Bespoke software & automation

Systems that scale.
Room to step back.

For businesses that make, sell and deliver products. Join up your orders, stock, deliveries and accounts, so the business can grow without everything depending on you. Or take that holiday, knowing the systems keep things running.

Tell me what’s getting in the way

From scattered tasks
to a working system.

One working system Spreadsheets, inboxes and know-how connect through one thread into a working system. SpreadsheetsInboxesKnow-how ONE WORKING SYSTEM

On site first

Fixed-price stages

Support that stays

Where I can help

Built around
your business.

Practical software for owner-managed product businesses, shaped around the way the work actually happens.

Everyday operations

Orders, deliveries, stock and returns. Bring the moving parts together so your team can get on with the day.

Finance & checking

Supplier and courier invoice checks, reconciliation and reporting. Less copying between sheets. More clarity about what needs attention.

Connected tools

Join up Shopify, accounting software, email and couriers so information moves with the work.

Useful automation & AI

Apply automation and AI where they take real work off someone’s hands, with a clear purpose in the business.

Recent work

Mattress manufacturing & retail · Kent

A clearer day for the delivery team.

A Kent mattress maker selling online and in store, delivering through a national courier and its own van. One business, several ways to get an order to the door.

Phase 01Live & in daily use

From manual plans to daily software

The first stage replaces manual manifests and delivery schedules. It is live and used by the office every day.

Phase 02In progress

Following the work further

The second phase, now under way, adds aftersales, Shopify clearance and checks on courier and factory invoices.

The approach

Start with the people.
Make the work simpler.

  1. Understand it on site

    I spend time with the people doing the work. We follow what happens, find where things get stuck and agree what would make a useful first stage.

  2. Build in usable stages

    Each stage has a fixed price and goes live before the next one starts.

  3. Keep it working

    Once the software is running, monthly retainer support keeps someone close to the system and the business using it.

Questions

Good to
know.

What owners usually ask on the first call.

What does it cost?

Each stage has a fixed price, agreed before work starts. It depends on scope, but first stages usually cost £5,000 to £10,000. Support after go-live is a monthly fee.

How long does it take?

Each stage is scoped to go live in weeks, not months. At a Kent mattress maker, the first stage went from signed contract to live in about six weeks.

Do I have to replace my current tools?

No. The aim is to join up the tools you already use and stop the retyping between them.

Which systems can you connect?

Shopify, QuickBooks or Xero, couriers, email and spreadsheets. If a system can export its data or has an API, it can usually be joined up.

Will it replace my staff?

No. It takes the copying, chasing and checking off their plate, so they can spend their time on the work that needs judgement.

What happens after it goes live?

A monthly support fee covers fixes, small changes and someone who knows the system. New features are priced as their own stage.

Who owns the code?

You get a permanent licence to use and change everything built for you, and it transfers with the business if you sell. Threadline keeps the right to reuse general-purpose parts.

Do you work outside the South East?

Yes. I’m based in the South East and work on site across the UK.

Let’s talk

Ready to step back
from the day-to-day?

Tell me what your team is working around. A short email is a good place to start. Based in the South East, working on site across the UK.

Alexander Martin · DirectorLinkedIn