Custom software development built around your workflow
Macwin Software designs, builds and supports custom software for businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets, paper forms and off-the-shelf tools. Tell us how the work gets done today and we will say honestly whether custom software is the right fix.
When custom software makes sense
Ready-made software is the right answer more often than software vendors admit. If your process is ordinary, a standard product is usually cheaper and quicker to start with. Custom software begins to pay off in situations like these:
- Your team works around the tool, copying data between spreadsheets, chat messages and the software you already pay for.
- Your process is specific to your business, and no package fits it without constant compromises.
- Different people need to see different things (owners, managers, staff, customers) and a shared spreadsheet cannot control that.
- Your people are mostly on their phones, and the tools you have today were not designed for that.
If none of this sounds like you, we will tell you so. A short conversation now is cheaper than building something you do not need.
The kinds of application we build
“Custom software” is a broad label. In practice it usually means one of these.
Workflow and approval apps
Requests, approvals and status updates that move between people without anyone chasing by phone or message.
Internal management tools
One place for records that are scattered across files today: customers, jobs, orders, staff and reports.
Customer-facing portals
A login where customers place requests, follow progress or see their own information.
Installable mobile-first apps
Software that opens in the phone browser, installs to the home screen and can send push notifications. See web application development.
A worked example
This is an illustration of how we think, not a description of a particular client. Imagine a company that sends technicians to customers’ premises. Jobs arrive by phone and message, a coordinator copies them into a spreadsheet, and technicians keep asking what is next.
A custom application would give every job one record. The coordinator assigns it, each technician sees only their own jobs on a phone and marks them done, and the owner sees what is open or late without asking anyone. Customers could be notified when a visit is booked. None of this is exotic. The value is that everyone works from the same record instead of from three copies of it.
How a project runs
The same four steps for every project, whatever its size.
- 1ListenListenStep 1
We talk to the people who will use the software and look at how the work is done today. The goal is to agree on the problem before anything is built.
- 2DesignDesignStep 2
We sketch screens for the phone first and keep each one simple, so you can react to the idea early.
- 3BuildBuildStep 3
We release a small working version quickly, then add to it based on how your team really uses it.
- 4SupportSupportStep 4
We stay with you after launch and fix problems quickly.
The technology, in plain language
We build on PHP and MySQL, a proven combination that most hosting providers support. That keeps your options open on hosting and makes the software straightforward to maintain and extend as your business changes.
Your application runs in the browser, so there is no app store approval and no separate Android and iOS versions to look after. Screens can be offered in more than one language, and role-based access means each person sees only what their role allows.
One practical note: on iPhones, push notifications work once the app has been added to the home screen. We design the first-run experience with that in mind.
What to bring to a first conversation
You do not need a specification. These are enough to get started:
- How the work happens today, and who is involved at each step.
- What goes wrong most often, or what takes the most time.
- What a good result would look like for you.
- Any deadline that matters.
Screenshots or photos of the spreadsheets and forms you use now are very helpful. The cost depends on how much needs to be built, so the quickest route to a real answer is to describe the workflow.
Frequently asked questions
How much does custom software cost?
It depends mainly on how many kinds of user the software has, how many screens and records it manages, whether it connects to other systems, whether data has to be moved in from spreadsheets, and how many languages it needs. We do not publish a price list because two projects with the same name can differ a lot. Describe the workflow and we will give you an honest view of the scope and whether we can help.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before contacting you?
No. Most projects start with a problem rather than a specification. Working out the specification is part of the first step.
Will the software work on phones?
Yes. We design for the phone first, and the application also works on larger screens.
Do you build native iPhone and Android apps?
Our work is web applications that open in the browser and install to the home screen. If you need a native app for an app store, tell us what it has to do and we will say honestly whether a web application would cover it.
What happens after the software launches?
We stay with you. Real use always shows things to fix or improve, and we handle those after launch.
Related services
Web application development
Browser-based apps on PHP and MySQL that install to the home screen.
Business automation
Apps that handle approvals, reminders and reports for you.
Custom business management software
One system for your records, roles, workflows and reports.
Software company in Ahmedabad
Who we are, where we are based and how to work with us.