Silver Owl

Internal Tools

A custom ops dashboard your team will actually use

Spreadsheets break at scale. Off-the-shelf tools don't fit your workflow. We build the specific internal tool your operations team needs.

Not a template. Not a configured SaaS product. Your data, your workflow, your rules.

Book a scoping call →
$7,500–$20,0004–8 weeks

Why spreadsheets stop working

Every operational team starts with spreadsheets. They're fast to set up, flexible, and free. And they work — until they don't.

The breaking point is different for every team. For some it's concurrent editing conflicts. For others it's a formula error that corrupted 3 months of data. For most it's the 45-minute weekly process of copying numbers from four tabs into a summary report that someone could see in real-time if you had a proper tool.

Off-the-shelf tools (Airtable, Monday, Notion databases) fix some of this. But they force you to adapt your workflow to the tool's model. A custom tool is built around how your team actually works.

Common internal tools we build

These are the most common patterns. Your tool will be scoped to your specific workflow.

Operations dashboard

Single view of your business operations. Orders, inventory, status updates, alerts. Replace the 5-tab spreadsheet your team updates manually.

Operations managers, team leads

Client/project management

Track projects, clients, deliverables, and invoices in one place. Custom to your workflow — not Salesforce with 80% of features you'll never use.

Agencies, consultancies, service businesses

Approval workflow tool

Requests come in, get routed to the right person, tracked through approval stages, and logged. Email notifications, deadline tracking, full audit trail.

Finance, legal, procurement teams

Data review and QA tool

Your team reviews records, flags issues, adds notes, marks things complete. Far faster than spreadsheet-based review processes.

Data teams, QA, compliance

Content management system

Custom CMS for your specific content model. Not WordPress. Exactly what you need — nothing you don't.

Marketing, editorial, content teams

Reporting and analytics dashboard

Pull data from multiple sources, display it in one place. Custom charts, date filters, CSV export. No more "can you pull that data for me?" requests.

Executives, team leads, analysts

Every internal tool includes

Built for daily use by real teams. Not a prototype — a production tool your team can rely on from day one.

  • Requirements workshop and written spec
  • Custom data views with filtering and search
  • Role-based access control (admin, editor, viewer)
  • Approval and notification workflows
  • CSV/Excel data export
  • Integration with your existing data sources
  • Audit logs for compliance
  • Responsive layout (desktop-first)
  • Documentation and team training session
  • 30-day bug warranty

Pricing

ScopePriceTimelineNotes
Simple dashboard (read-only)$7,500–$12,0004–5 weeksData display, filters, export. No write operations.
Full CRUD tool$12,000–$20,0005–8 weeksCreate, edit, delete records. Role-based access. Notifications.
Complex workflow tool$20,000–$35,0008–12 weeksMulti-step workflows, integrations, audit logs, reporting.

All prices are fixed-scope. Final price confirmed in written estimate after scoping call.

Common questions

Can you pull data from our existing systems?

Yes. Most internal tools connect to existing databases, APIs, or even CSV exports. I'll need API access or database credentials, and we'll scope the integrations in the written spec.

We already have a database — can you build on top of it?

Yes. I can build a frontend and API layer on top of your existing PostgreSQL, MySQL, or other SQL database. I'll review the schema before scoping.

Do we need to migrate our data?

Only if your current data structure doesn't work for the new tool. In most cases, I can work with the data as it exists or import it with a migration script.

Will our team need training?

The tool is designed to be intuitive. I include a training session and screen-recorded walkthrough in every delivery. Most teams are self-sufficient within a day.

What if we need to add features later?

I offer monthly retainers for ongoing work starting at $2,000/month. Or we can scope new features as separate fixed-price projects.

Ready to replace the spreadsheet?

Book a free scoping call. Describe what you're tracking today and where it breaks. We'll design the right tool and tell you what it would cost.

Book a scoping call →