# Custom Database Development UK

Source: https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/database-development/
Updated: 2026-10-10

> dijitul developments designs and builds custom databases for UK businesses, from replacing overloaded spreadsheets and Microsoft Access files to tuning slow MySQL and PostgreSQL systems. We design the schema properly, migrate your data, and put a secure web front end on top so your team can use it from anywhere. Projects start with a free chat and a fixed-price quote.

## Problems this solves

- A spreadsheet has grown to tens of thousands of rows and crashes
- An Access database only works on one PC and corrupts occasionally
- Reports that used to take seconds now take minutes
- The same customer appears five times with different spellings
- Nobody is sure the backups would actually restore

## Key facts

- Normalised schema design with proper keys, constraints and indexes
- MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL, with Redis for caching and queues
- Microsoft Access and spreadsheet replacement with a web front end
- Query performance tuning using execution plans and indexing
- Automated backups, point-in-time recovery and tested restores
- Data migration with cleaning, de-duplication and validation

## When a spreadsheet stops being enough

Spreadsheets are brilliant for analysis and terrible as shared databases. Signs you have crossed the line: several people need to edit at once, rows are copied between sheets to link things together, formulas break when someone sorts a column, and the file takes a minute to open. Microsoft Access is often the next step, and it served many businesses well, but it struggles with remote working, several simultaneous users and modern security expectations.

A proper database, such as MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL, with a web front end solves those problems. Many users work at once, data is validated as it is entered, relationships are enforced, and the system is reachable securely from the office, home or site.

## Designing it properly

Most database problems come from design, not technology. We start by understanding the real things your business tracks (customers, sites, jobs, products, contracts) and how they relate. Then we design a normalised schema: each fact stored once, with foreign keys enforcing relationships and constraints preventing impossible data, such as an invoice without a customer or an end date before a start date.

We choose data types carefully: decimals for money, never floating point; proper date and time types with time zones handled; enumerations for fixed lists. We add indexes for the queries the system will actually run, and document everything in an entity relationship diagram so another developer can understand it.

Good design also plans for change. Soft deletes keep history when records are removed, audit columns record who created and changed each row, and schema changes are made through version-controlled migrations rather than ad hoc edits, so every environment matches and changes can be reviewed. Personal data is identified up front, so retention and deletion rules required under UK GDPR are straightforward to apply later.

## MySQL or PostgreSQL?

Both are mature, free and widely supported, and we use both. MySQL and its fork MariaDB are common on shared and managed hosting and pair naturally with PHP and Laravel. PostgreSQL offers richer features for complex data: strong JSON support with indexing, window functions, materialised views, row-level security and extensions such as PostGIS for location data. For reporting-heavy or multi-tenant systems we often lean to PostgreSQL. If you already run one in-house, that usually decides it. Either can run on a managed cloud service or your own server, with Docker keeping development and live environments identical.

## Migrating your data

Moving data from spreadsheets or Access is where care pays off. We profile the existing data first: blank fields, inconsistent formats, duplicates and values that do not match the new rules. You decide how each issue is handled. Duplicates are matched and merged with your approval. The migration is scripted, so it can be rehearsed on a copy as many times as needed, then run for real with row counts and totals checked against the source. See [data migration](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/data-migration/).

## Fixing a slow or fragile database

If you already have a database that has slowed down, we start with evidence. We enable slow query logging, read execution plans with `EXPLAIN`, and look for missing indexes, queries run in loops (the classic N+1 problem in ORMs), unbounded result sets and locking. Fixes are usually a mix of indexes, rewritten queries, caching in Redis and moving heavy reports to a read replica or summary tables. We measure before and after, so you can see the difference.

We also check resilience: are backups automated, stored off-server, and have they ever been restored? We set up point-in-time recovery where the hosting supports it and run a test restore, because an untested backup is a hope rather than a plan. For ongoing care, our sister service [dijitulsupport.co.uk](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/) covers maintenance and monitoring.

## The front end and beyond

A database needs a usable interface. We build a [web application](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/web-application-development/) on top with forms, search, filters, exports and role-based access, so staff never touch raw tables. Clean data then makes [dashboards and reporting](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/dashboard-reporting-development/) straightforward. Projects start with a free chat, then scoping and a fixed-price quote. If your current system is an old Access or PHP application, see [legacy software modernisation](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/legacy-software-modernisation/). [Get in touch](https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/contact/).

## What we deliver

- A documented database design and entity relationship diagram
- Data migration from spreadsheets, Access or an old system
- A secure web front end for entering, searching and reporting
- Performance review with index and query changes
- Backup, restore and monitoring set-up
- An API so other systems can read and write data safely

Technologies: PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, Redis, Laravel, Python, Docker

## FAQs

### Can you replace our Microsoft Access database?

Yes. dijitul migrates Access tables and data into MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL, rebuilds the forms and reports as a secure web application, and adds proper user logins. Staff can then use it from anywhere, and several people can work at once.

### Which is better, MySQL or PostgreSQL?

Both are mature and free. MySQL/MariaDB is common on managed hosting and pairs naturally with Laravel. PostgreSQL has richer features for complex data, JSON, reporting and location data. dijitul picks based on your data, hosting and existing skills.

### Our database has become slow. Can you help?

Yes. dijitul reviews slow query logs and execution plans, adds or fixes indexes, rewrites inefficient queries, and adds caching or summary tables where reports are heavy. We measure performance before and after so the improvement is clear.

### Will we lose data moving off spreadsheets?

No. We profile and clean the data first, agree how duplicates and gaps are handled, then script the migration so it can be rehearsed on a copy. Row counts and totals are checked against the source before the real switch.

### Do you set up backups for our database?

Yes. dijitul sets up automated, off-server backups and point-in-time recovery where hosting allows, then runs a test restore to prove the backups actually work. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance can be provided through dijitulsupport.co.uk.

## Pricing and contact

Every project gets a fixed-price quote after a free initial chat and a short scoping stage. You own the code and the data. Book a free chat: https://dijituldevelopments.co.uk/contact/ · 01623 650333 · info@dijitul.uk