Services

Custom software development in Melbourne

Three ways to start, usually in this order. A fixed-price systems diagnostic first. An integration sprint across the tools you already use: Xero, LEAP, Xplan, HUB24, ClickUp, or whatever practice-management or field-operations system sits at the centre of your stack. Custom software development on a database-first foundation when nothing off-the-shelf fits.

Looking for ready-to-go products instead? See all three solutions, or if you are running solo, see Devinium Hub, our self-serve product for sole operators. New to how we run an engagement? See how we work, from diagnostic to delivery.

Builds we specialise in

Browse the build that brought you here, or scroll on for the three engagement tiers.

Skip to engagement tiers

Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho

Custom CRM development

For firms that have outgrown Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho or an Access database. Built on the records your firm really keeps, with integrations to Xero, LEAP, Karbon and Xplan where you need them.

See custom CRM development

Xero, LEAP, Xplan, MYOB

Integrations

Middleware that lets the tools your firm already runs agree on one record. Reconciliation lives in the data model once, not in a brittle chain of overnight Zaps.

See integrations

Moodle, Canvas, TalentLMS

Custom LMS development

For providers that have outgrown Moodle, Canvas or TalentLMS. CPD tracking, assessment engines and certificate issuance built on the completion record your regulator actually needs.

See custom LMS development

Excel, Access, SharePoint lists

Excel to web app

Pricing schedules, matter trackers and commission sheets that grew into business-critical tools. One source of truth with role-based access, a real audit trail, and a workflow that runs on a phone.

See Excel to web app

Email threads, shared drives, bookmarks

Client and staff portals

Branded client portals so partners stop emailing statements around. Staff operations portals that replace ten bookmarks. Role-based access and a real audit trail, mobile-friendly from day one.

See client and staff portals

Claude, Cursor, v0 prototypes

Vibe-code to production

We port the parts that work, rebuild what cannot stand up to real users, and put the whole thing on a database-first foundation so it keeps working as the business grows.

See vibe-code to production

Three engagement tiers

For when none of the builds above matched.

Recommended

Systems diagnostic

2-3 weeks, fixed price

We map your systems, find the waste, and tell you what to fix first. A common first step.

Current system map
Data flow analysis
Manual process audit
Prioritised recommendations
A clear plan for the top three fixes

See the systems diagnostic

Integration sprint

4-8 weeks per integration

We connect your existing tools so data flows automatically. Built on proper data models, not Zapier chains that break at 3am.

Working integrations between Xero, LEAP, Xplan and other systems
Error handling and retry
Monitoring and alerts
Documentation your team can read

See the integration sprint

Custom software development

3-6 months for the first release

Purpose-built applications on a proper data foundation. For the workflows no off-the-shelf tool handles.

Purpose-built application: web, mobile, or both
Database-first architecture
User-tested interfaces
Integrations with your existing tools
Ongoing support after launch

See custom software development

Systems diagnostic

For when nothing is obviously broken, but the same tasks keep taking longer than they should.

What it is

A 2-3 week investigation of your current systems, data flows, and manual processes. We map what you have, identify what's broken, and recommend what to fix first.

Who it's for

Firms that know something is broken but aren't sure what to fix first
Firms that have tried point solutions and still have problems
Firms that want a clear picture before committing

What you get

Current system map: every tool, who uses it, how data moves between them
Data flow analysis: where data is created, duplicated, and lost
Manual process audit: what your team does by hand that could be automated
Prioritized recommendations: what to fix first, second, third
Rough cost estimates for the top 3 fixes

Timeline

2-3 weeks, fixed price. Scoped during the discovery call.

Your team's time

Approximately three hours over the engagement. We do the rest.

What if the diagnostic doesn't find anything?

If we can't find meaningful improvements, you walk away with a clean bill of health for your systems. Since 2007, this hasn't happened. We have always found significant waste worth fixing.

The diagnostic does not commit you to further work with Devinium. Some firms take the report and act on it themselves. That's fine.

Book a free discovery call

Integration sprint

Your systems mostly work, except someone has to re-key data between them every day.

What it is

Connect your existing systems, build middleware, eliminate manual data transfer. Your team stops re-keying data.

Who it's for

Businesses connecting CRM, accounting, and compliance systems
Teams re-keying data between two or more platforms
Companies with Xero, LEAP, Xplan, or similar tools that need to sync

What you get

Working integrations between your systems
Error handling so problems are caught, not silent
Monitoring: alerts when something goes wrong
Documentation your team can reference

Timeline

Four to eight weeks per integration. Scope and price agreed up front during the diagnostic.

How it works: not a Zapier chain

We build a proper data foundation. Map data models on both sides, resolve source-of-truth conflicts, build a sync layer with error handling. When a Zapier chain breaks at 3am, nobody knows until a client complains. Our integrations tell you what went wrong and why.

Book a free discovery call

Custom software development

For the workflows no off-the-shelf tool will fit, because they are how your business actually works.

What it is

Bespoke applications built on database-first architecture. Purpose-built for processes that no off-the-shelf tool handles.

Who it's for

Firms with unique processes no off-the-shelf tool handles
Firms that have outgrown spreadsheets or Access databases
Firms where critical processes live in one person's Excel file

What you get

Purpose-built application: web, mobile, or both
Proper data foundation: relational database designed for your domain
User interfaces designed for the people who actually use the system
Integrations with your existing tools
Ongoing support after launch

Timeline

Three to six months for the first release, then iterative. Working software every two to four weeks.

The database-first difference

We design the data model before writing application code. The system evolves from there. New reports, interfaces, and integrations all draw from the same foundation.

The hospital systems we built in 2012 are still in production.

Book a free discovery call

How engagements start

Most common

Diagnostic first

Start with the systems diagnostic. Get a clear picture of what's broken and what to fix first. Then decide whether to continue.

Sometimes

Well-defined integration

You already know exactly which two systems need connecting. We skip the diagnostic and go straight to an integration sprint.

Rarely

Custom from day one

You've done the analysis yourself and know you need a bespoke application. We validate the approach and move into build.

The pattern

Low-risk entry point

Every engagement starts small. You see our work before committing to anything bigger. No 6-month contracts upfront. No lock-in.

What we don't do

Hardware, networking, or general IT support
Projects requiring formal security accreditations
Formal PMO or QA programs
"Digital transformation" consulting without delivery
Competing with your existing IT support

Ongoing support

Bug fixes and small enhancements
System monitoring and alerts
Periodic reviews: quarterly or biannual
Priority response for production issues
Some client relationships run 5+ years

Building software since 2007. Recent work across wealth, health, manufacturing, education and professional services.

How we're different

vs. Freelancers

A team, not a single point of failure.

A freelancer is one person, on one laptop, with one set of priorities. When they get sick, take a holiday, or win a bigger contract, your project waits. There's often no proper data model either. We're a small team with continuity. We've shipped for the same clients since 2007, and the person who built it is still reachable three years later when you want to add a feature. Read about the senior team behind the work.

When a freelancer is the right call: a small, well-scoped brief with a clear finish line, and no expectation of a long-term relationship.

vs. No-code, low-code

Past the point where no-code falls over.

No-code (think Airtable, Retool and Zapier) gets the first version out the door fast. Then the real workload arrives. Thousands of records. Custom approval logic. An integration the platform doesn't support. A performance wall at a scale the marketing page didn't mention. We build on a proper database and real code, so your logic, your data, and your integrations don't depend on a vendor's roadmap.

When no-code is the right call: a small team doing straightforward work that fits inside a platform's guardrails, where the cost of migrating later is acceptable.

vs. AI code generators

From sketch to a system that survives a real workload.

A prototype from Claude, Cursor or Lovable is a sketch. It shows the shape. We take your sketch and build it into something with proper migrations, a real database schema, sensible error handling, and a deployment that won't drop your data on a Tuesday. Database-first is what turns a demo into a system you can still extend in two years.

When AI-generated code is the right call: internal tools, prototypes, and early-stage products where starting over later is an acceptable trade-off.

And the two bigger alternatives

The other two options most firms weigh are a big consultancy and a packaged platform. Here is the honest comparison.

How Devinium compares with a big consultancy and packaged SaaS like Salesforce or HubSpot.
Comparison dimension	Devinium	Big consultancy	SaaS (Salesforce / HubSpot)
To get started	A scoped project that earns its keep. No minimum transformation budget.	A transformation budget and a procurement cycle before anyone starts.	Per-seat licences, then setup, then a partner to configure it.
Fit to your process	Built around the workflow that makes you different.	Configured to a standard playbook; deviation is billed change.	You adapt your process to the platform, not the other way round.
Your data	One database you own, designed to be queried and extended.	Spread across the platforms the integrator stitched together.	Lives in the vendor’s schema. Export is possible; leaving is expensive.
Cost over time	You pay to build it, then to run and extend it. No per-seat tax on growth.	High day rates carry the overhead. Each change is a new statement of work.	Seat licences compound as you grow, whether or not the seats get used.

Devinium

To get started: A scoped project that earns its keep. No minimum transformation budget.
Fit to your process: Built around the workflow that makes you different.
Your data: One database you own, designed to be queried and extended.
Cost over time: You pay to build it, then to run and extend it. No per-seat tax on growth.

Big consultancy

To get started: A transformation budget and a procurement cycle before anyone starts.
Fit to your process: Configured to a standard playbook; deviation is billed change.
Your data: Spread across the platforms the integrator stitched together.
Cost over time: High day rates carry the overhead. Each change is a new statement of work.

SaaS (Salesforce / HubSpot)

To get started: Per-seat licences, then setup, then a partner to configure it.
Fit to your process: You adapt your process to the platform, not the other way round.
Your data: Lives in the vendor’s schema. Export is possible; leaving is expensive.
Cost over time: Seat licences compound as you grow, whether or not the seats get used.

Weighing a platform specifically? We wrote up when a 30-person firm should choose Salesforce and when a custom CRM pays off faster, including the seat-licence maths most firms get wrong.

They have brought to the table key knowledge and competences allowing us to transition and integrate everything into our corporate environment with minimal client disruption and zero downtime.

Kevin Jeyakanthan, Development Manager, Civica

Not sure which tier fits?

Start with a conversation. We'll tell you which approach makes sense for your situation.

Book a free discovery call