Services · frontzen.com
Internal tools & automation
Custom internal systems — dashboards, records systems, approval workflows, accounting integrations, and automation of manual processes.
- Custom internal systems
- API integrations (accounting, Airtable, ERP)
- Manual-process automation
- Dashboards & reporting
Stop copying data between spreadsheets
Most companies run on processes held together by spreadsheets, email, and one person’s patience. I build internal tools that take those processes over: order tracking, approval workflows, document generation, management dashboards — shaped around how your company actually works.
You work with the engineer who writes the code, from the discovery sessions through to the handover. Nothing gets translated through an account manager on the way in or out.
What I typically build
- Records systems and trackers — orders, clients, inventory, timesheets, case management. One source of truth instead of five spreadsheets.
- Automation of manual steps — form data straight into accounting, automatic contract and invoice generation, notifications to email or Slack.
- Dashboards and reporting — numbers from multiple systems on one screen, always current, no manual assembly.
- System integrations — connecting accounting, CRM, e-commerce, and internal databases via APIs.
Why custom instead of off-the-shelf
Off-the-shelf software bends your company to fit it. A custom tool bends to fit you — and with a modern stack (TypeScript, Cloudflare), building and running one is cheaper than it used to be. No per-seat licenses, no unused feature bloat.
How the engagement works
Discovery is paid and self-contained: one to two weeks, priced on the scope, and you keep the process map and the technical plan regardless of what you do next. Build work is fixed price against that written scope, billed 50/50 or across milestones. Intellectual property assigns to you on final payment, and delivered scope carries a 30-day bug-fix warranty.
When it makes sense
- Your operations run on five copies of one spreadsheet
- People re-type data between systems by hand
- A process depends on one person who keeps it in their head
How this works
- 01
Paid discovery
One to two weeks with the people who actually do the work. Ends with a process map, a technical plan and a fixed-price proposal — a deliverable, not a sales call.
- 02
Smallest-tool design
Not a wish list — the smallest tool that removes the biggest pain, scoped and priced.
- 03
First version in weeks
A working tool in your team's hands. I iterate on real usage.
- 04
Integrations & automation
Wired to accounting, CRM, spreadsheets. Data stops living in five copies.
- 05
Grow by evidence
What proves out, I extend. What nobody uses, I don't build.
What you get
- Tool running on your domain
- API integrations (accounting, CRM, spreadsheets)
- User management and permissions
- Data export — no lock-in
- Source code you own — IP assigns on final payment
- Documentation and training
FAQ
When is a custom internal tool worth it over off-the-shelf software?
When the off-the-shelf option covers 70% of your needs and you work around the remaining 30% with spreadsheets and manual copying. A custom tool does exactly what your process needs — nothing in the way.
Can you integrate with the systems we already use?
Yes. I build API integrations — accounting tools, spreadsheets (Airtable, Google Sheets), CRMs, e-commerce platforms, and internal databases. Your data stops living in five copies.
What if we don't have a precise specification?
That's normal, and it's what the discovery phase is for. I sit with the people who do the work, map how it actually happens, and come out with a specification, a scope and a price.
How much does an internal tool cost?
Internal tools start at $12,000 for a first production version. Discovery is a separate paid engagement — one to two weeks, priced on the scope — and it ends with a written process map, a technical plan and a fixed-price proposal you own whether or not you build with me.