The spreadsheet that runs the business
Dozens of tabs, copies emailed around, formulas nobody dares edit, and no record of who changed what. One bad paste and the numbers are wrong for weeks.
Custom software development
Custom Software Development for UK Teams Outgrowing Spreadsheets
Internal tools, workflow systems and client portals built around the way your business actually works — replacing the spreadsheets, Access databases and email chains that are quietly holding it together.
- We will tell you if an off-the-shelf product fits better
- Your data migrated and reconciled, not just copied
- You own the code, data and accounts
Signs you have outgrown your tools
When the business runs on spreadsheets and goodwill.
Most custom software projects start the same way: a process that grew faster than the tools behind it, held together by a few people who know which cell not to touch.
When custom software makes sense
Build when the process is specific to you and valuable enough to own; buy when it is not. Custom usually wins when:
- The workflow is how you compete, not generic admin
- Several tools are stitched together by hand
- Per-seat licence costs keep rising with headcount
- You need an audit trail your current tools cannot give
- Clients or partners need secure access to their own data
An Access database nobody can support
Built years ago by someone who has since left, tied to one PC or a shared drive, and a worry every time Windows or Office updates.
The same details typed three times
Customer details keyed into the CRM, then the job sheet, then the accounts system — with errors, delays and staff time spent on data entry instead of customers.
Software that almost fits
An off-the-shelf product that covers most of the process, with the rest done in workarounds, per-seat fees climbing and features you pay for but never use.
What we build
Software built around how your business works.
We start with the process, not the screens: who does what, in what order, with which data and which exceptions. The software follows from that — and sometimes the answer is to configure something you already own.
Internal tools and admin systems
Operations dashboards, job management, stock and scheduling tools, with the roles and permissions your team structure actually needs.
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Workflow and case management
Cases, approvals, referrals or claims moving through defined stages, with tasks, deadlines, documents and a full audit trail of every decision.
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Spreadsheet and Access replacements
The logic buried in formulas, queries and macros rebuilt as a proper multi-user web application, with your historical data migrated and reconciled.
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Client and partner portals
Secure areas where customers, suppliers or partners submit requests, upload documents, track progress and pay — instead of emailing your team for updates.
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Back-office automation
Scheduled jobs and rules that generate documents, send reminders, chase approvals and reconcile records, with AI used only where reading or drafting text genuinely helps.
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Integration with your existing systems
Connections to Xero, Sage, Microsoft 365, your CRM or line-of-business systems, so data is entered once and flows to wherever it is needed.
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How we work
Process first, software second.
The standard seven stages, with the weight on understanding the process before designing anything — and on getting people to actually use the new system once it exists.
- 01
Discovery
We sit with the people who do the work, map the process as it really runs — exceptions and workarounds included — and collect the spreadsheets, forms and reports it depends on.
A process map and a list of what must be replaced
- 02
Strategy
An honest build-versus-buy comparison against off-the-shelf options, then a first release that replaces the most painful part of the process rather than all of it at once.
Build-or-buy recommendation and a phased scope
- 03
UX & architecture
Screens designed around the tasks staff repeat all day, a data model that reflects your business rules, and a plan for migrating the data you already hold.
Workflow prototype, data model and migration plan
- 04
Development
Two-week sprints with a demo at the end of each, code review on every change, and a staging environment your team can use.
Working software every sprint
- 05
Testing
Real scenarios from your own data, awkward cases included, tested by the people who will use the system — alongside automated tests and a trial data migration.
User acceptance sign-off and a rehearsed migration
- 06
Launch
A planned switchover, often with old and new running side by side for a short period, plus training and short guides so the team trusts the new system.
The old spreadsheet retired on a set date
- 07
Optimisation & support
Once people use it daily, the next requests arrive quickly. We fix, extend and move the next process across — or hand over to your own team with full documentation.
A roadmap for the next process to move across
Technology
Technology chosen for the long run.
Mainstream, well-supported technology you can hire for later — chosen to fit your existing systems and whoever will maintain the software after us.
Web applications
React and Next.jsAngularVueTypeScript
Backend
Node.jsPythonC# and .NETPHP and LaravelJava and Spring Boot
Data and reporting
PostgreSQLMySQLRedisExports to Excel and CSV
Integrations
Xero, Sage and QuickBooksHubSpot and SalesforceMicrosoft 365REST APIs and webhooks
Access and audit
Single sign-onRole-based permissionsAudit trailsUK GDPR data handling
Hosting
AWS, including the London regionDockerAutomated backupsStaging environments
If a configured off-the-shelf product, or a feature in software you already pay for, covers the process, we will recommend it — even though it means a smaller project for us.
Use cases
What UK businesses replace spreadsheets with.
Each of these usually starts as a spreadsheet, an Access database, a shared inbox or an ageing system — and becomes software built around the job.
Case and matter management
Client intake, risk checks, document collection and deadlines in one system, instead of folders, trackers and long email threads.
Quotes, jobs and invoicing
Enquiries turned into quotes, jobs scheduled to engineers, photos and sign-off captured on site, and invoices raised in Xero without retyping.
Stock and order control
Stock levels, purchase orders and production runs tracked in one place, replacing spreadsheet stock takes and phone calls to the warehouse.
Enrolment and timetabling
Applications, enrolment, timetables and attendance in one system, rather than spreadsheets passed between departments every term.
Approvals and purchase control
Purchase requests, expenses and supplier onboarding routed for approval with limits, a full audit trail and a sync to the accounts system.
A client portal
Customers log in to submit requests, upload documents, check progress and download reports — instead of emailing your team for updates.
Relevant work
Products we have designed and built.
A selection of client projects related to this work. Each case study covers the brief, the approach and the stack.
All case studiesEducation · SaaS
University Management
University management system replacing spreadsheet enrolment and timetabling.
ReactNode.jsPostgreSQLAWS
Read the case studyLegal · SaaS
CO-LAW Group
Client intake, risk checks and document workflows for a boutique law firm.
Next.jsPostgreSQLAWSStripe
Read the case studyFinance · Analytics
Modernize
Revenue analytics dashboard with multi-source data and automated reporting.
ReactNode.jsPostgreSQLD3.js
Read the case studyWhy Techsleight
What working with us is actually like.
No inflated numbers — just how we run projects, and what you can hold us to.
Product engineering, not ticket-taking
We ask what the software is for before we estimate it — and we will tell you when something should not be built, or should be bought instead.
AI where it earns its place
LLM features, retrieval and automation built with evaluation, guardrails and cost controls, and plain software where that is the better answer.
Full-stack under one roof
Design, frontend, backend, mobile, cloud and QA in one team, so nothing falls between suppliers.
UK-focused delivery
UK business hours, estimates in pounds, and a contract with a UK company. Our engineers are based in the UK and India.
Flexible engagement
A fixed-scope project, dedicated developers or a monthly retainer — and you can move between them as the work changes.
You own everything
Code, IP, cloud accounts and documentation are yours from day one. We sign an NDA before discovery if you need one.
Support after launch
We stay on for fixes, upgrades and new features, or hand over cleanly to your in-house team with the documentation to match.
FAQs
Questions we get asked.
Straight answers on scope, cost, timelines and how we work. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
How much does custom software cost in the UK?
It depends on the number of workflows, user roles and integrations, and on how much data needs migrating. We start with a discovery sprint from £2,000, which maps the process and ends with a fixed-price quote for the first release. Larger systems are delivered in phases, so you commit in stages rather than to one large bet.
Should we build custom software or buy an off-the-shelf product?
Buy when a mature product fits the process with little adaptation — it will be cheaper and quicker. Build when the process is how you compete, when you are paying for several tools to do one job, or when you need control over data, integrations or audit. We compare real options in discovery and will recommend buying when that is the better answer.
Can you replace our Microsoft Access database?
Yes. We document what the database and its forms, queries, reports and macros actually do, rebuild that as a multi-user web application with proper permissions and backups, and migrate the data with checks that the numbers match. Staff can still export to Excel where that helps them.
How do you move our data out of spreadsheets?
We analyse the spreadsheets first — inconsistent formats, duplicates, missing values — agree cleaning rules with you, then run trial migrations and reconcile totals and record counts before the real switchover. Nothing is retired until the new system has been signed off.
Will the new software work with our existing systems?
Usually, yes. Most systems UK businesses rely on — Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft 365 — have APIs. We check what each one allows during discovery, because an integration that turns out not to be possible changes the design.
How long does custom software take to build?
We deliver in two-week sprints with a demo at the end of each. A first release that replaces one core process is usually measured in weeks rather than months; broader systems are phased so that every release is useful on its own.
How do we get staff to actually use the new system?
By involving them from the start: the people who do the work help map the process, test prototypes and sign off each release. Then we plan the switchover, run training, write short guides and retire the old spreadsheet on a set date, so there is one source of truth.
Where will our data be hosted?
In your own cloud account, not ours — usually AWS, with the London region available if you want data held in the UK. Backups, encryption and access controls are set up from the start, and we document where personal data lives for your UK GDPR records.
Who owns the software you build?
You do: code, data, documentation and the accounts it runs in. There are no per-user licence fees payable to us, and you can bring development in-house or move to another supplier whenever you choose.
Could custom software qualify for R&D tax relief?
Sometimes. Projects that resolve genuine technological uncertainty may qualify, while routine business software often does not. We can document the technical challenges we worked through for your records; whether to claim is a question for your accountant or R&D tax adviser.
Start a project
Is a spreadsheet running part of your business?
Tell us about the process, the tools behind it today and who uses it. You will get an honest view on whether to build, buy or improve what you already have.
What happens next
- 1A senior engineer reads your brief within one working day, and replies with questions or a first view.
- 2A 30-minute call to understand the goal, constraints and what good looks like — no sales script.
- 3A written proposal with scope, milestones, team and a GBP estimate you can take to your board.
Techsleight Labs is a trading name of Krapton IT Consultancy.
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