Breaking the Legacy Ceiling
Replacing an outgrown MRP system with one built around how the business actually runs
“A working replacement in 48 hours. Feature parity in 14 days. The client owns all of its data.”
What wasn't working
The client ran on a legacy Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) system they had outgrown. It didn't connect to anything else, kept data in silos, and couldn't change as the business did.
Off-the-shelf replacements came with high per-seat licence fees and still missed features the business relied on. A fully custom-coded system meant months of development, real risk, and ongoing maintenance. They were stuck between too expensive and too slow.
Many M&E and FM contractors are in the same position with job, stock and purchasing systems: the software either doesn't fit the way jobs really run, or costs too much per user to roll out to everyone who needs it.
How we tackled it
We didn't wait for a long selection process. A quick comparison of cost against features showed that a custom build on Airtable would fit better and cost far less.
A working prototype was ready within 48 hours. Within two weeks it matched everything the old system did, and all of the legacy data had been migrated, so the team switched over without losing a day.
What changed
Connected to the existing tools
Unlike the old, isolated system, the new one links into the tools the team already used: SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Slack and Xero, all updating in real time.
Stock and purchasing logic
Features that off-the-shelf tools usually keep for expensive top tiers: assemblies and bills of materials with automatic raw-material calculation, one-click purchase orders raised from live stock shortfalls, and full serial-number traceability.
Live view of stock
Barcode scanning and logistics tracking give management a live picture of what stock is where, which they had never had before.
Data the client owns
The data is structured cleanly and belongs to the client. Nightly backups and easy export mean they're never locked in to a supplier again.
The difference
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost | High per-seat licence fees | Low, and no per-seat charges as the team grows |
| Time to First Version | Weeks of setup, or 3–6 months of custom development | 2 days to a working prototype |
| Fitting the Business | Rigid, or flexible but slow to change | Changes made in hours |
| Maintenance | Generic support, or heavy developer upkeep | Light, on fully managed cloud infrastructure |
| Data Ownership | Locked in to the supplier | Client owns all data, backed up nightly |
Why it matters
Building on a no-code platform meant the team didn't wait months for a finished product. They were working on a better system within 14 days.
Once the core was stable and the team trusted it, the work moved straight on to the features they'd always wanted, like assembly logic and logistics tracking.
For a contractor, the same approach applies to job setup, materials and purchasing: a system that fits how your jobs actually run, connected to the tools you already use, without paying per seat for software that only half fits.
Want the same for how your jobs run?
No pitch, no prep. Describe how jobs run now and I'll help you pinpoint the bottlenecks.