Custom Software Developer

High-quality, reliable software built to your exact requirements.

Just about any business you can think of requires software to operate. Off-the-shelf software (COTS) solutions can be a great option for some businesses, but there are many cases where a company must consider embarking on a custom software development project to meet their needs. This may be to disrupt an existing process, to create a new product or service, or simply to formalise and automate a process that has been performed manually for years.

Custom software development is the process of designing, developing, and implementing software solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of a business or market segment.

Benefits of Custom Software Development

• Improved efficiency and productivity: Custom software can help businesses automate tasks, streamline processes, and improve communication, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.

• Reduced costs: Custom software can be more cost-effective than off-the-shelf software in the long run, as it can help businesses avoid some of the costs of customization, integration, and training.

• Competitive advantage: Custom software can give businesses a competitive advantage by streamlining processes that their competitors are still performing manually.

• Scalability: Custom software can be more easily scaled to meet the changing needs of a business, and often this can be done more cheaply than with COTS.

• Security: Custom software can be designed to be more secure than off-the-shelf software, as its access and hosting design can be tailored to the specific security needs of a business.

Connect your systems

If your team copies data between applications or relies on spreadsheets to keep systems in sync, we can build an API integration or automated workflow around your process. We work with accounting platforms, business systems and custom applications.

For accounting integrations, see our Xero integration and MYOB integration services.

Improve existing software

If your application needs new features, runs slowly or has become difficult to maintain, we can help you assess the problems and plan the changes. That can include extending the application, upgrading its underlying technology or resolving faults.

Discuss your project with our principal consultant to explain what needs attention and what you want to achieve.

Who this is for

Custom software is a large investment, and the cheapest project is still the one that never starts. We work best with established businesses and funded startups that have a budget set aside and a process worth automating. If you are pre-revenue and still working out what to build, the first step is usually customer conversations rather than code.

How a project runs

1. Discovery call. You talk to our principal consultant about the process you want to change, who does it today and what the result should look like.
2. Written scope and fixed price. We put the scope, assumptions and price in writing before any development starts. Nothing is billed until you accept it.
3. Build in increments. You review working software every couple of weeks in a staging environment, so course corrections happen early.
4. Deployment. We deploy to your production environment, hand over documentation and access, and train the people who will use it.
5. Warranty and support. Every build carries a 3 month warranty. After that, support is available on a package basis.

Pricing

All of our work is fixed price. You get a quote for a defined scope, and if the scope changes we quote the change separately before doing it. There is no hourly meter to watch, and you know the total before you commit.

What we build with

We use Laravel for the backend. Depending on the application, we may pair it with a frontend such as React or Vue. Standardising on Laravel means we know its behaviour, upgrade path and failure modes well, and any Laravel developer can pick up the backend later.

Hosting

We host on AWS, DigitalOcean or Laravel Cloud, depending on your scale and compliance needs. You can choose how the hosting is owned and run:

• Your existing account. We deploy into your AWS, DigitalOcean or Laravel Cloud account. On AWS and DigitalOcean we use our infrastructure-as-code setup, so the infrastructure is defined in a repository you own.
• A new account. If you don’t have one yet, we set it up in your name and configure it following the provider’s recommended security practices.
• Fully managed hosting. We host and run the application for you. That covers uptime monitoring and alerts, daily backups, operating system and security updates, and SSL certificate renewal. If you later decide to move it elsewhere or take it offline, we help you migrate or decommission it.

What to bring to the first call

You do not need a specification. It helps to have:

• a description of the process you want to change, and who does it today
• the systems it touches, e.g. Xero, a CRM, spreadsheets
• a rough idea of how many people will use the software and how often
• any deadline or event driving the timing

After launch

Every project includes a 3 month warranty covering defects in what we delivered. Beyond that we offer support packages with ticket-based support, covering bug fixes, dependency and security updates, and small changes. Larger changes are quoted as fixed price work in the same way as the original build.

FAQ

Do you give fixed quotes?

Yes. All of our work is fixed price against a written scope.

Can you take over an application built by someone else?

Yes, provided it is a Laravel application or you are open to migrating to one. We start with an assessment of the codebase and infrastructure and give you a written plan before quoting any changes.

Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. We can deploy into your existing AWS, DigitalOcean or Laravel Cloud account, or set up a new AWS, DigitalOcean or Laravel Cloud account in your name. If you’d rather not manage hosting yourself, we offer fully managed hosting.

What happens if we find a bug after launch?

We test thoroughly before launch, including the agreed user flows and edge cases. Even well-tested software can still have bugs: external services change, browsers and operating systems update, and people use software in unexpected ways. Defects in what we delivered are fixed under the 3 month warranty. After that, bugs are handled through ticket-based support under a support package.

Will the solution require you to maintain it?

No. We provide the code and documentation, and the infrastructure is defined as code in a repository you have access to. You can maintain it yourself or ask any Laravel developer to take it on. We also offer support packages if you would like us to maintain it.

Why Choose Sydney Software Development?

• Experience: Our team has extensive experience developing custom software solutions for businesses of all sizes in a wide range of industries.

• Expertise: Our team consists of highly skilled and experienced professionals who are passionate about software development.

• Process: We follow a well-defined and proven software development process that ensures the timely and successful delivery of high-quality software solutions.

• Tools: We use the most efficient tools and technologies to develop software that is efficient, scalable, and secure.

• Cost-effectiveness: We’re pragmatic in our approach so we can offer competitive pricing and flexible engagement models to meet the needs of businesses of various sizes and stages.