How Long Does It Take to Build a Custom Business App?
Custom software does not have to take a year. Here is a realistic timeline, what speeds a project up, and what slows it down.
Many business owners have heard horror stories of software projects that ran for a year and never went live. It does not have to work that way. With a clear scope and proven foundations, a first working version can be in your team’s hands in weeks.
A typical timeline
| Phase | Typical duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | 1 week | We learn how you work and agree the first scope |
| First build | 3–4 weeks | Core screens, rules and data built and shown to you weekly |
| Testing & data import | 1 week | Your team tries it with real data |
| Go-live | Week 6 | First working MVP in use |
| Ongoing | Monthly | Improvements and new modules |
What speeds a project up
- One decision-maker who is available weekly.
- Starting with one process rather than everything.
- Existing spreadsheets or forms to work from.
- Willingness to go live with a first version and improve it.
What slows a project down
- Trying to design every module before anything is built.
- Complex integrations with older systems.
- Decisions waiting on several people.
- Scope that changes before the first version is live.
After go-live
Go-live is the start, not the end. On a subscription model, improvements continue every month, and new modules are added to the same system as the business grows. See what custom software costs or explore our custom business software.
Questions
Can a complex system be built in six weeks?
The first working MVP for a clearly defined process can be. Larger systems are delivered in stages, with the most valuable part live first.
How involved do we need to be?
Expect about an hour a week from a key person to review progress and make decisions.
About the author
Juan Kotzee
Founder & Managing Director — Drivatic
Juan Kotzee is the Founder and Managing Director of Drivatic, a South African software company specialising in custom business applications, analytics, automation and AI.
What is slowing your business down?
If your team is working around spreadsheets, manual processes or software that does not fit, show us how you work.
We’ll show you what a custom business app could look like.
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