Spreadsheets, email chains and off-the-shelf software can only stretch so far. When the tools begin forcing the business to work around them, it may be time to build something around the business instead.
BUILD – BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
Custom Business Applications in Northern Virginia
Software Built Around the Way Your Business Actually Works.
McBorrough designs and develops custom business applications, portals, dashboards, workflow systems and connected digital tools that help organizations manage information, customers, employees and operations more effectively.
WHEN THE SOFTWARE BECOMES THE BOTTLENECK
Your Team Should Not Have to Fight the Tools Every Day.
Many business applications begin because employees are copying information between systems, managing critical processes in spreadsheets or performing the same sequence of steps manually every day.
Custom software can create one clear place for the workflow, information and actions the business actually needs instead of adding another disconnected tool to the stack.
REDUCE FRICTION – CONNECT DATA – STANDARDIZE WORK – IMPROVE VISIBILITY
WHAT WE CAN BUILD
Applications Designed Around the Business Problem
BUSINESS PROBLEM FIRST
Do Not Start With Features. Start With the Work.
The first conversation is not about programming languages or feature lists. It is about understanding what people are trying to accomplish, what they do today and where the current process creates friction.
Once the workflow is understood, we can determine what the application needs to store, display, automate, calculate, connect or route to another person or system.
PEOPLE – PROCESS – INFORMATION – ACTION – OUTCOME
INTERNAL APPLICATIONS
Give the Team One Better Way to Work.
Internal applications can replace processes spread across email, spreadsheets, shared documents and institutional memory with a more consistent place to do the work.
EXAMPLES CAN INCLUDE
Project and job tracking
Service request systems
Approval workflows
Employee resources
Inventory and asset tracking
Operational dashboards
CLIENT AND CUSTOMER PORTALS
Give Customers a Better Place to Interact With the Business.
A portal can give customers, members, partners or vendors a dedicated place to access information and complete tasks that would otherwise require emails, phone calls or manual staff assistance.
A PORTAL MAY SUPPORT
Account information
Documents and files
Requests and submissions
Project or order status
Messages and notifications
Self-service workflows
DASHBOARDS AND REPORTING
Turn Business Data Into Something People Can Actually Use.
Important information often exists inside several systems but still has to be assembled manually before leadership can understand what is happening.
A custom dashboard can organize the information around the decisions people need to make instead of simply displaying every number available.
DATA – CONTEXT – VISIBILITY – DECISION
WORKFLOW APPLICATIONS
Make the Next Step Part of the System.
When a process depends on someone remembering who should receive an email, approve a request or complete the next task, growth creates more opportunities for something to be missed.
A workflow application can create defined stages, ownership, status and actions so the process is easier to understand and manage.
SUBMIT – ROUTE – REVIEW – APPROVE – COMPLETE
CONNECT WHAT YOU ALREADY USE
A Custom Application Does Not Have to Replace Everything.
The business may already have systems that work well for specific jobs. The goal is not automatically to rebuild them. Sometimes the better application is the layer that makes those systems easier to use together.
APPLICATIONS MAY CONNECT WITH
Websites
CRM systems
Email platforms
Databases
Payment systems
Third-party APIs
AI ENABLED BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
Put AI Where It Helps People Do the Work.
AI can become a useful feature inside an application when it has a clear job, appropriate information and defined boundaries around what it should and should not do.
AI FEATURES MAY SUPPORT
Knowledge search
Information summarization
Document assistance
Content or response drafting
Classification and routing
Workflow assistance
DESIGNED FOR THE PEOPLE USING IT
The Application Has to Make Sense to the User.
Software can technically work and still fail if employees cannot understand it, customers avoid it or important tasks are buried behind unnecessary steps.
We design the application around the users, their tasks and the information they need at each stage rather than exposing every function simply because the system can support it.
CLEAR – RESPONSIVE – PURPOSEFUL – USABLE
ACCESS AND PERMISSIONS
Not Every User Needs to See or Change Everything.
Business applications often serve different groups of people with different responsibilities. Administrators, employees, customers and partners may each need a different view of the same underlying system.
Roles and permissions can be designed around the requirements of the application so users are given access to the information and actions appropriate to their responsibilities.
USERS – ROLES – PERMISSIONS – ACTIONS
CUSTOM VS OFF THE SHELF
Custom Software Is Not Automatically the Right Answer.
If an existing product can solve the problem well, building a replacement from scratch may create unnecessary cost and maintenance.
Custom development becomes more compelling when the workflow is unusual, several systems need to be connected, important processes are still manual or the business needs capabilities that standard software cannot reasonably provide.
USE THE RIGHT TOOL – BUILD WHEN THE BUSINESS NEEDS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
HOW WE BUILD BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
Understand the Workflow Before Writing the Software.
The application should reflect a clearly understood business process, not guesses made during development.
01 – DISCOVER
Understand the business problem, users, existing process, data and surrounding systems.
02 – MAP THE WORKFLOW
Define what happens, who does it, what information is required and where decisions or handoffs occur.
03 – ARCHITECT AND DESIGN
Plan the application structure, screens, data, permissions, integrations and user experience.
04 – BUILD AND TEST
Develop the application and validate the important workflows with the people who will actually use it.
05 – LAUNCH AND IMPROVE
Launch the application, support adoption and continue improving the system as the business learns from real use.
BUILT TO EVOLVE
The First Version Should Not Have to Be the Final Version.
Business processes change after people begin using a new system. New requirements appear. Features that seemed essential may become less important, while unexpected needs become obvious.
The application can be developed in stages so the most important workflow is solved first and additional capabilities are added as the business validates what users actually need.
BUILD – USE – LEARN – IMPROVE
FROM APPLICATION TO DIGITAL OPERATIONS
Software Still Needs Ownership After Launch.
Applications change as users, browsers, APIs, connected platforms and business requirements evolve. Launching the system is only one stage of its life.
McBorrough can remain involved with development, integrations, hosting, troubleshooting, improvements and the wider digital operations surrounding the application.
APPLICATION – INTEGRATIONS – HOSTING – SUPPORT – IMPROVEMENTS
NORTHERN VIRGINIA APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
Build Locally. Deploy Wherever the Business Works.
McBorrough is based in Northern Virginia and works with businesses and organizations across the DMV and beyond that need better digital systems behind their operations.
CENTREVILLE – MANASSAS – FAIRFAX – HERNDON – RESTON – TYSONS – ARLINGTON – ASHBURN – ROCKVILLE – WASHINGTON DC
BUSINESS APPLICATIONS FAQ
Questions About Custom Business Applications
What is a custom business application?
It is software designed around a specific business workflow or customer need rather than requiring the organization to adapt completely to a generic product. Examples include internal tools, portals, dashboards, workflow systems and specialized web applications.
Do you build mobile apps?
The right approach depends on the application. Many business systems can be built as responsive web applications that work across desktop, tablet and mobile browsers. Projects requiring a dedicated mobile application can be evaluated based on the specific requirements.
Can the application connect to software we already use?
Potentially, yes. If the existing platforms provide appropriate APIs or other integration methods, the application can be designed to exchange information or trigger actions between systems.
Can you replace one of our spreadsheet based processes?
Yes. Spreadsheet-driven workflows are often good candidates for review when multiple people need to edit the same information, records are becoming difficult to manage or important actions depend on manual follow-up.
Can AI be added to a custom application?
Yes, when there is a defined use case. AI may help with search, summarization, drafting, classification, workflow assistance or other tasks depending on the information and controls available to the application.
Can you improve an application that already exists?
Possibly. We first need to understand how the application was built, the technology involved and whether the current system is practical to extend. In some cases improvement is the right move; in others a new architecture may be safer or more efficient.
How long does a business application take to build?
The timeline depends on the number of workflows, users, screens, integrations and technical requirements involved. We first define the problem and scope so the project can be divided into realistic stages.
How do we get started?
Tell us what the business is trying to accomplish, how the work is handled today and where the current process is creating problems. You do not need to know what technology should be used before contacting us.
PART OF THE BUILD SYSTEM
Build the Application. Connect It to the Business.
Custom software becomes more valuable when it connects cleanly with the website, customer journey, automation and digital operations surrounding it.
RELATED MCBORROUGH SERVICES
Business Consulting and Digital Strategy
Enterprise Solutions
Web Design and Development
AI Business Automation
System Integrations
Hosting
Digital Operations
WHEN THE BUSINESS NO LONGER FITS THE SOFTWARE
Build Software Around the Business.
Tell us what your team is trying to accomplish, how the process works today and where the existing tools are getting in the way. We will help determine whether the right answer is a custom application, an integration, automation or a better use of something you already have.