Services · Technology
Custom software and web apps
We design, build and maintain systems and web applications shaped around the way your organization works, from the first idea to day-to-day operation, using open-source or proprietary technology.
Custom software is a system designed around an organization's own processes, rules and data, instead of bending the organization to fit a generic product. At AVILA®, a technology and business consulting firm based in Monterrey, Mexico, we have built custom software and web apps since 2003 for manufacturers, schools and universities, small and midsize businesses and government, in Mexico and the United States.
When does custom software make sense?
Not every problem calls for new code. Before we propose a new system, we check whether an existing product (an ERP, a CRM, Microsoft 365, a Shopify store) already covers the need; if it does, we tell you. Custom development makes sense when:
The process is a competitive advantage and no product covers it without forcing it.
Several systems need to work together and don't (for example, an ERP, a customer portal and a field app).
Spreadsheets and email threads have hit their limit: data gets duplicated, versions get lost and nobody knows which number is right.
Per-user licenses for a generic product cost more, over a few years, than a system you own.
You need a business rule, a calculation or an approval flow the market doesn't offer.
If the real question is which platform to choose, start with our unbiased ERP and CRM selection: decide with a method first, then build only what's missing.
What we build
Business web apps: internal systems with users, roles, permissions, audit logs and reports, running in the browser on a computer, tablet or phone.
SaaS platforms: cloud products for many customers, with separate accounts, plans and online billing. That's how we built Back to Zero, our own SaaS.
Integrations: connecting your system to an ERP, CRM, payment gateway, email, Microsoft 365 or other APIs.
Management systems: quality, documents, training, maintenance, inventory and project tracking.
Quoting tools and sales-team apps: see quoting tools and internal systems.
Mobile components: when the system needs to work in the field, we add mobile apps.
Over the years we have worked with Java, PHP, .NET, C++, Python, Objective-C and MySQL, and with platforms such as Magento and Drupal. Today we build most web apps with modern PHP, React and TypeScript on MySQL or MariaDB, with automated end-to-end tests, because it's a proven stack that is easy to host and maintain.
How we work
We work in short phases with deliverables you can try. Each phase ends with something you can see and use, not just documents.
Assessment and scope. We learn the current process, who uses it, what data it handles and which decision it should improve. The result is a written scope stating what's in and what's out.
Design. Data model, business rules and prototypes of the main screens. You review them before a single line of code is written.
Iterative build. Each iteration adds complete features, reviewed in a test environment with your data.
Testing. Automated tests and full walkthroughs in a real browser, plus your team's review.
Go-live. Deployment to your cloud or ours, data migration, training and support during the first weeks.
Support and continuous improvement. With a support plan, the system stays up to date, secure and backed up.
This method comes from our experience with MoProSoft, Mexico's process model for the software industry, under which AVILA® earned Level 1 certification in 2009: clear requirements, reviews at every phase and traceable changes.
What you get
The system running in a production environment and a test environment.
The source code in a repository, with its full change history.
User and operations documentation: how to install, back up and update it.
Administrator accounts for your team, with role-based permissions.
A record of the decisions made during the project.
What we take care of in every system
Security by design: hashed passwords, protection against the most common web application attacks, role-based permissions, an audit log of who did what, and automatic backups. Personal data: our systems follow Mexico's Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties, with a privacy notice and controlled deletion. Performance: screens that respond quickly even with thousands of records. Maintainability: clean, documented code, so the system never depends on a single person.
Experience behind the service
Between 2004 and 2006 we built a Java quality management system for a steel company, with more than 10,000 person-hours of work; it replaced Lotus Notes and synced with SAP. Between 2007 and 2009 we built a central and mobile e-ticketing platform for traffic violations with online payment and encrypted reading of the driver's license chip. In 2024 we developed a SaaS platform for maintenance plans, with tracking dashboards, for a company that provides industrial maintenance services to plants. See more projects in our case studies and the apps we have shipped in apps built by AVILA®.
Benefits
- A system that follows your processes and rules, without paying for features nobody uses.
- One reliable source of data instead of scattered spreadsheets and emails.
- Phased deliveries you test before moving on: no surprises at the end.
- Source code, documentation and backups that belong to your organization.
- Security, audit logs and personal data protection built in from the start.
- One team that also provides support, cloud and process consulting: a single point of accountability.
Frequently asked questions
How much does custom software development cost?
It depends on the scope: the number of processes, users and integrations. That's why we start with a short assessment that ends in a written scope and a proposal with phases and deliverables. You know what you'll get at each stage before committing the full budget. You can request that assessment through our contact page.
How long does a project take?
An internal system focused on one process usually ships in weeks; a platform with several modules or integrations takes months. We work in short iterations, so you see and test real features from the first weeks instead of waiting until the end to find out whether the system works.
Do I own the source code?
Yes. At the end of every project you receive the source code in a repository, the installation and operations documentation, and administrator access. If you later decide to have another team maintain it, you can. The only exceptions are third-party components with their own licenses, which we disclose in the scope.
Can you integrate the system with our ERP or Microsoft 365?
Yes. We integrate custom systems with ERPs, CRMs, payment gateways, email, SharePoint and other platforms through their APIs or, when there is no API, through scheduled file exchanges. During the assessment we check what each platform allows, so we never promise an integration that can't be sustained.
What happens after delivery?
Every system needs security updates, backups and small adjustments. For that we offer support and maintenance plans, handled by email through our customer support page. We can also keep adding features in new iterations as your business needs them.
Where is the system hosted?
Wherever it suits you best: in your own Microsoft Azure subscription, with a hosting provider you already use, or on infrastructure we manage. We help you choose based on the number of users, the security you need and the monthly cost. See infrastructure and Azure cloud.
Do you use AI to develop software?
Yes, as a productivity tool for our team: it helps us write, review and test code faster. A person reviews everything, it goes through automated tests and it follows our security standards. We also build AI features into the systems themselves when they add real value for users, such as assistants or information classification.
Case studies with this service
Steel · 2006
A Java quality management system for a steel company
A steel company replaced its Lotus Notes platform with a custom quality management system in Java, built over more than 10,000 hours, with 12 core document types and an org chart synchronized with SAP.
Steel · 2010
A collaboration system for contingencies and crises at a steel company
A multi-plant steel company gained a collaboration system for contingencies and crises, developed by AVILA® using the MoProSoft methodology.
Government · 2009
Electronic tickets on handheld devices with online payment for a state government
A state government agency moved from paper tickets to a central and mobile platform, with handheld capture, signature, encrypted reading and writing of the license chip, GPS, and online payment.
Nonprofits · 2026
A "brick by brick" interactive donation platform to build a church
A parish building a new church has an interactive platform where its community donates bricks, dedicates them, and places them on a virtual wall, plus a website of its own with its own content manager.
Manufacturing · 2024
A SaaS platform for maintenance plans with dashboards for an industrial maintenance services company
A company that provides industrial maintenance services runs a SaaS platform to manage the maintenance plans for its customers' plants and track them on dashboards.
Building materials · 2025
A web portal and catalog CMS for a ceramic tile manufacturer
A ceramic tile manufacturer runs a web portal developed by AVILA®, with a CMS designed to manage its product catalog, update it in high volume, and serve architects and specifiers.