Discovery and process mapping
Workshops with the people who run the process today. We map every step, system, odd case and hand-off, and make a clear list of what to automate first.
Custom Automation Development
Custom automation development when off-the-shelf won't fit
When no ready-made tool fits, we build one that does. Our CTO's team builds it on Make, n8n or custom code, connected to your ERP, CRM and older systems. You get documentation, monitoring and support, with SLA options and ownership terms set in your agreement.
DiscoveryMap today's process, systems, volumes and odd cases.
When custom automation development is the right call
Ready-made tools handle common processes well. Custom automation development makes sense when your process, systems or rules are so specific that a packaged tool would force you to work around it.
Your systems don't talk to each other
Orders live in the ERP, customers in the CRM and stock in an old database. Staff export, reformat and re-import files every day to keep them matched. Mistakes creep in at every step.
Your process is your edge
Pricing rules, approval chains or delivery steps that set you apart don't fit a standard template. Bending them to a tool would erase the very thing customers pay you for.
Spreadsheets now run the business
A workbook built years ago now runs commissions, scheduling or reporting. Only one person understands it. One broken formula can stop the business for a day.
Packaged toolQuick to start, but you bend to its process.
What you get with custom automation
Everything from the first workshop to long-term support. A small senior team, led by our CTO, stays with your project from start to finish.
SupportResponse times, changes and monthly reviews.
Design you approve first
A design document that shows how data moves, which platform we'll use, how we keep it secure and what happens when things fail. It includes build and running cost estimates, and you approve it before we build.
Built on the right platform
Make or n8n workflows where they fit. Custom Node.js or Python code where speed, complexity or security calls for it.
- Make and n8n workflows
- Node.js and Python code
- Databases, queues and scheduled jobs
Connections to ERP, CRM and older systems
We connect through APIs, webhooks, database links and secure file transfer. Where nothing else exists, we use carefully controlled screen automation.
Documentation and handover
Diagrams, how-to guides, a list of every login and recorded walkthroughs. Your IT team or another vendor can look after it.
Monitoring and support levels
Error alerts, run logs and health checks. Support levels set response times, change requests and a monthly review.
Low-code or custom code?
We are partners of both Make and n8n and write custom code every day. So we pick the platform based on what you need, not what we like, and many solutions use both.
Make
Best for business workflows that link popular cloud apps, change often and should be easy for non-developers to read.
n8n
Best when you want to host it yourself, keep data in your own setup or control logic and cost at higher volumes.
Custom Node.js or Python
Best for heavy data work, complex logic, strict security or older systems that need a purpose-built connection.
Make / n8nVisual workflows, quick changes, many connections.
How a custom project runs
Projects move in clear steps, with a decision at the end of each. You never commit to a full build before the design is proven.
DiscoveryProcess map and priorities.
Discovery
Workshops, a look at system access and a process map. It ends with a ranked list of what to automate.
Design and estimate
The design, the platform choice, the security approach and a fixed or capped estimate for the first release.
Build in short rounds
Working software every one to two weeks. Each round is tested with real data in a safe test setup and reviewed with your team.
Launch and handover
A careful switch-over, training, documentation and a few weeks of extra-close monitoring.
Support and grow
Ongoing monitoring, fixes and improvements on agreed response times. Or a full handover to your own team.
What you gain
Custom automation should pay for itself. That means hours saved, mistakes avoided and faster decisions.
Processes that fit how you work
Your rules and odd cases are built in. Staff stop working around the system.
The same numbers everywhere
Data moves between your ERP, CRM and other systems on its own. Daily exports and matching end.
Lower cost over time
No per-seat fees for workflows built for you, and a design your team can look after without us.
Less reliance on one person
Critical spreadsheets and know-how that lived in someone's head become documented, monitored systems.
Manual exportsDaily file exports and imports between systems.
Typical custom automation projects
These are typical examples of the problems custom automation solves.
From order to cash
Orders from an online store and a sales portal are checked, created in the ERP, invoiced and matched with payments, with no manual entry.
Automation layerCustom workflows and code built for you.
Platforms and systems we work with
If a system has an API, a database or a file export, we can usually connect it.
ERP and finance
NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP Business One, Sage, QuickBooks and Xero.
CRM and sales
HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive and Bitrix24.
Automation platforms
Make and n8n, including n8n hosted in your own cloud.
Code and hosting
Node.js, Python, PostgreSQL, SQLite, AWS and Google Cloud, with REST, SOAP, webhooks and SFTP.
Your solutionDesigned around your process and systems.
Security, ownership and continuity
Custom software only has value if you can trust it and keep it. We build security in from the start and make sure you're never locked in.
Clear ownership terms
Ownership terms are set in your agreement. Code, workflows and documentation can live in repositories and accounts registered to your company.
Security from the start
Least-privilege access, secrets management, encryption designed to support your policies, and controls mapped to SOC 2 criteria for change control and access reviews.
Privacy and data residency
Personal data is handled in line with PIPEDA and relevant provincial and US rules. Canadian hosting is available on request, subject to scoping.
No lock-in
Our documentation is good enough for your team or another vendor to take over. We help with that move if you ask.
IN-STORE is not SOC 2 audited; we document controls mapped to SOC 2 criteria for your vendor review.
Ownership termsSet in your agreement for code and workflows.
Custom automation pricing
Custom automation has a build phase plus a monthly support plan. After the scoping call we give you a fixed or capped estimate for the first release, and a monthly plan for hosting, monitoring and changes.
Custom Automation Development
Pricing on requestMonthly plan, confirmed after a 30-minute scoping call
A monthly support plan for hosting, monitoring, fixes, a set number of change hours and a monthly review. Build work is estimated separately after discovery.
Talk to us about pricingBuild phaseFixed or capped estimate after discovery.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the code and workflows you build?
You do. Intellectual property created for your project is assigned to your company under our agreement, and the code and workflows live in repositories and accounts registered to you. We keep only general know-how and reusable components we built before your project, which we license to you so the solution keeps working.
Should we use Make, n8n or custom code?
It depends on volume, complexity, hosting needs and who will look after it. Make suits business workflows that change often. n8n suits self-hosting and higher volumes. Custom code suits complex logic or strict security. We recommend one in the design document with our reasons and the running costs, and many solutions combine them.
Can you integrate with our legacy or on-premise systems?
Usually, yes. If the system has an API, a database we can read safely or a file export, we can connect it. For older systems we often use database links, scheduled secure file transfer or a small in-between service. Screen automation is a last resort, and we explain its limits before suggesting it.
What does the support SLA cover?
Support plans cover hosting, monitoring, a response to problems within agreed times, bug fixes and a set number of change hours each month, plus a monthly review. Response times and hours depend on the level you choose and are written into the agreement. If you'd rather support it in-house, we offer a documented handover instead.
How do you keep the budget under control?
We keep discovery and design separate from the build. After design you get a fixed or capped estimate for the first release. We deliver in short rounds, so you see working software early. Any change in scope is estimated and approved before work starts, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Next step
Tell us about the process nothing else fits
Book a 30-minute scoping call with our technical team. We'll talk through your systems and process, then tell you honestly whether custom work or a ready-made tool is the better fit.