Work Area
Internal Business Tools
We build internal tools for your own staff: simple systems that take over from the spreadsheet or email chain the team has outgrown. Each one fits a specific job, such as approvals, scheduling, or stock, and is quick to learn.
- 1,200+ clients helped
- Building since 2010
- 15 services, one team
- 50+ technologies
At a glance
What we build
We build simple systems for your own staff, such as a tracker, a request form, or a dashboard, to replace a spreadsheet or an email chain.
Problems we solve
Important work runs on spreadsheets that break, are overwritten, or live on one person's computer.
Who we serve
Teams whose work depends on shared spreadsheets, and managers who want a record of who did what.
How to choose
Replace a spreadsheet when several people edit it, mistakes are costly, or you need history. Keep it when one person uses it.
In practice
Small systems that fit one team
We build small pieces of software for staff, such as a tracker or a request form. Each does one job for one team, and because the users are known, a first version can be ready quickly.
These tools are modest, but their effect is large. They replace the spreadsheet that breaks, the email thread nobody can find, and the status meeting that exists only to ask where things stand.
Because the users are colleagues, tools can be improved quickly. We often start with a first version in a few weeks, and refine it as the team uses it.
When a spreadsheet should become a tool
Should this spreadsheet become a tool? One person uses it, and mistakes are cheap: Keep the spreadsheet; Several people edit it, and versions clash: Build a shared tool; Mistakes are costly or must be audited: Build a tool with checks; It feeds other systems by hand: Build a tool that connects.
If: One person uses it, and mistakes are cheap
Choose: Keep the spreadsheetA tool would cost more than it saves.If: Several people edit it, and versions clash
Choose: Build a shared toolOne record, with history and permissions.If: Mistakes are costly or must be audited
Choose: Build a tool with checksRequired fields, approvals, and a log.If: It feeds other systems by hand
Choose: Build a tool that connectsInformation flows without copying.
Often built with
Examples
Tools we are often asked for
Tracking
- Job, project, and case trackers.
- Equipment and asset registers.
Requests
- Purchase and leave requests.
- Support and maintenance tickets.
Overview
- Dashboards of workload and status.
- Reports sent on a schedule.
Records
- Client and supplier directories.
- Document stores with search.
What it looks like
An internal tool built around one team's day
Internal tools succeed when the main screen matches the team's morning questions.
How it is built
From a spreadsheet to a tool
We begin with what the team already does, and keep what works.
From a spreadsheet to a tool
A sequence of 5 steps. Study the spreadsheet: What is recorded, and who uses it?; Design the screens: Simple forms and lists for each role.; Move the data: Carry the existing records across.; Run alongside: Use both for a short time, then switch.; Improve: Add what the team asks for..
- Study the spreadsheetWhat is recorded, and who uses it?
- Design the screensSimple forms and lists for each role.
- Move the dataCarry the existing records across.
- Run alongsideUse both for a short time, then switch.
- ImproveAdd what the team asks for.
A typical example
A repair spreadsheet replaced by a tool
A typical case is a team that tracks repairs in a shared spreadsheet. Two people edit it at once and overwrite each other, and a manager cannot see which repairs are overdue.
A small tool could give each repair a record with a status, an owner, and a due date, show overdue items at the top, and keep a history of changes. The spreadsheet could be retired.
Common questions
Questions about internal tools
Can we build this ourselves with a no-code tool?
Sometimes, and it may be the right choice. We help you decide, and build with such tools ourselves when they fit. Custom code is better when you need more control or scale.
How long does a first version take?
Often a few weeks for a small tool. We agree a first version that does one job well, then build on it.
What happens when the team's needs change?
The tool changes with them. We plan for regular small improvements instead of one large rebuild.
Have a different question?
Tell us what you are weighing up and we will answer it plainly.
Ask a questionAlready a client? Email support@dechytech.com
Tell us which spreadsheet your team depends on
Describe the spreadsheet or email chain and who uses it. We will say what a tool would do better and roughly what it would cost.