Database development and integration
Reliable data behind your systems.
Our database development services bring together data that is spread across a CRM, an online store, accounting and spreadsheets. We design the database, set up data integration between your systems and move data across safely, so apps, reports and AI tools all work from a single, documented source of truth.
What our database development services include
Database design
We study how records are created and used, then design a data model with consistent IDs and decide which system holds the master copy of each kind of data.
Data flows between systems
We connect APIs, exports and databases and describe which fields move where, how duplicates are handled and what happens when an update fails.
Migration and data quality
We test transfers on real records and compare counts before and after. Backups, rollback and a time window are agreed before live systems change.
Ready for reporting and AI
We prepare documented datasets with clear update rules and access rights, so reports and AI tools work from the same checked data.
What you get at handover
- A map of your data sources, the target data model and a table of which field goes where.
- A working integration or migration with checks and a plan for what happens if something fails.
- Data quality checks, short operating notes and a record of who looks after which data.
Spreadsheets, a CRM or your own database: when to change
Spreadsheets are fine while one or two people maintain them. Problems start when several people edit copies, formulas break, and the same customer appears with three spellings. A CRM or ERP solves part of this, but usually leaves gaps that someone fills by hand.
Your own database, or a reporting database next to existing systems, makes sense when data from several sources must be combined, kept consistent and used by apps or reports. Database design starts with how records are created and used, not with tables.
Data integration services: the connections we set up most often
CRM and online store
Customers and orders sync both ways, with one rule for which system wins when they disagree.
Sales and accounting
Invoices and payments flow from the accounting system to the CRM, so managers see who has paid.
Warehouse and orders
Stock levels and reservations reach the store and sales team without manual exports.
Reporting database
Data from all systems lands in one place, cleaned and documented, ready for dashboards and AI.
What this can look like
Customer details live in the CRM, the online store and the accounting system, and each has a different address for the same client. We choose one system as the source of truth, set up the sync and a weekly check for mismatches.
Who data engineering is for
A good fit
- Companies whose systems hold the same data in different versions and staff fix it by hand.
- Teams moving from spreadsheets or an old system to a new database.
- Businesses preparing data for dashboards, an app or AI tools and wanting it reliable from the start.
Not the right fit
- A one-off export from one system to another: a simple script or a built-in import is usually enough.
- A slow or unreliable existing database you want diagnosed first: start with a database audit.
What affects the cost of database development services
We quote cost and timing in EUR after a first look at your data. The main factors:
Number of systems
Each system brings its own API, limits and data quirks to understand and test.
Data clean-up
Merging duplicates and fixing years of inconsistent entries can take longer than the integration itself.
Sync frequency
A nightly transfer is simpler than near real-time sync with conflict handling.
Migration risk
Moving live data needs test runs, backups, a rollback plan and an agreed time window.
We’ll quote cost and timing in EUR after a short brief.Discuss a database project
Database design mistakes that are expensive to fix
- No single customer ID across systems, so records can only be matched by name or email.
- Two systems allowed to change the same field with no rule for which one wins.
- Statuses stored as free text, which makes reports unreliable.
- No history of changes, so nobody can tell when a value changed or why.
- Migrations without a test run and a count of records before and after.
How we move from scattered systems to one data model
Each stage ends with something you can check before we continue.
Brief
We list your systems, the data each one holds and the problems you see today, such as duplicates, gaps and manual fixes.
Data review
We review the structure and samples of real data and agree the data model and which system is the source of truth for each record.
Build and check
We build the integration or migration and test it on real records, including duplicates and failed updates.
Handover and review
We switch it on with monitoring and error alerts, hand over the documentation and review the first weeks of operation together.
What we need from you
A list of the systems involved, administrator or read-only access (or test copies), any existing documentation and examples of records that are often duplicated or wrong.
One person on your side should know where each kind of data comes from and who changes it. Without that person, choosing the source of truth can stall for weeks.
We don’t change live data or delete records without a written plan, a backup and your approval. Reports show what your sources contain; where data is missing, we say so instead of filling the gap with guesses.
Database development and integration: common questions
Can you migrate data without stopping our work?
Usually yes. We test the transfer on a copy, move historical data first and switch over in an agreed window with a rollback plan. Some systems need a short pause in data entry, and we say so in advance.
Can you work with our current database?
Yes. We review its structure, access options and workload first. Often it is enough to improve the existing model or link it to reporting rather than replace it.
How do you handle confidential records?
We start with the database structure and anonymised samples. Access to live records, environments and how long data is kept are agreed before we process anything real.
Do you migrate data from spreadsheets?
Yes. We clean and check the spreadsheet data, agree how it maps to the new structure and compare record counts after the move.
Related services
Read before you start
Short practical guides on the same subject.
- Since 2006
- Written scope before work starts
- One contact person
- Reply within 24 hours
Where does your data live today?
List the systems, who changes the data in each one and what it is used for. We’ll reply with questions and a suggested first step.
The first conversation is free, with no obligation.