Custom work starts where off-the-shelf becomes a constraint

Translating implicit rules

The job is not to pile up features. It is to translate rules that are sometimes implicit into predictable behaviour.

From the business to the code

We identify the business objects, their states, their relationships and the associated permissions. This step reduces the exceptions scattered throughout the code and prepares an architecture that stays understandable as the project grows.

Depending on the context, the stack may combine PHP/Symfony, JavaScript, Python, SQL, a search engine and external services. Technology remains a means; a stable business model is the goal.

Building for maintenance

Logs, migrations, tests, error handling, integration documentation and the deployment strategy are all part of the design. Code that works today but that nobody can change tomorrow is a liability, not an asset.

Off-the-shelf or custom: the criteria

Before investing, we check whether software on the market already covers most of the need, around 80%. If it does, configuring it or connecting it to your other tools is almost always more cost-effective. Custom development makes sense when your process is a competitive advantage, or when adapting an existing product would cost more than building one.

What you receive

• a short scoping document: business objects, states, rules and roles;
• the source code in a repository in your name, with a full change history;
• automated tests on critical rules;
• documentation for installation, deployment and integrations;
• a staging environment to approve each step before production.

These are what allow any competent developer to take over the project. Our article on taking over an abandoned project shows what happens when they are missing.

A recent example

In late 2025, we built a custom website for Aco Propreté with Symfony, including dedicated staff management features in the back office. The client A.C.O left us this recommendation in 2018:

• “Responsive, very available and fast. Serious, competent, professional work. A real pleasure!”

Budget and technologies

A custom application or platform is priced on quotation, after a few days of scoping that usually halve the uncertainty in the estimate: see our article on the budget for a custom web application. The foundation is most often PHP with Symfony or Laravel, complemented by Python for data processing.

Our custom development packages

• Analysis phase

  on quotation

  To know what the project will really cost before starting it.

  • a few days of workshops on your processes
  • business objects, statuses, rules and roles
  • comparison with off-the-shelf software
  • reliable estimate and schedule

• Targeted internal tool

  on quotation

  To replace spreadsheets or automate a specific process.

  • one process, a few screens
  • automated tests for critical rules
  • code in a repository in your name
  • installation documentation

• Business platform

  on quotation

  For a daily tool used by several teams.

  • several profiles and workflows
  • dashboards and exports
  • connections with your software
  • delivery in testable stages

Each package is tailored to your project after the free 30-minute discovery call. Describe your project and receive a free, detailed quote.