What DekSites means by "custom tools"
A custom tool is purpose-built software that solves a specific operational problem in a business. It is not an off-the-shelf SaaS subscription. If a business is currently running its operations on a tangle of spreadsheets, paper forms, group texts, or whiteboard photos, a custom tool can usually replace that mess with one piece of software that does exactly what the business needs and nothing it does not.
Custom tools are quoted per project, not on a fixed price list. The reason is honesty: a simple internal dashboard is not the same scope as a multi-role CRM with payroll and commission tracking. Quoting them at the same price would be inaccurate. Every project starts with a free scoping call, after which a fixed quote and timeline are provided.
Kinds of tools DekSites has built
- Sales CRMs. Full-stack CRMs for managing sales reps, leads pipelines, clients, payroll, commissions, and reporting. Multi-role access (owner, admin, rep). Real-time updates.
- Supplier price trackers. Apps that parse uploaded receipt photos via OCR, extract line items and prices, and track price trends across suppliers and products over time. Includes duplicate protection and price mismatch validation.
- Shop floor workflow trackers. PWAs that track vehicles, jobs, or work orders across stages of a process. PIN-based authentication for staff. Owner-facing stats dashboards.
- Lead generation workflow tools. Scrapers and reformatters that pull business listings from sources like Google Maps and convert them into structured CSVs for cold outreach campaigns.
- Custom reporting dashboards. Reports built on top of existing business data (Supabase, Google Sheets, CSV exports) with the specific KPIs the business actually cares about.
- Single-purpose calculators and tools. Industry-specific calculators (returns, pricing, estimates) that live on a public URL and can be shared with prospects or staff.
What is included in every custom tool build
- Free scoping call (30 to 60 minutes) before any commitment
- Fixed-price quote and timeline before work begins
- Full source code delivered to the client
- Database schema, migrations, and seed data
- Hosting setup on Vercel and Supabase under the client's accounts (or DekSites accounts if the client prefers managed hosting)
- Documentation for non-technical users
- Mobile-responsive UI by default
- Authentication and role-based access where needed
- 30 days of post-launch support for bug fixes and small adjustments at no extra charge
Who this is for
- Businesses running operations through spreadsheets that have outgrown them
- Service shops (auto body, repair, trades) that need to track jobs through stages
- Sales organizations that need a CRM tuned to their actual process, not Salesforce
- Owner-operators who want to replace expensive SaaS subscriptions with software they own outright
- Businesses with a workflow that no off-the-shelf software fits cleanly
How the process works
Scoping call (free, 30 to 60 minutes)
A call to understand the workflow, the people who will use the tool, the data involved, and the goal. Existing spreadsheets, forms, or processes are reviewed.
Written scope and fixed quote
Within 2 to 3 business days, a written scope document and fixed price quote are delivered. The scope spells out exactly what is included and what is not.
Build (1 to 8 weeks depending on scope)
The tool is built iteratively. A working preview URL is shared as soon as core features are in place, usually within the first week, so the client can test and give feedback as the build progresses.
Launch and handoff
The tool goes live on the production URL or domain. Source code, database schema, and account ownership are handed off. Documentation is delivered.
30 days of free support, then optional retainer
The first 30 days of post-launch bug fixes and small adjustments are included at no extra charge. After that, ongoing maintenance can be handled on a retainer or as-needed basis.
Technology stack
DekSites uses a modern, low-maintenance stack: React with Vite for the frontend, Supabase (Postgres) for the backend and database, and Vercel for deployment and edge functions. For tools that need AI capabilities (like OCR receipt parsing), Anthropic's Claude API is called through a Vercel Edge Function so the client's API keys never sit in the browser.
The reason for this stack is durability: it is well-documented, widely supported, and inexpensive to run. A typical small tool costs $0 to $25 per month in hosting after launch. If the client ever decides to take the project somewhere else, every component is portable. Supabase is just Postgres. React is React. There is no proprietary lock-in.