Less double-entry
- • Fewer situations where the same data is typed three times.
- • Less chasing between departments to confirm details.
- • Staff time freed up for work that actually needs a human.
Systems integration services for small & growing businesses
Make your cloud tools behave like one joined-up system.
South Coast Apps helps businesses across Sussex and Hampshire connect websites, email, CRMs, job systems, accounts tools and reporting into a setup that is easier to run and easier to trust. The goal is not more software. It is fewer manual hand-offs, less double-entry, and a clearer picture of what is actually happening.
This is practical systems work for real businesses using tools like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero, QuickBooks, Pipedrive, HubSpot, ServiceM8, Zapier or Make. We usually start with a quick intro call followed by a paid Business Tech System Review.
Based near Worthing, working mainly across Sussex and Hampshire.
Book a systems consultation
See workflow automation
Quick intro call, then a 45-minute Business Tech System Review booked with a small 10% deposit. If you continue with a Systems & Integrations project, that deposit is usually credited in full against your first phase.
Who this is for
This isn’t about tearing everything out and replacing it with one giant platform. It’s about making what you already have work together more cleanly.
- • Owner-led businesses with a mix of cloud tools that have grown over time.
- • Teams who live in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace and want more from it.
- • Organisations where data lives in multiple systems and nobody fully trusts the numbers.
- • Businesses that need clearer hand-offs between website, ops, admin and billing.
- • People who want diagrams and documentation, not mysterious magic glue.
If you mainly need reactive IT support for devices, Wi-Fi or office hardware, your MSP or internal IT team is the better first call. We’ll happily collaborate with them when it comes to systems, data flow and integrations.
Outcomes
What systems integration work usually improves
We agree a small number of practical outcomes up front, then design the work around those. No consultant incense. No seven-layer framework from the underworld.
Cleaner hand-offs
- • Clear ownership as work moves from lead → job → invoice.
- • Fewer “I thought someone else had done that” moments.
- • Simple status cues instead of trawling through email threads.
Better decisions
- • Up-to-date numbers without late-night spreadsheet rituals.
- • Visibility of bottlenecks so you can fix the right things first.
- • Reporting that lines up with how you actually run the business.
Joined-up flow
A simple example of what “joined up” can mean
Not every business needs this exact chain, but most projects are some version of: capture the right data once, move it cleanly, and make status visible to the right people.
01
Website / forms
Capture the useful details properly instead of hoping somebody fills in the blanks later.
02
CRM / job tool
Turn raw enquiries into a working record with ownership, status and next actions.
03
Ops / delivery
Give the team a clean hand-off instead of forwarding emails and interpretive guesswork.
04
Accounts / billing
Keep invoice or payment status aligned without manually keying the same facts again.
05
Reporting / alerts
Make the right numbers visible, on time, without a spreadsheet the size of a medieval tapestry.
Standards
Tools we often plug together — and how we keep it maintainable
Common platforms
We fit around your existing stack rather than forcing you to start again.
- • Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace as the backbone.
- • CRMs and job tools like Pipedrive, HubSpot, Monday.com or ServiceM8.
- • Accounts and billing: Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe, GoCardless.
- • Collaboration: Notion, Airtable, Slack, Teams, SharePoint.
- • Integration glue: Zapier, Make, plus small custom APIs where needed.
How we keep it sane later
- ✅ Diagrams that show how data and actions flow between systems.
- ✅ Named connections and service accounts your team can manage later.
- ✅ Documentation someone new can follow without a two-hour lore dump.
- ✅ Sensible fallbacks when a third-party tool is down or misbehaving.
- ✅ Space to layer workflow automation or AI on top once the basics are stable.
Ballpark budgets
Example systems integration project shapes
Every stack is different, but most projects fall into one of these shapes. Platform fees such as Zapier, Make or CRM licences are billed separately at cost.
Tooling & systems health check
Typically £295–£595
You’ve already got Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace plus a few cloud tools, but it all feels a bit ad-hoc.
- • Map accounts, logins, data flows and key risks
- • Highlight quick wins and low-hanging fruit
- • Outline a simple future state without ripping everything out
Joined-up operations
Typically £995–£2,495
Enquiries, jobs and invoices live in different systems and rely on people to keep them all in sync.
- • Connect website, CRM/job system and accounts or billing tools
- • Reduce re-typing and manual hand-offs between teams
- • Add alerts and a simple shared picture of what’s in-flight
Reporting & decision-ready data
From £1,495+
You want better reporting without another monster spreadsheet to maintain every week.
- • Define the numbers that actually matter to you
- • Automate the boring exports and consolidations
- • Deliver light dashboards or scheduled summaries your team can trust
These are examples, not rigid packages. During the consultation we’ll confirm whether a one-off tidy-up, a phased systems project, or a combination with workflow automation makes the most sense.
Process
How a systems integration project typically runs
Small, well-understood changes beat huge “big bang” overhauls. We work in sensible steps.
- 1Business Tech System Review
A 45-minute call to map your current tools, logins and workflows. We capture pain points, risks, quick wins and what “joined up” would actually look like for you.
- 2Plan & first slice
You get a short plan with options and ballpark budgets. We agree a first integration or tidy-up with a fixed scope, clear outcomes and assumptions written down.
- 3Build, test & document
We configure and test the changes with a small group first. Along the way we produce diagrams, notes and simple run-books so your team understands how things now fit together.
- 4Review & extend
Once the first piece has bedded in, we review impact and decide whether to stop there, refine it, or extend into workflow automation or further integrations.
FAQs
Systems integration questions we’re often asked
How do consultations and deposits work for systems and integrations?
Most projects start with a quick intro call, then a 45-minute Business Tech System Review booked with a small 10% deposit. In that session we walk through your existing stack – email, file storage, CRM, job tools, accounts, web forms and anything else in the mix – and identify where things are double-entered, falling through the cracks or simply harder than they need to be. After the session you get a short, plain-English plan with options and ballpark budgets. If you continue with a Systems & Integrations project, that deposit is usually credited in full against your first phase.
Do we have to change all our tools?
Usually not. The first choice is to make better use of what you already have – whether that’s Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, a CRM or your accounts package. Only if a tool is a genuine blocker do we suggest alternatives, and we’ll always explain the trade-offs clearly.
Are you our general IT provider?
No. We focus on systems, workflows and cloud tools – websites, email routing, CRMs, job systems, accounts, and the glue between them. Day-to-day IT support like fixing laptops, printers and office Wi-Fi is best handled by your existing IT provider or MSP. We’re happy to collaborate with them so everyone stays in their lane.
Which platforms do you work with?
Common ones include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe, GoCardless, Shopify, WooCommerce, Monday.com, Pipedrive, HubSpot, Notion, Airtable, ServiceM8, Zapier and Make. Where there’s a gap, we can also add small custom APIs or scripts so the whole setup behaves more like one system.
How do you handle access and security?
Where possible we use delegated or service accounts, least-privilege access and standard authentication flows rather than one-off workarounds. We’ll document what has been granted, why, and how to remove or rotate access later.
What if things change later – are we locked in?
No. Part of the job is to reduce lock-in, not make it worse. We favour approaches where your data is exportable, integrations are documented, and another team could reasonably maintain or extend what we’ve built if needed.
Want your tools to feel like one system instead of five?
Book a Business Tech System Review. We’ll map your current stack, highlight realistic improvements, and outline a small first project with clear outcomes and costs. If you go ahead, the deposit is usually credited in full against your first systems phase.