Custom CRM System
A 150-person customs brokerage firm was locked into licensing costs that made no sense for their operation. I built them a custom CRM from scratch.
The Problem
A 150-person customs brokerage firm was operating on an AS/400 system that could no longer be maintained. The technology was decades old, the expertise to maintain it was vanishing, and the company was facing a critical decision point.
Commercial alternatives came with massive licensing costs that didn't align with how the company actually worked. They needed a system that understood their specific workflows, their regulatory requirements, and their operational reality — not a one-size-fits-all solution that would cost a fortune to customize.
The Solution
I built a custom CRM from scratch that replaced the aging AS/400 system with a modern web-based platform tailored to their exact needs.
Microsoft 365 Integration
Seamless integration with existing email infrastructure for message tracking and communication management.
Role-Based Access Control
Granular permissions system ensuring users see only what they need while maintaining audit compliance.
Full Audit Trail
Complete tracking of all changes and actions for regulatory compliance and operational transparency.
Custom Workflows
Built to match their actual processes, not force them into generic patterns.
The Technical Approach
This wasn't about using the latest frameworks or the most popular tech stack. It was about building something reliable, maintainable, and exactly right for the problem at hand.
The system manages 227,000+ message records and tracks 45,613 companies with comprehensive data including customs documentation, communication history, and regulatory compliance tracking.
Every decision was made with the understanding that this system would become mission-critical infrastructure for a company that couldn't afford downtime or data loss.
"We'd be paying a fortune for software that doesn't fit how we actually work."
The Result
$1.2 million saved in licensing costs over commercial alternatives, with a system that actually fits how the company works.
150 users rely on this system daily to manage customs operations, track communications, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
The system continues to run reliably, handling the day-to-day operations of a busy customs brokerage without the ongoing costs and compromises of commercial software.