Operational management tools
Internal management tools replacing spreadsheet-based processes with a multi-user system. Case study in preparation.
Automation & Integrations
Make the systems you already have work together properly
Not every problem needs new software. A great deal of wasted time comes from systems that do not talk to each other and processes that run on somebody remembering to do them. Connecting and automating what you already have is often the fastest, cheapest improvement available.
- Connect existing platforms so data flows automatically
- Remove repetitive administrative work
- Keep records consistent across systems
- Usually quicker and cheaper than replacing software
The cheapest system is often the one you do not build
Before recommending new software, it is worth asking a simpler question: what would change if the tools you already pay for shared their information? Very often, the answer accounts for most of the frustration — duplicate data entry, mismatched records, and jobs that only progress when someone remembers to move them along.
Integration work is usually measured in days rather than months, and it does not disrupt how your team works. Where it is enough on its own, we will say so. Where it is a sensible first step before a larger project, it buys time and produces a much clearer picture of what any future system really needs to do.
We are equally clear about the limits. Automation cannot fix a process that does not work; it will simply do the wrong thing faster. Part of this work is deciding what should be automated and what should be changed first.
Capabilities
What we can connect and automate
Connecting systems
- API integrations between platforms
- Data synchronisation across systems
- CRM integrations
- Ecommerce and Shopify integrations
- Booking-system integrations
- Accounting and finance tool connections
Automating processes
- Workflow automation
- Automated emails and notifications
- Document and PDF generation
- Scheduled tasks and routine jobs
- Approval and escalation routing
- Removal of repetitive administrative tasks
Data and reporting
- Reporting automation
- Scheduled exports and imports
- Consolidated reporting across several systems
- Data cleaning and de-duplication
- Consistent records across platforms
- Alerts when something needs attention
Payments and transactions
- Payment integrations
- Automated payment reconciliation
- Invoice generation and delivery
- Subscription and recurring payment handling
- Refund and adjustment workflows
- Transaction records shared with finance systems
Signs that automation would pay for itself quickly
- The same information is typed into two or more systems
- Someone spends part of every week producing a report by hand
- Documents are created by copying a previous version and editing it
- Work stalls because nobody was told it was ready
- Records disagree between systems and someone has to decide which is right
- Routine emails are written individually each time
Process
How automation work runs
Find the friction
We look at where time goes, which tasks are repeated and where errors tend to appear.
Decide what should change
Some steps should be automated. Others should be removed or reordered first. We separate the two before building anything.
Design the flow
What triggers what, what happens when something fails, and who needs to know.
Build and connect
Integration and automation work, using existing APIs where they are available and custom connections where they are not.
Test with real data
Including the awkward cases, because those are what break automated processes.
Monitor and adjust
Automation needs watching, especially early on. We put alerting in place and refine as real usage shows what needs attention.
Our work
Automation & Integrations projects
Selected work in this area. Case studies are added as clients confirm the details.
Questions
Common questions
Can you connect two systems that were not designed to work together?
Usually. Most modern platforms provide an API. Where one does not, there are often other routes — scheduled exports, webhooks or an intermediate service. Where a connection genuinely is not possible, we will tell you early rather than after spending your budget finding out.
Will this disrupt how our team works?
Integration work is generally much less disruptive than replacing a system, because people keep using the tools they already know. The change is that information moves on its own.
Is automation always the right answer?
No. Automating a process that should be simplified first just makes the wrong thing happen faster. Part of this work is deciding what to fix before deciding what to automate.
What happens if an integration breaks?
Things do change — APIs are updated, credentials expire, systems go offline. We build in error handling and alerting so failures are noticed rather than discovered weeks later, and ongoing support can cover keeping integrations working.
Related services
Often part of the same project
Most projects touch more than one of these. We can handle the whole thing or just the part you need.
Custom Software
Bespoke booking systems, operational platforms, management software, workflow tools and replacements for spreadsheets or outdated systems.
Shopify & Ecommerce
Shopify stores, ecommerce design, package builders, custom purchasing journeys and tailored store functionality.
Ongoing Support
Maintenance, updates, monitoring, fixes and continued development for websites, stores and software — arranged around how much you rely on them.
Spending time on work a system should be doing?
Tell us which tools you use and which tasks keep coming back. We will look at what can be connected or automated, and whether that is enough on its own.