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Build · Service 11 / 12

Custom software & mobile apps

Custom software means building from scratch what off-the-shelf products cannot cover. INDOLES always starts with the same question: does this genuinely need to be built, or can an existing tool solve it?

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Platforms and tools we work with
  • Vercel
  • Figma
Diagram — Custom software & mobile apps11/12
Sound familiar?

This service steps in when one of these is true.

  • The core of the business runs on spreadsheets only one person understands.

  • Off-the-shelf tools were tried and none fit how you actually work.

  • There is a service you want to offer customers and no system behind it.

Scope

What it covers, and what it does not.

What's included

  • Requirement definition

    What the system will and will not solve gets written down. Without a drawn boundary, scope keeps growing.

  • Build-or-buy check

    Does an existing product solve this? If it does, INDOLES recommends not building — every line written carries maintenance cost.

  • Screen design

    The screens users will see are drawn and approved before coding; changes are cheap on paper.

  • Development

    The system is built piece by piece, each delivered working. Progress is visible weekly rather than monthly.

  • Integration with existing systems

    Data exchange with accounting, ERP or the e-commerce platform is set up so the new system is not an island.

  • Testing and hardening

    Tested with real data, with automated tests for critical flows. Bugs get found in testing, not in production.

  • Launch and handover

    The system goes live, users are trained, and the source code is handed over with its documentation.

What's not included

  • App store advertising and install campaigns — covered by performance marketing
  • Open-ended maintenance and 24/7 support — defined in a separate agreement
  • Third-party service and API usage fees
  • Hardware, server and device procurement
How we work

Four steps, each leaving something in your hands.

  1. 01

    Drawing the scope

    What the system solves and where it stops is written down. Often part of the scope gets solved with existing tools and drops off the list here.

    You get

    A scope document and a list of what existing tools will cover.

  2. 02

    Screens and plan

    User screens are drawn, development is split into pieces and each piece gets a delivery date.

    You get

    Approved screen designs and a piece-by-piece delivery schedule.

  3. 03

    Incremental development

    Each piece is demonstrated and delivered usable as it completes. Feedback comes along the way, not at the end.

    You get

    Weekly working builds and a progress record.

  4. 04

    Launch and handover

    The system goes live and the first week is watched closely. Source code, documentation and accounts transfer to the company.

    You get

    A live system, technical documentation and transferred source code.

Deliverables

What you hold when the work is done.

Scope document
Document
What the system solves, its boundaries and what stays out of scope.
Screen designs
Document
The screens users will see, approved before any coding started.
Working system
System
The application live, tested with real data and open for use.
Integrations
System
Data connections to accounting, ERP or the e-commerce platform.
Technical documentation
Document
How the system works, where it runs and how to extend it.
User training
Training
A recorded training session for the team who will use the system.
Source code ownership
Access
Source code, repository and server accounts transfer to the company.
Frequently asked

The questions asked most before deciding.

Why custom software instead of an off-the-shelf product?

Custom software only makes sense where off-the-shelf products fall short, and INDOLES questions that at the start of every project. If an existing product covers eighty per cent of the job, using it is usually the better call, because every line written carries maintenance cost for years. During scope definition, which parts existing tools will cover is listed explicitly.

How long does a project take and how is cost set?

A mid-sized internal tool or module usually takes eight to twelve weeks; mobile apps and additional integrations extend that. INDOLES quotes piece by piece once the scope document is settled, rather than billing open-ended hours. If scope grows later, the difference is discussed separately and no work proceeds without written approval.

Do we own the source code?

Source code, the repository and server accounts transfer to the company at the end of the project; INDOLES keeps no part in its own ownership. Technical documentation is delivered alongside so another developer can pick it up. Arrangements where code stays with the agency lock the company in permanently and are not set up.

What happens if bugs appear after delivery?

A stabilisation period is defined after delivery, and bugs surfacing within it are fixed at no extra charge. After that, maintenance continues under an optional separate agreement rather than being mandatory — since you hold the source code and documentation, another team can take over. Automated tests written for critical flows lower the risk of bugs from the outset.

Should we build a mobile app or a web app?

A mobile app is only necessary when something genuinely needs the phone: push notifications, camera or location use, offline operation. Without those, a mobile-friendly web application is both cheaper and updatable without waiting for store approval. INDOLES decides from the usage scenario and presents the reasoning with a cost comparison.

What is an MVP, and should we start with one?

An MVP is the smallest working version that shows the system does its job. An MVP development agency is usually hired to ship that version and stop there; INDOLES builds it as the first part of the real system and delivers each part working, so nothing is thrown away when the rest follows. The value of shipping early is concrete: feedback from real users can still change the scope of the parts not yet written.

What costs arise beyond the service fee?

Third-party service and API usage fees, server and device procurement, and app store advertising all sit outside the service fee. These lines are itemised in the scope document so the monthly running cost is known up front. Maintenance after delivery is likewise defined in a separate, optional agreement rather than being made compulsory.

How do you work when we already have a software team?

Because development is split into parts, the work can be divided: some parts stay with INDOLES, others with your team, and the delivery schedule is written jointly. Source code, repository and technical documentation are held in the company's name from the start, so the in-house team can take over at any point. Screen designs are approved before coding, which keeps both sides on the same scope.

Who from our side is involved, and how much time?

You need a business owner who knows the scope and one representative from the team that will use the system. The owner signs off the scope document and the screen designs; the representative tries the weekly releases and gives feedback. At the integration stage someone must grant access on the accounting or ERP side, and after launch the user team joins the training.

How do we track that the work is progressing?

Each part is shown and handed over in usable form as it is finished, so progress is visible weekly rather than monthly. The part-by-part delivery schedule states up front when each piece lands, and the progress log records what actually happened beside it. Feedback comes during the build rather than at the end, so drift shows before it grows.

When is custom software the wrong choice?

If an off-the-shelf product covers most of the job, not writing it is the right call — every line written carries years of maintenance cost that never shows on the first invoice. If the work is only moving data between systems, business automation is the shorter route. If how the process runs is not yet defined, the scope cannot be written and the project keeps growing while it is built.

What is the difference between a software development agency and a product team?

A software development agency usually takes the brief and delivers the build; a product team decides what should be built before any code is written. Choosing a custom software development company or a mobile app development company on price alone hides the real cost, which arrives in the second year as maintenance. INDOLES writes the product spec first, then builds, and hands over the source code with its documentation so the work can continue with any team.

Next

What the work produced

MKComputer wanted to dropship 200,000+ products from the SYNAXON catalogue across Europe; stock and pricing couldn't be managed by hand. We built an automation platform on Magento 2 that syncs stock, price and supplier every 5 minutes.

Products synced
200,000+
Stock, price, supplier, image and description
Update interval
5 min
Full catalogue, automatic 24/7
Manual order steps
0
Orders route automatically to the best supplier

Source MKComputer — 200,000 products synced every 5 minutes.

The entry package for this service

Where do we start?

Three entry doors at three speeds. Pick the one that fits.

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