Custom software development
Custom software, built around how you work.
When off-the-shelf software makes your people work around it, we build the system that fits the business instead, and stay on to look after it.
- A fixed quote before we start
- You own what we build
- We host and support it after
When it makes sense
You have outgrown spreadsheets and generic tools
Custom software is worth it when the way you work is part of what makes you good. It usually starts with one of these:
- A spreadsheet that the whole business runs on
- Systems that don't talk to each other, so things get typed in twice
- An old system nobody can change any more
- A package that forces your people to work around it
If ready-made software would do the job, we'll say so. Often that is Vali, our own product, and we build only the parts that are unique to you on top of it.
What we build
Typical projects
Web-based systems your people open in a browser, on a computer, tablet or phone.
Business applications
Job tracking, job cards, stock, scheduling and the internal tools a business runs on.
- e.g. a job card system for a steel fabricator
Client portals
Let your customers log in to see their orders, documents, reports or requests.
- e.g. clients downloading their safety reports
Linking your systems
Connect accounting, email, websites and older systems so the same thing is not typed in twice.
- e.g. orders flowing straight into the accounts
Replacing old systems
Move off software that is out of date or unsupported, without losing your history.
- e.g. an old desktop system moved to the browser
AI in your own tools
Read documents, sort email and draft replies inside the systems you already use.
- e.g. supplier invoices read and captured for you
Dashboards and reports
The numbers you check every week, on one screen, from your own data.
- e.g. quoted against actual cost on every job
How a project runs
From idea to working software
Clear stages, and a fixed price agreed before any building starts.
Talk
We learn how the business works and what is getting in the way. Free.
Quote
A written scope and a fixed quote, so you know the cost before we start.
Build
We build in stages you can see and try as we go.
Look after it
We host it and support it, usually on a monthly retainer.
Built by us
Systems we built that are still running
A few of the systems we built and still look after, in South Africa and Australia.
OHS Online
An online health and safety system for consultancies and their clients: risk assessments, compliance records and safety training.
Multiplan, Australia
Project costing, scheduling and document control, used every day by a team in Australia.
Job card and costing systems
Run on South African factory floors for years, tracking materials, labour and the real cost of every job.
Questions
Custom development questions
What people usually ask before a project starts.
Something else?
How much does custom software cost?
It depends on the size of the job, so every project gets a fixed quote once we understand it. The first conversation and the quote cost nothing.
How long does it take?
Small tools take weeks; a system a whole business runs on takes months. We build in stages, so you start using parts of it early.
Can you work with the systems we already have?
Yes. We link what you already run, such as your accounting package or email, rather than forcing you to replace everything.
Can you take over software another developer built?
Usually, yes. We look at it first and tell you honestly what shape it is in, then support it or plan a replacement.
Do we own the software?
Yes. What we build for you is yours outright, with no lock-in, and you can take it to another developer if you ever need to.
Who looks after it once it is built?
We do, if you want us to. Most clients keep us on a monthly retainer for hosting, support and improvements.
What if something happens to Teacup?
Teacup has disaster recovery and key-person handover policies, so your systems are covered if someone is unavailable. We can send them to you on request.
Tell us what you need built
A few lines is enough. We'll come back with questions or a quote.