shardana.ai does custom web application and software development for companies and SMEs: management tools, portals, internal platforms and integrations that replace shared Excel sheets, forwarded emails and programs that do not talk to each other. The studio is based in Cabras (Oristano), in Sardinia, and works with companies across Italy, mostly remotely.
In many companies work still runs through a spreadsheet that only two people know how to update, through management software installed years ago that nobody dares to touch, through orders that arrive by email and are retyped by hand. Off-the-shelf software covers part of the need and leaves out exactly the steps that make your way of working different. Our job is to build that part, and connect it to everything else.
What is a custom web application?
A custom web application is software designed around the processes of a specific company and used in the browser, with nothing to install on computers. It can be a management tool for orders, jobs or inventory, a private area where clients follow cases and documents, a portal for agents and suppliers, or an internal tool that brings together data now scattered across several programs. Unlike a website, which presents the company, a web application gets people's work done: it manages users and permissions, stores data, applies rules, produces documents and talks to other systems through APIs. Unlike software bought on subscription, it follows your process instead of asking you to adapt to its own. It can be used from the office, from home or on site, on a smartphone too, and it is updated in one place: when we release a new version, everyone uses it straight away, with no installations to repeat computer by computer.
When is it worth building custom software instead of buying it?
It is worth it when the process is an important part of how your company works or makes money, and no product on the market fits it without forcing things. That happens when you pay for several overlapping subscriptions and data still has to be copied from one to another, when customizing a management package now costs more than dedicated software, or when an Excel file has become the operational heart of the company and every formula error is expensive. It is also worth it when you need to offer clients a digital service your competitors do not have. It is not worth it for standard activities such as accounting, payroll or email: there a good existing product costs less and maintains itself. In the first conversation we also weigh this option with you, and if the right answer is to buy an existing tool, we tell you.
| Aspect | Off-the-shelf software | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Fit with processes | The company adapts to the tool | The tool follows the company's processes |
| Time to start | Immediate for standard features | Weeks or months, with progressive releases |
| Costs | A subscription that grows with users and modules | Initial investment plus maintenance |
| Integrations | Limited to those the vendor provides | Designed around the systems you already use |
| Ownership | Data and features depend on the vendor | Code and data stay with the company |
What web applications do we build?
We build web applications for different needs, which often coexist in the same project. The starting point is almost always a process that costs time today: an order that goes through three people, a piece of data that has to be looked up in four places, a client request whose status nobody knows. From there we choose the right form: an internal management tool if the work concerns your team, a portal if it involves clients, agents or suppliers, a complete platform if the software is itself the service you sell. When the problem is getting existing tools to talk to each other, the project becomes an integration; when the current software has to be taken over or replaced, we start from a code review. Below you will find the main cases, with links to the pages on related services. If your case does not fit any of them, tell us anyway: it is often a combination of these elements.
Management software and internal tools
Applications for orders, jobs, quotes, inventory, shifts or cases, built on the real stages of your work. Each role sees only what it needs, every change is tracked and reports are generated from the data, not from manual copies.
Portals for clients, agents and suppliers
Private areas where clients follow requests, orders and documents, agents enter offers and suppliers update availability and deliveries. Fewer phone calls asking "where are we with this?" and fewer emails to sort.
Platforms and digital products
When the software is the service you sell, you need subscription management, different roles and an architecture designed to grow. If the product is new and still has to be tested with the market, we start from an MVP for startups and SMEs.
Integrations and APIs
Connectors between management software, CRMs, e-commerce, invoicing tools and external services, so the same data is never entered twice. When the goal is to automate an entire flow across several tools, the work continues with AI automation for business processes.
Rebuilding existing software
Outdated applications that are hard to change or were written by people who no longer work with you. We start from a code audit and decide whether it is better to fix, replace piece by piece or rewrite, without stopping the work of the people who use the system every day.
Websites, content portals and e-commerce
If you need a company website, a landing page or a content portal, you will find the details on the page about websites, landing pages and portals. To sell online, see e-commerce development.
How is a web application developed, phase by phase?
A custom web application is built in short, verifiable steps, so you can see the software grow and correct the direction before it is too late. We start with a conversation about the current process, the tools in use and what is not working. Then comes the analysis, in which we map activities, exceptions, roles and data with the people who will do the work, and define a scope with clear priorities. Next we design the architecture and the interfaces and check them with the people who will actually use the software. Development proceeds through frequent releases to a test environment you have access to: you try it, comment and we decide the next priorities together. Before going live there are tests, security checks and, if needed, data migration from the current system. After release the software has to be maintained and evolved. The timeline of your project is set in the proposal, after the analysis.
| Phase | What happens | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| First conversation | Current process, problems, tools in use | A first idea of feasibility and scope |
| Analysis | Activities, exceptions, roles, data, required integrations | Scope document with priorities |
| Design | Architecture, data model, main interfaces | Screen prototype and documented architecture |
| Incremental development | Frequent releases to a test environment, demos and feedback | Software that grows with every release |
| Acceptance testing and go-live | Tests, security, performance, data migration | Application in production, data transferred |
| Maintenance and evolution | Fixes, updates, new features | Software that stays aligned with the company |
How do we make an application secure and easy to maintain?
Business software is worth as much as its ability to keep working in three years' time, when people and needs will have changed. That is why quality is not a final phase but a working rule. Code is reviewed before every release and critical paths, such as login, entering an order or generating a document, are covered by automated tests. Releases go through a continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipeline and through separate development, test and production environments, so no change reaches users without being checked. On the security side we design role-based permissions, log sensitive operations, encrypt communications and provide verified backups. Personal data is handled in line with the GDPR from the design stage. The main architectural choices go into a decision log: whoever comes next will know why the system is built this way, and will be able to change it without fear.
What do you receive at the end of the project?
At the end of each phase you receive something you can check, not just a presentation. In short:
- The web application in production, on cloud infrastructure registered to your company.
- The source code in a repository registered to you, with the full history of changes.
- Separate development, test and production environments.
- Technical documentation: architecture, local setup, release, decisions taken.
- The user manual for the people who work with the software every day.
- Data migration from the previous system, when included in the scope.
- The backlog of future improvements, ordered by priority.
Code ownership, access and support arrangements are defined in the proposal, before we start.
How much does custom web application development cost?
The cost of a custom web application depends on the agreed scope, which is why we do not publish a one-size-fits-all price list. The main factors are the number of roles and processes to manage, integrations with existing systems, the amount and quality of data to migrate, security requirements and the number of concurrent users. On top of that come the recurring costs of cloud infrastructure, external services and maintenance, which should be estimated from the start so that the project can be compared with subscription alternatives over a horizon of a few years, not just the first month. One way to reduce risk is to start from the process that weighs most and release it first, instead of replacing everything at once. After the first conversation you receive a written proposal with phases, deliverables and costs, and you can start with the analysis alone before committing to the whole development.
| Factor | Simpler project | More complex project |
|---|---|---|
| Roles and processes | One department, one process | Several departments, clients and suppliers with different permissions |
| Integrations | None, or one documented API | Management software, CRM and ERP without ready-made APIs |
| Existing data | Little data, already tidy | Years of data to clean and migrate |
| Security | Internal use, non-sensitive data | Personal or confidential data, external access |
| Users | One internal team | External users and usage peaks |
What happens after release?
A web application is not finished on the day it goes live: people start using it for real, cases nobody had foreseen come up and the company changes. That is why the proposal sets out from the start how the next phase will be handled. Corrective maintenance fixes reported problems, with agreed response times. Security updates keep frameworks, libraries and infrastructure up to date, because software left untouched for years becomes vulnerable even if nobody changes it. Evolution adds features based on the backlog and on what users ask for, with the same method of progressive releases used during development. You can entrust this phase to us, to your IT department or to another supplier: code, documentation and access are yours, and the handover is planned in the project. The goal is for you to be free to choose, not locked in.
What technologies and experience do we work with?
shardana.ai was founded in 2026, but the work rests on more than 25 years of experience of its founder, Maurizio Brioschi, in software engineering, backend development, system architecture and leading technical teams. Over time he has designed web platforms, business applications and digital products, working on architecture, AWS cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, security and technical governance. This experience predates the studio, and we keep it separate from the age of the brand. The reference stack includes PHP and Laravel, Node.js and TypeScript, React and Vue.js, MySQL, with API-based architectures. The choice of technology, however, follows the project: we prefer widely used, well-documented tools that your team or another supplier can take over without difficulty. When an application needs artificial intelligence features, such as document search or data extraction, we integrate them with the same method as AI development for businesses. We do not publish client cases we cannot document.
Where do we work?
We work with companies and SMEs across Italy, mostly remotely: analysis, demos, releases and reviews work well online. The studio is in Cabras, in the province of Oristano, and for projects in Sardinia in-person meetings can be arranged, starting with the analysis together with the people who will use the software.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the source code ours?
- Yes. The code lives in a repository registered to your company and the rights are set out in the contract before we start. The infrastructure and external service accounts are registered to you as well.
- Can you take over software developed by someone else?
- Yes, starting from a code audit. Before proposing changes we work out how the system is built, what risks it carries and what is best to do: fix it, replace it piece by piece or rewrite it.
- Can we work with our IT department?
- Yes. We can develop the application and hand it over to your team, or work together from the start with shared code reviews and architecture decisions taken jointly.
- Where is the application hosted?
- On cloud infrastructure registered to your company, chosen according to requirements, budget and where the data must reside. We set up environments, backups and monitoring, and document everything.
- Do we also need a smartphone app?
- Often not. A responsive web application works well on smartphones and tablets, and a PWA can be installed from the browser without going through the app stores. Native apps are needed when the project requires phone features the web does not offer.
- Can artificial intelligence features be added?
- Yes, when they solve a concrete problem: document search, data extraction from files and forms, request classification, draft replies. We assess them during the analysis along with the other features, without adding them because they are fashionable.
Related services
- MVP development for startups and SMEs: the first version of a new product, to be tested with real users.
- AI automation for business processes: flows between CRMs, management software, email and documents.
- AI development for businesses: chatbots, agents and MCP servers connected to your data.
- Artificial intelligence consulting: to decide where to use AI before building anything.
- Code audit: to understand the state of existing software.
- About us: the studio, the method and the founder.
What work are you still doing by hand because the software does not do it?
Describe the process, the tools you use today and what you would like to achieve. We will reply with a first assessment and, if it makes sense, a proposal for the analysis.