. After launch, the original agency relationship ended and Gadsby needed someone to take ownership of the entire technical side - hosting, maintenance, performance, and ongoing development.

What we did

We took over all hosting and server management, migrated infrastructure to a more reliable setup, and became the ongoing technical partner. Beyond the website, Gadsby had a bespoke in-house WMS/CRM/PIM system that had grown unwieldy over the years. We rebuilt the entire system in Laravel - a proper, future-proof platform with clean architecture, API integrations, and AI-powered features for stock management and order processing.

The outcome

What started as a consultancy engagement became a full technical partnership. The Laravel rebuild replaced years of accumulated technical debt with a system the team actually enjoys using. Site performance improved significantly, downtime dropped to near-zero, and the business now has a technical foundation that can scale with them.

Years as partner

100%

Platform rebuilt

Near-zero

Downtime

B2B wholesale & distribution

Replacing a legacy ERP with a modular business platform

ConfidentialOngoing retainer

Laravel 11Livewire 3Filament 3PHP 8.3MySQLRedisREST APIs

The challenge

A leading South West wholesaler had been running their entire operation on a legacy PHP 7.4 system built over many years. 310 database tables, 1,270 PHP files, 20+ integrations, and 3.3 million records across stock, orders, purchasing, and customer data. The system worked but was increasingly fragile, difficult to maintain, and holding back the business. They needed a ground-up rebuild without disrupting daily operations.

What we did

We designed a modular business platform built on Laravel 11, Livewire 3, and Filament 3. Rather than a big-bang replacement, the project is structured as 7 phases over 15 months, each replacing a core module of the legacy system: Product Information Management, Inventory, CRM, Purchasing and Logistics, Order Management, Warehouse and Dispatch, and Quality. Each phase is independently deployable, with data migration running in parallel. The PIM module alone manages 5,000 products with dynamic fields, version control, approval workflows, and e-signature integration.

The outcome

Currently in active development. The phased approach means the business continues running on the legacy system while modules are replaced one at a time, with no disruption to daily operations. When complete, the platform will manage the full lifecycle from product specification through to warehouse dispatch, replacing a system that took over a decade to build.

3.3M

Records to migrate

Phases over 15 months

310

Legacy database tables

Common questions

Frequently asked

How is this different from buying off-the-shelf software?

Off-the-shelf works when your processes are standard. When they're not, you end up bending your business to fit the software. Bespoke means the software fits your business. It costs more upfront but saves you in workarounds, manual processes, and frustration.

What technology do you build with?

Primarily Laravel (PHP) with MySQL or PostgreSQL databases, hosted on AWS or DigitalOcean. For the frontend, it depends on the project. Simple admin interfaces use server-rendered templates. More complex dashboards use React or Next.js.

Can you take over a system someone else built?

Usually, yes. We'll need to do an assessment first to understand the codebase, identify risks, and decide whether to maintain, refactor, or rebuild. Sometimes the honest answer is 'this needs rebuilding from scratch.' We'll tell you either way.

How long does a bespoke system take to build?

Every system is different, so we don't give generic timelines. It depends on what you need, how complex the integrations are, and how your business processes work. We scope it properly during discovery and give you a realistic timeline before any work starts.

What happens after launch?

We host it, maintain it, and keep developing it. Business systems aren't one-and-done. They grow with you. We offer ongoing support and development on a retainer basis.

Can you integrate with our existing tools?

If it has an API or documented data format, yes. Common integrations include Xero, Sage, Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, BigCommerce, Royal Mail, DPD, and custom legacy systems. If it doesn't have an API, we can usually find a way.

Explore

Other services

Full-Stack Development

We build modern websites, online shops, and custom web applications. From content-managed marketing sites to complex e-commerce and bespoke business tools.

Technical Consultancy

Honest, practical advice on your website, platform, and technology choices. We help you make the right decisions before spending money on the wrong build.

Development Partners for Agencies

Development resource for agencies who need a trusted technical partner. We work under your brand, use your tools, and deliver to your clients. They never know we're involved.

Hosting, Servers & Support

We keep your website fast, secure, and online. Server management, security patching, performance monitoring, and ongoing support so you don't have to think about it.

Not sure what the next steps are with your project?

Our team are great at solving problems, and we love building out new partnerships with companies like yours. Send us a message with a brief of your project or problem, alternatively you can schedule a call and speak to us right away.

Get in touch