Bespoke software
Bespoke applications for what nothing off the shelf covers
Web, applications and connections between your systems, with a modern stack, deployed the way we deploy our own products.
$ deploy yourcompany
✓Application version verified
✓Database created
✓Application started and healthy
✓First administrator created
✓Domain configured
✓TLS certificate issued
Ready: https://yourcompany.forgenex.com
From idea to production, in stages
We start with what hurts most, show you something that works early and improve it with what the people who use it tell us.
- Short deliveries you can test
- Priorities agreed with you
- Documented so it does not depend on one person
Deployed like our own products
Every change is tested before it is published, with its backups and certificates, automatically and repeatably.
- Automatic, repeatable deployments
- Backups and certificates with no manual steps
- Every step is logged
$ deploy yourcompany
✓Application version verified
✓Database created
✓Application started and healthy
✓First administrator created
✓Domain configured
✓TLS certificate issued
Ready: https://yourcompany.forgenex.com
Connected to your systems
Your application talks to what you already have: the ERP, the CRM, the website or the mobile, through their APIs.
- Integrations through APIs
- Data that is not duplicated
- Access with the account you always use
When bespoke software makes sense
There is almost always a ready-made tool that solves most of what you need, and it is almost always the best first option. Bespoke software makes sense when what is missing is precisely what makes your company different, or when the daily patch costs more than building it properly.
These are the signs that usually point to it:
- Your process is what sets you apart and no tool captures it without forcing it.
- There is a person acting as the "glue" between systems, copying data from one to another.
- You pay per-user licences for tools of which you use a small part.
- You need your clients or suppliers to get into something of your own (a portal, an app).
- You want to connect systems that do not talk to each other and have an API or a way of exporting.
Spreadsheet, template software, subscription or bespoke: when each is enough
There is no single answer. This table summarises what usually weighs most and, above all, when the alternative is enough:
| Spreadsheet | Template software or subscription | Bespoke software | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To get started | Immediate and free | Quick: you sign up and configure | Takes longer: it has to be designed and built |
| Fit with your process | Total, but manual | The template's, with adjustments | Yours |
| Cost | Almost nil at first | Ongoing fee, normally per user | Initial cost plus maintenance; no per-user fee |
| Connection to other systems | By hand | The integrations it offers | The ones you need, through their APIs |
| Dependence | On whoever built it | On the provider and its price changes | On whoever builds and maintains it, if it is not documented |
| When it is enough | Little data, one or two people | The process is ordinary and the per-user price suits you | The process is your advantage or the patch costs more than building it |
Who builds it: in-house team, freelancer or studio
Besides whether to do it, there is who does it. No option is bad; each fits a type of project:
| In-house team | Freelancer | Studio or agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| It fits when | The software is the core of your business and will change continuously | The scope is small and clear | Several disciplines (design, development, deployment) need covering or you need to scale |
| Strong point | Knows your business in depth | Closeness and a tight cost | Continuity: it does not depend on a single person |
| Risk to watch | Fixed cost and difficulty hiring | If they leave or fall ill, the project stops | That it is an opaque contract if scope by phases is not requested |
| What to ask for | A plan for growing the team | Documentation and access to everything from day one | Short deliveries, scope in writing and documentation |
Indicative comparison by ForgeNEX based on common situations; it is not market data nor does it refer to any specific company.
How much bespoke software costs: the sum that matters
We do not state a price: it depends on what has to be built, the connections to other systems, the data that has to be brought in and the security it needs. It is quoted after understanding your process, in writing and with the scope of each phase: ask us for a quote. What you can do beforehand is work out how much it would return to you.
Formula: years to recover the investment = cost of building it ÷ (annual saving − annual maintenance). Annual saving = people × hours per week × weeks × cost per hour.
All figures are ForgeNEX example assumptions to show the formula. Replace them with your own: hours actually lost, cost per hour and the quote you receive.
Practical case 1: an orders portal for a distributor
Illustrative case, not a specific client. A distributor receives orders by phone, WhatsApp and email, and someone then types them into their management program. There are mistakes, orders that get lost and clients who call to find out how theirs is going.
Practical case 2: when we would not build it bespoke
Illustrative case, not a specific client. A company asks for a bespoke application to invoice and manage its clients.
Who owns the code and the data
Always ask, of any supplier, and have it in writing. In Spain, the consolidated text of the Intellectual Property Act says that any assignment of exploitation rights must be formalised in writing (article 45): so what matters is not what is said out loud, but what you sign.
At ForgeNEX we work in phases. What is delivered to you in each phase, and under what conditions (including ownership of the code), is set out in writing in the quote. Ask for it from whoever you compare us with as well, along with access to the repository and the data.
Source: Royal Legislative Decree 1/1996, consolidated text of the Intellectual Property Act, article 45 «Written formalisation» («Every assignment must be formalised in writing»), BOE consolidated version, consulted on 2-11-2026. This is not legal advice: have your adviser review the contract.
How we do it
We start with what hurts most, not with the whole project. We show you something that works early, the person who will use it tests it and we improve it with what they say. Priorities are agreed with you at each delivery and everything is documented so that it does not depend on a single person.
Every change is tested before it is published and is deployed automatically and repeatably, with its backups and certificates, the way we deploy our own products. If it needs to connect to your ERP, your CRM or your website, it is done through their APIs, with access using the account you always use and without duplicating data. Tell us your case and we will quote it in phases: ask us for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does bespoke software cost?+
It depends on what has to be built, the connections to other systems, the data that has to be brought in and the security needed. It is quoted after understanding your process, in writing and with the scope of each phase. On this page you have the formula to work out beforehand how much it would return to you.
How long does it take?+
It depends on the scope. What we do is start with what hurts most and deliver something that can be tested early; the timeline for each phase is set out in writing in the quote, before starting.
Can I change what I asked for halfway through the project?+
Yes, within a framework: we work in short deliveries and agree priorities with you at each one, so what is learned from using it goes into the next. Large changes of scope are discussed and put in writing.
What happens if the person who built it leaves?+
That is why we leave it documented and deployed automatically and repeatably: the knowledge does not depend on a single person or on steps done by hand.
Does it connect to my ERP, my CRM or my website?+
Yes, through their APIs. If your program has no API or way of importing and exporting data, we look at it before starting, because it changes the approach.
Do you program a CRM from scratch?+
Normally it is not needed: first a flexible CRM is configured in depth and only what cannot be configured is developed. See the bespoke CRM page to find out how.
Do you work with companies outside Sevilla?+
Yes. We are in Sevilla, but we work remotely with companies across Spain.
What we do best
Our products
CRM, tasks, invoicing, time tracking, Pix and more, with one account.
Microsoft 365 for business
Email, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive, properly set up, migrated and secured. We are a Microsoft Partner.
Remote IT support
Remote IT support across Spain, with a report for every intervention.