BuildBook a call · custom builds typically from R50 000
Web app / Custom build
Dashboards, portals and internal tools — your process turned into working software your team actually runs on.
What it is
In plain English
A web app is working software you log into — a dashboard, a client portal, an internal tool — built around how your business actually runs. Unlike a website that mostly tells people things, a web app does things: it stores your data, enforces your process, gives different people their own view, and replaces the spreadsheets and manual steps you've outgrown.
This is for when off-the-shelf software doesn't fit and spreadsheets have become a liability — when you need something shaped to your exact workflow, with logins, live data, and logic that's yours. We scope each one on a call because the right build depends entirely on the problem you're solving.
When you need it
Is this you?
You need this when your business runs on spreadsheets, paper or a manual process that's started to crack — and no off-the-shelf tool quite fits how you work.
- A critical process lives in a spreadsheet that's become fragile, shared, and error-prone.
- Different people need different views of the same information, with the right permissions.
- You're copying data between tools by hand because nothing talks to anything.
- You've looked at off-the-shelf software and none of it fits how you actually operate.
How we build it
What actually happens
- 1
Discovery and scope
We learn your process in detail, find where the real pain is, and agree exactly what the first version must do — and what it shouldn't, yet.
- 2
Design the flows
We design the screens and the journeys for each type of user, and get your sign-off before building, so there are no surprises.
- 3
Build in iterations
We build in short cycles with regular previews, so you see it taking shape and can steer it — rather than waiting months for a big reveal.
- 4
Test and migrate data
We test it hard, then move your existing data in cleanly, so you start on day one with your real information, not an empty shell.
- 5
Launch and support
We deploy, train your team, and can stay on to support and extend it as you learn what else it needs.
Example
How it plays out in practice
An engineering workshop in Germiston runs every job on paper job cards and a shared spreadsheet — quote, then job, then invoice. Cards get lost, the spreadsheet gets overwritten, and no one can answer “where is job 412?” without walking the floor.
- 1
We map the real process
We follow a job from quote to delivery, noting every step, who touches it, and where things currently fall through the cracks.
- 2
We design the screens
A dashboard for the manager, a simple job view for the floor, and a quoting screen for the office — each person sees exactly what they need.
- 3
We build it in stages
First the core job-card flow (quote → job → status → invoice), previewed each week, so the workshop can correct us early.
- 4
We move their data in
Open jobs and the customer list come across from the spreadsheet, so they launch with real, current work — not a blank system.
- 5
Live, then growing
Anyone can now see where job 412 is from their screen. Later phases add reporting and a customer-facing status link.
The workshop replaces fragile paper and a shared spreadsheet with one system everyone trusts — real-time visibility of every job, fewer lost cards, and a clear path from quote to invoice.
What we'd need from you
To get started
- A clear picture of the process or problem — ideally walked through with us.
- Who the users are and what each of them needs to do.
- Any existing data, spreadsheets or tools it has to replace or connect to.
- Your must-haves versus nice-to-haves, so we can build the right first version.
- A sense of budget and timeline, so we scope something realistic.
Timeline
How long it takes
A first working version typically takes six to twelve weeks, then grows in phases. We scope the exact timeline once we understand the build.
What can affect that:
- We deliberately ship a focused first version, then add to it — it's faster and safer than building everything at once.
- Integrations with other systems, and migrating messy existing data, add time.
- More user types and more complex permissions increase the build.
What affects the price
Why it costs what it costs
Every build is scoped to your situation. These are the things that move the number — so there are no surprises on the call.
- Number of features
- A focused tool is quicker. Every additional workflow, screen and rule adds to the build.
- User types and permissions
- One kind of user is simple. Several roles, each seeing different things, is more to design and secure.
- Integrations
- A self-contained tool is lighter. Connecting to accounting, payment or other systems adds work.
- Data migration
- Starting fresh is easy. Moving years of messy spreadsheet data in cleanly takes care and time.
- Scale and security
- An internal tool for a small team differs from something handling sensitive data at scale — which needs more hardening.
Ready to build something that works?
Tell us what you need. We'll tell you honestly if and how we can help.