Writing an app project brief: the questions to answer before development starts
Goals, users, features, data, integrations, security: the questions to answer when writing the project brief for your app before development begins.
5 min read
Software development · Ajaccio, Corsica
Custom software built around your business
Custom software reproduces your processes instead of imposing a vendor’s. From our studio in Ajaccio, Corsica, Step By Step designs ERP, CRM, HR and management tools connected to your accounting and existing systems, so you can stop re-keying data and juggling spreadsheets.
- Python
- React
- Vue
- PostgreSQL
- Supabase
- REST API
- Reproduced faithfully
- Your processes
- To your accounting and tools
- Connected
- Everyone sees what concerns them
- Role-based access
- New features at any time
- Scalable
What we build
Which custom software does your business need?
Custom software can cover the whole of your management or a single critical process. These are the families of business software we build most often.
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ERP and management software
Orders, purchasing, stock, inventory and production: a custom ERP that centralises your management data and puts an end to copying figures between spreadsheets.
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CRM and sales tracking
Customer records, opportunities, follow-ups and contact history: a CRM that fits your sales cycle rather than a vendor’s idea of it.
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HR software
Leave, absences, rotas, appraisals, training and recruitment: HR software that applies your internal rules and makes managers’ lives easier.
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Quoting and invoicing
Product catalogue, pricing rules, PDF quotes and invoices, payment tracking and export to your accounting software.
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Scheduling and field work
Team and job planning, work orders, visit reports and location tracking: everything your field operations need in one tool.
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Dashboards and reporting
Key figures consolidated from several systems and refreshed continuously, so you can steer the business without compiling files by hand.
The right time
When should you move to bespoke business software?
The need for bespoke software rarely appears overnight. It shows in a few everyday symptoms your teams know all too well.
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Spreadsheets everywhere
Your data lives in dozens of Excel files sent by email, with versions that contradict each other.
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Daily re-keying
The same information is typed two or three times: in the quote, in the invoice, in the accounts.
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Systems that do not talk
Your CRM, invoicing tool and website exchange no data, or only through manual exports.
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Rigid off-the-shelf tools
The software you bought forces workarounds, and its subscription grows with every new user.
Comparison
Off-the-shelf or custom software: how to choose?
Off-the-shelf software wins on generic needs and in the short term. Custom software wins as soon as your processes are specific or your team grows, because there is no per-user licence to pay.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf software | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Quick to learn for standard features | Screens designed for your users, so more intuitive |
| Specific processes | Workarounds and side files | Supported natively |
| Integrations | Those the vendor provides | Every one you need |
| Roadmap | Set by the vendor | Set by your priorities |
| Cost | Per-user subscription, indefinitely | Development then maintenance, no per-seat licence |
| Data | Held by the vendor | Hosted in France, on your servers or ours |
Technology
A solid architecture for software that lasts
Management software holds a company’s most sensitive data. We build it with standard technologies that are easy to maintain and extend.
A reliable database
PostgreSQL, directly or through Supabase, stores your data with integrity constraints, a change history and automatic backups. Access rights are enforced down to the database itself.
A modern web interface
React or Vue for fast, responsive screens designed for repetitive work: shortcuts, instant search, guided data entry and one-click exports.
Open APIs
A documented REST or GraphQL API connects the software to your website, a mobile app, your partners or artificial intelligence agents.
- Hosting in France, Docker containers and a separate staging environment
- Audit log of sensitive actions and GDPR-compliant exports
- Versioned, documented code that you own
Method
How we build your custom software
Custom software development moves forward module by module. Your users test every stage, which avoids unpleasant surprises at delivery.
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Process analysis
Interviews with future users, an inventory of existing files and systems, and a clear view of the tasks that waste time.
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Specifications and mock-ups
Screens, business rules and access rights described in writing, with clickable mock-ups validated by your teams.
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Module-by-module build
The software is delivered one module at a time; each part is tested by your users before moving on.
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Data migration
Import of your existing files and databases, consistency checks, then a gradual switch-over.
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Maintenance and evolution
Application maintenance: fixes, security updates and new features as your needs evolve.
First call on us
Your spreadsheets deserve real software
Tell us how you work today: we will propose an architecture, a breakdown into modules and an initial quote, with no commitment.
Development section
Our other development services
- Mobile apps iPhone and Android apps, native or cross-platform with Flutter.
- Web applications Portals, dashboards, SaaS: applications that run in the browser.
- Website creation Fast, well-ranked showcase websites that are easy to evolve.
- E-commerce websites Online shops connected to your till, stock and accounting.
- AI automation Emails, documents, data entry: repetitive tasks handed over to AI.
Blog
Further reading: our articles on the topic
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Custom software or off-the-shelf SaaS: how to choose
Custom software or an off-the-shelf SaaS product? Cost, timescale, fit, data and lock-in compared, plus the hybrid approaches that work well in practice.
5 min read
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about custom software
What is custom software?
Custom software is a program developed specifically for one organisation, based on its processes, business rules and existing tools. Unlike off-the-shelf software sold to thousands of customers, it contains only the features your teams use and evolves according to your priorities.
What is the difference between business software and an ERP?
An ERP covers an organisation’s whole management (sales, purchasing, stock, finance) in a single database. Business software addresses a need specific to your activity, such as managing jobs, sites or case files. Custom software can be either, or can connect an existing ERP to your line-of-business tools.
Can custom software connect to our accounting package?
Yes, in most cases. We use the accounting software’s API when one exists, or file imports and exports in the expected format. The same applies to your CRM, email, bank or online shop.
How long does it take to build custom software?
It depends on the number of modules and integrations. Rather than waiting for a complete product, you get a first usable module early and the others in successive phases. The detailed schedule is part of the proposal we send after analysing your processes.
Will the software work on mobile devices?
Yes. Our software is built as responsive web applications that work on a computer, tablet or phone. For field teams we can add a mobile app that works offline and syncs when the connection returns.
Where is our data hosted?
Data is hosted in France on secure, backed-up infrastructure, or on your own servers if you prefer. Access is protected by authentication and role-based permissions, and personal data processing is designed to comply with the GDPR.