Custom Software
Software That Fits Your Business — Not the Other Way Around
When SAP is too rigid, licenses get 25% more expensive, and off-the-shelf software covers everything except the 20% that is your competitive edge: we build custom software with an open stack and honest advice.
Typical projects €30k–80k · source code from day one
Why Off-the-Shelf Software Is Not Enough
Midsize CEOs and IT leads look for custom software when the gap between “80% covered” and “exactly what we need” gets too expensive.
SAP Cannot Do It — And That Is Exactly What We Need
Off-the-shelf software covers the core. The 20% that differentiates your business — pricing, production control, industry logic — is missing.
The Last Agency Vanished
Vendor insolvent, source code gone, nobody dares touch it. Every change takes six weeks — if anyone answers at all.
License Prices Rise Every Year
Maintenance and licenses for off-the-shelf software: 22–25% of the purchase price per year. Custom software often pays for itself after 18–24 months.
Projects Drag on, Fixed Prices Balloon
More than half of IT decision-makers in the DACH region have seen business-critical initiatives fail — often because of poor scope planning and missing transparency.
Why Artus
Three arguments that matter in every engagement — not just on the website.
One Point of Contact, All the Way Through
No account manager carousel. Senior co-founders on the project — strategic advice, not junior bingo.
Source-Code Ownership from Day One
Git repo access from the start. Postgres instead of a proprietary database, Next.js instead of a CMS walled garden. No vendor lock-in.
GDPR + German Hosting + Green Power
Compliance, data sovereignty, and ESG reporting from a single source — one contract partner for build and run.
Advice, Not Just Programming
Weeks 1–4: On-Site Discovery to Demo
Week 1: understand the process. Week 2: clickable prototype. Week 3: first working module. Week 4: demo with real data.
Three Pricing Models — Explained Honestly
Fixed price per sprint, fixed price for the whole project, or time and materials with a budget cap. No fixed-price theater that collapses the moment scope changes.
14 → 4 days
A Concrete Case with Real Numbers
Order processing from 14 days down to 4, ROI after 11 months, running for three years without a major incident — that is what success looks like.
Off-The-Shelf vs. Custom Software
TCO over five years — a typical midsize scenario.
| Off-the-shelf software | Custom softwareEmpfohlen | |
|---|---|---|
| Fit for your business | 80% — the rest is manual | 100% — exactly your process |
| Ongoing license costs | 22–25% per year, rising | 15–20% maintenance per year |
| Adaptability | Limited (customization) | Unlimited |
| Vendor lock-in risk | High (the vendor) | None (your code) |
| Data sovereignty (DE/EU) | Varies | Complete (German hosting) |
| TCO over five years | Rising | Predictable, often 30–40% lower |
What Weeks 1–4 Look Like
Week 1
On-Site Discovery
Understand processes, involve stakeholders, cut scope honestly.
Week 2
Clickable Prototype
First screens to try out — feedback before code goes into production.
Week 3
First Working Module
Real code, real data, first integration — no mockup.
Week 4
Demo and Decision
Go or no-go based on substance, not PowerPoint.
Code and Docs Are Yours — From Day One
- Git repository with full access from day one
- Architecture and operations documentation (Markdown)
- Deployment scripts and runbook
- Data processing agreement and record of processing activities
- Role and permission model
- Software escrow on request
- Maintenance agreement with a clear SLA
Budget Corridors
Widget / add-on
from €5k
A small extension alongside your existing ERP
Typical midsize project
€30k–80k
A standalone application with integrations
Larger platform
€100k–250k
Several modules, enterprise integrations
Senior day rates in the DACH region: €850–1,300 per day. We calculate transparently — no “price on request.”
Common Questions
Concrete answers — no hedging.
Over five years it is often 30–40% cheaper than off-the-shelf software with licenses, customization, and workarounds. We run those numbers with you on the intro call.
You own the source code after acceptance and have Git access from project start. Software escrow on request. The stack is open — any developer can take over.
Small and midsize companies often win a competitive edge precisely through their ability to customize. What matters is not company size but whether the process is business-critical.
That is exactly what happens in the first two weeks of discovery. We help you structure things — working with your reality, not against it.
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