- Dan Reynolds, Founder We Build Databases -
Before we write a single line of code, we make sure we understand your data challenges so we can build a solution that meets your specific needs. From the software look and layout to the coding and the framework that supports it.
Custom database development means designing a database, and the application your team uses with it, around how your organization actually works. We Build Databases has done this since 2006, with 500+ projects for organizations across the United States and Canada. Typical projects take 2–4 months from discovery to launch.
Your business may depend on spreadsheets, a Microsoft Access database or custom software that no longer fits. Staff need to enter information once and find it when they need it. Approvals have to reach the right people, and the system has to adapt as the business changes.
Some clients come to us after trying packaged software or working with another developer. They still need a system that fits their business and clean data they can use, but lack the expertise to build it in-house.
We Build Databases is a US-based database and software development team. We take time to understand your business before designing the system. Our team builds the database and application together, connects existing systems and provides continuing support. We also modernize older software.
Tell us what you use today and where your team gets stuck. Discuss your project with WBD.
ERP, quality management and production line data.
Patient programs, health records and department systems.
Research platforms, surveys and student data.
Program registration, screening and reporting.
Case management and eDiscovery.
Freight documents, shipments and billing data.
Financial records, reporting and audit trails.
A custom database reflects the relationships in your business. You might need to link customers with jobs or participants with programs. Manufacturing records may cover production runs and downtime; research records may connect researchers and survey rounds. The application gives people a practical way to work with those records.
We can help with:
If an existing product fits your essential workflow, buying it may be the better choice. Our custom versus off-the-shelf guide explains the trade-offs to consider before commissioning a custom build.
Related services: cloud database development, AI data preparation, Medallia and Qualtrics work.
SQL is a common way to work with structured business data. WBD provides consulting to help you plan an SQL database and can build a prototype before development. The project can also include the application and its integrations, followed by continuing support. We agree on that scope with you so the advice can lead to a working system.
We take over custom systems built by other developers and salvage software that needs a new team to move it forward. We also work with existing ERP and CRM systems. ERP systems manage business resources and operations. CRM systems manage customer relationships.
What happens next depends on what can still be used. A repair may address a specific problem. Modernization can replace parts in stages. A rewrite may be necessary when the underlying software no longer supports the work. We have experience cleaning historical data and building in parallel with systems already in use.
Some systems need substantial work before they can be supported or changed. We need to establish what access is available to the code and database, as well as the hosting and external services. That affects what can be assessed and the order of the work.
An AI assistant needs relevant records that it can interpret. The connection also needs controls over what each person may see and what actions it may take.
WBD has production integrations using Model Context Protocol (MCP), a way for an AI application to connect to tools and information. These integrations provide read-only access to a separate replicated database. The main application continues handling operational writes and updates. We select the data and fields for the intended users and use case.
Each project needs an agreement on which fields and AI applications are allowed and who may use them. It also needs a decision about how current the replicated data must be. A read-only connection still exposes information and needs access controls.
Our published projects show different reasons to build or modernize:
Your assigned team works with you from discovery through launch and support. The work includes:
Engagements can use a dedicated team or an agreed fixed scope. A dedicated team from start to finish is our typical approach.
“WBD team has been a trusted partner for several years. Most firms simply try to expand project scope and deliverables without taking into account the stage a company is at and what they really need to create value.”
“We Build Databases has given me the tools to connect with so many individuals on their road to sobriety. Our launch was a huge success with over 200 downloads and registrations in the first week!"
“These guys are true professionals, We Build Databases solved our technical problems and helped us produce our own industry software solution.”
“The staff at We Build Databases did an excellent service for the University. We will continue to use their team for extending the tools we have created together.”
We build on relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MariaDB, Oracle, SQLite), NoSQL and app databases (MongoDB, Amazon DynamoDB, Firebase / Firestore, Supabase), Snowflake for analytics, and pgvector, Pinecone and Neo4j for AI search and connected data. We choose the database that fits your data, your team and the systems it has to connect to. It can run on AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, or on your own servers.
Yes. Many of our projects start with existing data in spreadsheets, Microsoft Access or an older database. We move it into the new system and clean it up on the way.
Typical custom database projects take 2–4 months from discovery to launch. Replacing or modernizing an existing system can take longer, depending on how much data and how many workflows need to move over.
Yes. The same team that built your system stays on for maintenance and hosting, performance monitoring and ongoing changes after launch. Support can cover the database and application along with their integrations and AI workflows.
Our lead industries are manufacturing, healthcare, higher education, nonprofit, legal, logistics and finance. We've built systems that handle regulated data, including health records and student data, and we design with privacy requirements in mind.
Yes, when the connection is securely built for it. We connect AI tools through an API or MCP, with permissions limited to the data each task needs. The section “AI access to business data” on this page explains how.
Yes. We modernize existing systems as well as build new ones. We need to review the software and data quality, check what access is available and understand the business requirements before deciding what to retain or replace.
Yes. We build reporting and integration around business databases and existing applications. Your team needs to agree on definitions, such as what counts as a completed job. Otherwise a connected report can still give conflicting answers.
Request a Quote
Tell us who uses the system and what information they need. Explain what must keep running during a change.
Tell us a bit about your project, and we’ll get back to you within one business day.
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