Spreadsheet to app
A business manages jobs in a shared spreadsheet. We turn the process into an internal tool with forms, status tracking, role-based views, notifications, and dashboard reporting.
Custom Business Tools
Custom Business Tools Built Around How Your Team Works.
Off-the-shelf software does not always fit the way your business runs. We build practical custom tools, dashboards, portals, and apps for Irish SMEs that need a better way to manage work.
Before / after
From spreadsheet chaos to a real tool.
Click "Build app" to see the same data become a permission-aware tool with forms, statuses, and notifications.
jobs.xlsx · 47 rows
| Customer | Job | Status | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aoife O'Brien | Bathroom refit | In progress | €4,200 |
| Kearney Ltd | Office rewire | Quoted | €8,950 |
| Murphy & Sons | Kitchen install | Awaiting deposit | €12,400 |
| Healy Property | Boiler service | In progress | €480 |
| Lynch Estate | Site survey | Scheduled | €350 |
One person editing. No validation. No reminders. No client view.
Jobs · custom app Permissions on · 4 users
Aoife O'Brien
Bathroom refit
€4,200
In progress View →
Kearney Ltd
Office rewire
€8,950
Quoted View →
Murphy & Sons
Kitchen install
€12,400
Awaiting deposit View →
Healy Property
Boiler service
€480
In progress View →
Forms validate. Status flips notify the customer. Audit trail on every edit.
Toggle to compare side-by-side or focused.
The problem
Your spreadsheet should not be your entire operating system.
Many SMEs start with a spreadsheet because it is flexible. Over time, the spreadsheet becomes a CRM, project tracker, report, quote system, task list, and source of truth. Eventually it becomes fragile: one wrong edit, one missing update, or one person away from confusion.
For many Irish SMEs, the problem is not a lack of effort. The problem is that everyday work is spread across email, spreadsheets, shared drives, paper notes, WhatsApp messages, CRMs, accounting software, and staff memory. That creates delays, duplicated work, missed follow-ups, inconsistent customer experiences, and reporting that takes too long to prepare.
AI can help, but only when it is attached to a clear workflow. A tool on its own does not fix a broken process. The useful version starts by asking: what task repeats, who owns it, what information is needed, what decision has to be made, and what should happen next?
When to build a custom tool
When the workflow is important, repeated, and specific to you.
A custom business tool makes sense when the workflow is important, repeated, specific to the business, and not well served by off-the-shelf software. The goal is not to build software for its own sake. The goal is to make a critical workflow easier to manage.
We avoid the common mistake of beginning with a technology and then looking for a use case. Instead, we begin with the business workflow. That means we look at the work your team already does and decide where AI, automation, dashboards, custom tools, or training can remove friction.
The result should be practical. Staff should understand it. Managers should be able to see whether it works. Customers should experience faster, clearer service. The business should be able to improve it over time without starting again from scratch.
What this can include
The most common ways we help.
Internal apps
Manage jobs, clients, tasks, approvals, or data in one place.
Dashboards
Show managers the numbers and statuses they need.
Client portals
Give customers a place to upload documents and track progress.
Quote tools
Capture requirements and prepare consistent quotes.
Spreadsheet replacements
Turn manual spreadsheet workflows into safer tools with permissions and notifications.
These are not abstract AI ideas. They are the kinds of workflows where small improvements can compound: fewer manual steps, fewer unanswered messages, fewer duplicate entries, better handovers, and more consistent outputs.
Example workflows
What this looks like in practice.
Client portal
A professional services firm collects documents by email. We build a portal where clients upload files, see outstanding tasks, and receive reminders.
Operations tool
A field-service company tracks job status, photos, customer updates, and invoices across several tools. We build a central workflow that gives management one clear view.
Who this is for
- ✓SMEs with workflows too specific for generic software.
- ✓Businesses relying on spreadsheets for important operations.
- ✓Teams that need portals, dashboards, or internal apps.
- ✓Owners who want better visibility without buying a bloated enterprise system.
It is especially useful when the business has a real workflow problem but does not yet know whether the answer should be AI, automation, a dashboard, a portal, staff training, or a custom app. That uncertainty is normal. Our role is to help you choose the right first project rather than overbuild.
Who this is not for
- —Businesses looking for vague AI strategy without an implementation path.
- —Teams that want to automate sensitive decisions without human review.
- —Projects where no owner, budget, or workflow has been defined.
The best projects have a clear owner, a visible business pain, a realistic budget, and a willingness to start with version one rather than trying to build everything at once.
How we work
A four-step approach.
01
Audit the workflow
We start by understanding the process as it works today. We look at who is involved, what information moves through the process, where delays happen, what tools are already used, and what outcome matters to the business.
02
Define the smallest useful version
We define the version one scope so the team knows exactly what will be built, what is included, what is excluded, and what success looks like.
03
Build, test, and launch
We build the workflow, tool, dashboard, app, or automation. We test it with realistic examples, check the handover points, review permissions, and prepare the team to use it.
04
Improve after real use
Once staff and customers use the tool, we refine language, adjust logic, add missing steps, simplify screens, and improve reporting. This is why we recommend ongoing support for most builds.
Tools and implementation
We choose tools based on the workflow, not fashion.
We choose tools based on the workflow, not fashion. A project may use AI assistants, automation platforms, spreadsheets, CRMs, databases, custom web apps, reporting dashboards, or integrations with systems your team already uses.
The important thing is that the system fits your business. We do not force every client into one platform. We choose the simplest reliable setup that can deliver the outcome, be maintained, and scale sensibly as the business learns what it needs.
Data, privacy, and human review
Sensitive workflows stay safe.
If the workflow involves private, financial, legal, medical, employee, or customer data, we design the scope carefully. The goal is to minimise unnecessary data, keep humans in control of important decisions, and review access rules before launch.
For many SME workflows, the safest first version is human-in-the-loop. That means AI can draft, classify, summarise, suggest, or prepare, but a person reviews important outputs before they are sent to a customer, used in a decision, or stored as a final record.
Pricing and next step
Custom tools usually start from €6,000.
Custom business tools usually start from €6,000. Smaller prototypes or workflow tools may start from €2,500–€6,000. Larger multi-user portals, dashboards, and apps can exceed €20,000 depending on scope.
The normal starting point is an AI Opportunity Audit. The audit gives you a clear recommendation, a scoped first project, likely risks, and a fixed-price build option.
Why Tús AI
Why work with Tús AI
Tús AI is built for Irish SMEs that want practical AI implementation, not vague AI hype. We focus on useful workflows, realistic budgets, clear scopes, staff adoption, and support after launch.
Our approach is intentionally simple: start with one business problem, build one useful solution, prove value, and expand what works. That is how SMEs can benefit from AI without creating a complicated technology programme or hiring a full development team.
We are also careful about the difference between a demo and a business tool. A demo looks impressive for five minutes. A business tool has to work for staff, customers, managers, and the real exceptions that happen every week. That is why we include scoping, testing, access review, handoff, and support in the way we work.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions.
Will we own the tool?
Ownership should be defined in the contract. In most cases, the client should own production accounts, data, and core project assets after full payment.
Can you replace our spreadsheet?
Often yes. We start by understanding what the spreadsheet does, which parts should remain simple, and which parts need forms, permissions, dashboards, or automation.
Is custom software expensive?
It can be, but not every project needs a full enterprise build. We start with the smallest useful version and expand only when value is proven.
Can a custom tool connect to other systems?
Often yes, depending on the systems and available integrations.
How long does a custom tool take?
Focused builds may take two to six weeks after scoping. More complex systems take longer.
Get started
Find the best first AI or automation project for your business.
Tell us where your team is losing time. We will help you identify one workflow that can be improved with AI, automation, a dashboard, or a custom tool, then show you the practical path to build it.