Internal Tools
Replace Spreadsheets — Without Retool Lock-in
When spreadsheets buckle, SaaS gets more expensive, and nobody understands the macros anymore: we build internal tools that scale, stay auditable, and run on servers in Germany.
Internal tools from €14k · MVP in 8–12 weeks
Does This Sound Familiar?
Heads of operations and IT come to us when the spreadsheet becomes a risk — not out of curiosity.
Excel as a De Facto Database
Past roughly 20,000 rows it slows to a crawl. Simultaneous edits create version chaos. For compliance and audits that is not a viable foundation.
US SaaS Gets Expensive at Renewal
Retool, Airtable, Notion: per-seat costs climb and external-user rules tighten. With 30 internal and 200 external users that quickly adds up to €15k–25k a year — without data sovereignty.
Key-Person Risk
One person maintains the Access file, knows the macros, holds the process together. When that person leaves, operations stop.
No-Code Hits Its Limits
Notion caps out at 20,000 records. As soon as you need relational logic, fine-grained permissions, and audit logs, the tool no longer fits.
Why Artus
Three arguments that matter in every engagement — not just on the website.
GDPR + German Hosting + Green Power
No Cloud Act, no third-country transfers. Hosting in Germany, a data processing agreement, and documented technical and organizational measures — explained in one sentence, not buried in a footnote.
You Talk to the People Who Build It
Two senior founders on the project. No account manager layer, no junior who first needs your business explained to them.
Code and Docs Belong to You
Git repo from day one, open stack (Next.js, TypeScript, Postgres). No vendor lock-in — neither with us nor with a US provider.
Substance Instead of Marketing Fluff
12 spreadsheets → 1 schema
Before and After Instead of Buzzwords
12 spreadsheets, 47 macros → one Postgres schema, three roles, an audit log. That is how we document migrations — not with “end-to-end digital transformation.”
A Permission Matrix Excel Cannot Do
Role × data area × read/write — fine-grained, traceable, auditable. Exactly what your works council and data protection officer want to see.
Three-Year TCO: Retool vs. Building Your Own
With 30 internal users and growing external access, building your own often pays off from year two — maintenance included, with full control over your data.
Retool vs. Your Own Tool — An Honest Comparison
Example: 30 internal users, moderate complexity, three-year view.
| Retool (cloud) | Your own tool (Artus)Empfohlen | |
|---|---|---|
| Data sovereignty (DE/EU) | Limited (US cloud) | Complete (German hosting) |
| Per-seat costs scale | Yes, rising | No — fixed maintenance |
| Fine-grained permissions | Limited | Fully custom |
| Audit log & compliance | Enterprise plan required | Standard |
| Customizable without limits | Within the platform | Unlimited |
| TCO over three years | approx. €45k–75k | approx. €35k–55k incl. maintenance |
What Week One Looks Like
Day 1
Kickoff and Process Discovery
We map the process as it is — not the wish list from the spec document.
Day 3
Domain Model and Data Structure
Which entities, relationships, and roles does the system actually need?
Day 5
Clickable Prototype
First screens to try out — feedback from power users, not just from the CEO.
Day 7
First Data Migration
Spreadsheet data in Postgres — you see real numbers, not mockups.
What You Hold in Your Hands When the Project Ends
- 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
Realistic Ballparks
Compact tool
€14k–35k
A single process, few roles, no ERP integration
Tool with integrations
€35k–84k
ERP/DATEV integration, auth, workflows, multi-tenancy
Platform
from €105k
Several modules, complex permissions, long-term operations
Maintenance typically 15–20% per year. Hosting on German servers from about €38 per month.
Common Questions
Concrete answers — no hedging.
For quick prototypes they often make sense. As soon as data sovereignty, scale, permissions, and compliance matter, no-code tools hit their limits — and per-seat costs grow with every user.
We do, under a contractually fixed maintenance scope with a clear SLA — or you take over using our handover documentation. The code is yours and the stack is standard.
For simple forms, yes. As soon as relational data, audit logs, and GDPR-compliant hosting matter, Power Apps quickly gets expensive and inflexible.
First clickable prototype in week one. An MVP with real data typically in 8–12 weeks, depending on complexity and the number of integrations.
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