Database Development
for Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane businesses.
Database design for new applications, migration from legacy platforms, performance optimisation, and cloud database services. PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB. Access database replacement.
We design, build, migrate, and optimise the databases behind your business applications. Perth-based, Australia-wide.
The invisible foundation your business applications depend on
Every business application has a database underneath it. Your CRM, inventory system, job tracker, customer portal, and reporting dashboard all read from and write to a database. When the database is well-designed, the application is fast, reliable, and easy to extend. When it is not, problems compound.
A large portion of our database work involves legacy platforms. Australian businesses running Microsoft Access databases, FoxPro, FileMaker, or flat-file systems that have been critical infrastructure for years — sometimes decades. The business has outgrown them. Multi-user access is unreliable. The desktop interface cannot be accessed remotely. Reporting is manual.
We handle the full spectrum: designing databases for new applications, migrating from legacy platforms, optimising slow databases, and managing cloud database infrastructure. The database work is usually part of a broader application project, but sometimes the database itself is the project — migration, optimisation, or rescue.
Database development — by project type
Design, migration, optimisation, cloud services, and legacy rescue. These are the database project types we handle.
Database Design & Architecture
Schema design for new applications. Tables, relationships, indexes, constraints, and data types planned before code is written. The database structure reflects the business domain — not the framework conventions.
Normalised schemas for transactional applications. Denormalised structures for reporting and analytics. Hybrid approaches where the operational database feeds an analytics layer. The design matches the workload.
MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or MongoDB — the database engine selected based on the application requirements, team expertise, hosting platform, and budget. No default choice. We pick the right tool for the job.
Database Migration & Platform Changes
Moving data between platforms — Access to SQL Server, MySQL to PostgreSQL, on-premises to cloud (RDS, Azure SQL), or between cloud providers. Schema mapping, data transformation, and validation.
Access database replacement is one of our most common requests. Australian businesses still running critical operations on Microsoft Access databases — inventory, CRM, job tracking, compliance — that need migrating to a proper web-based system with a real database backend.
Zero-data-loss migrations with validation checks. Row counts, checksums, and business rule verification before cutover. Parallel running periods where both systems operate simultaneously.
Performance Optimisation
Slow database? We profile queries, analyse execution plans, add missing indexes, fix N+1 query patterns, implement caching, and tune the database configuration. Most slow applications have a database problem, not an application problem.
Common fixes: missing indexes on frequently-queried columns, unoptimised ORM queries generating excessive JOINs, full table scans on large tables, missing pagination on API endpoints, and connection pool exhaustion.
Results are measurable. We benchmark before and after — query execution time, page load time, API response time. Typical outcome: 60–90% improvement in response times for slow endpoints.
Cloud Database Services
Managed database services on AWS and Azure. RDS for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. Aurora for high-performance MySQL/PostgreSQL. Azure SQL Database. DynamoDB and Cosmos DB for NoSQL workloads.
Managed databases mean automated backups, point-in-time recovery, patching, monitoring, and failover — without managing database servers. Your database runs reliably on infrastructure designed for it.
Australian data centres (AWS Sydney, Azure Melbourne/Sydney). Data stays in Australia for compliance requirements. Sub-10ms latency to application servers in the same region.
Legacy Database Modernisation
Access databases, flat-file systems, Excel-based data stores, and outdated database platforms modernised to proper relational or cloud databases. The data is preserved, the platform is upgraded.
This is the messy work that makes a real difference. A ten-year-old Access database with 200,000 records and thirty linked forms is critical infrastructure — even if IT does not treat it that way. We take it seriously, migrate it properly, and build a web application on top.
SQL Server Compact, FoxPro, dBase, FileMaker — we have migrated from all of them. The destination is usually PostgreSQL or MySQL on a cloud-managed service, with a Laravel or .NET web application replacing the desktop interface.
Real-time analytics dashboard driving 12% revenue increase
We built a multi-location analytics dashboard with live sales, inventory, staff performance and customer metrics across eight retail stores.
Read the full case study →Why database design is the highest-ROI investment in your software
The database determines the application ceiling
Every feature your application delivers depends on the data underneath it. A poorly designed database creates limitations that no amount of application code can fix. Slow queries, data integrity issues, reporting problems, and scaling constraints all trace back to database design.
Investing in database design upfront is the highest-ROI decision in a software project. A well-structured schema makes development faster, queries predictable, and scaling straightforward. A poorly structured schema creates compounding technical debt.
We have inherited applications where the database was an afterthought — no indexes, no foreign keys, varchar columns storing JSON. Fixing the database improves the entire application without changing a line of application code.
The right database design makes the application fast
A properly indexed database returns results in milliseconds. The same query on an unindexed table takes seconds or minutes. The difference between a 50ms API response and a 5-second API response is usually one missing index.
We design databases with query patterns in mind. If the application needs to search by customer name, there is an index on customer name. If reports aggregate by date range, the date columns are indexed and partitioned appropriately.
This is not rocket science — it is discipline. But it is the discipline that most projects skip, and the reason most slow applications are slow.
Constraints and relationships that prevent bad data
Foreign keys, unique constraints, check constraints, and NOT NULL rules built into the schema. The database enforces data integrity, not just the application. If the application has a bug, the database prevents corrupt data from being stored.
This matters when multiple systems write to the same database — the web application, the API, the import script, and the admin tool all respect the same constraints because they are enforced at the database level.
We have seen databases without constraints where duplicate records, orphaned rows, and invalid data accumulated over years. Cleaning that data is far more expensive than preventing it in the first place.
Scale the data layer without rebuilding the application
A well-designed database scales from thousands of rows to millions without architectural changes. Read replicas for heavy read workloads. Partitioning for time-series data. Caching layers for frequently-accessed data. The scaling path is incremental.
Cloud-managed databases (RDS, Azure SQL, Aurora) make scaling straightforward. Increase instance size for vertical scaling. Add read replicas for read-heavy workloads. Switch to Aurora or Cosmos DB for global distribution.
The database scales separately from the application. Your web application handles more traffic by adding application servers. Your database handles more queries by adding read replicas and caching. Independent scaling for each tier.
Legacy database? Slow queries? Need cloud migration?
Access replacement, platform migration, performance tuning, and ongoing database administration. The support services behind your data.
Access Database Replacement
Microsoft Access databases migrated to SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or MySQL with a web-based application replacing the desktop forms. Our most common legacy database project.
On-Premises → Cloud Migration
Move from self-managed database servers to AWS RDS, Azure SQL, or Aurora. Automated backups, failover, monitoring, and Australian data centres.
Query Performance Tuning
Slow database? We profile queries, add indexes, optimise joins, fix N+1 patterns, and implement caching. Measurable improvements with before/after benchmarks.
Backup & Disaster Recovery
Automated backup configuration, point-in-time recovery testing, cross-region backup replication, and documented recovery procedures.
Schema Refactoring
Database schema has grown organically and needs restructuring. We redesign without data loss — adding proper relationships, normalisation, and indexes.
Database Administration
Ongoing database management — monitoring, patching, performance tuning, backup verification, and capacity planning. Monthly support plans.
Access Replacement
Still running on Microsoft Access?
We replace Access databases with web-based applications backed by proper databases. Multi-user, cloud-accessible, mobile-friendly. Tell us about your Access database and we will scope the replacement.
Common database project scenarios
New database design, Access replacement, slow application, cloud migration, or legacy platform rescue — if one of these matches your situation, we can help.
Access Database Replacement
Business-critical Access database migrated to a web application with a proper database. Inventory, job tracking, CRM, compliance — whatever Access is managing, we move it.
New Application Database
Database design for a new custom application. Schema, indexes, constraints, seed data, and migrations. The data foundation for your business system.
Slow Application Fix
Application is slow and the database is the bottleneck. Query profiling, index optimisation, caching, and connection pool tuning. Often a 60–90% improvement.
Cloud Database Migration
Self-managed database server moved to AWS RDS, Aurora, or Azure SQL. Automated backups, monitoring, and failover without managing infrastructure.
Cross-Platform Migration
MySQL to PostgreSQL. SQL Server to Aurora. Oracle to RDS. Schema mapping, data transformation, application query updates, and validation.
Reporting & Analytics Layer
Operational database is too slow for complex reports. We build a reporting layer — read replicas, materialised views, or a separate analytics database — so reports do not slow down the application.
Common database migration and upgrade paths
Access to web, on-premises to cloud, MySQL to PostgreSQL — the migration paths we execute most often.
Database engines and frameworks we work with
The database engines, ORMs, and cloud platforms behind the applications and migrations.
PostgreSQL
Our default database for new projects. Advanced JSON support, strict integrity, excellent performance. Free and open-source.
MySQL / MariaDB
The standard database for PHP/Laravel applications. Simple, fast, widely supported. Aurora MySQL for cloud-scale.
SQL Server
The default for .NET applications and Microsoft-stack businesses. Azure SQL for cloud. SSMS for management.
Database + Laravel
Eloquent ORM, migrations, seeders, and query builder. Laravel handles database management through code — schema changes tracked in version control.
Database + AWS
RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, ElastiCache. Managed database services with automated backups, failover, and monitoring. Sydney region.
Database + .NET
Entity Framework Core ORM. Migrations, LINQ queries, and change tracking. Azure SQL for cloud hosting.
Our Access database tracked every job, every invoice, and every customer interaction for twelve years. It was corrupt twice a year, only one person could use it at a time, and our BAS reporting was a nightmare of manual exports. HELLO PEOPLE migrated everything to a web application with PostgreSQL. Same data, proper interface, three people using it simultaneously, and reports that generate in seconds.
Common questions about database development
Which database should I use?
PostgreSQL is our default recommendation for new projects — excellent performance, strict data integrity, advanced JSON support, and free. MySQL for Laravel/PHP applications where the simpler feature set is sufficient. SQL Server for .NET applications and Microsoft-stack businesses. MongoDB if the data is truly document-oriented. We recommend based on the application, not framework preference.
Can you replace our Access database?
Yes. Access database replacement is one of our most common projects. We migrate the data to PostgreSQL or SQL Server, rebuild the forms as a web application (Laravel or .NET), and replicate the reports and queries. Multi-user, cloud-accessible, and mobile-friendly.
How much does database migration cost?
Simple platform migration (MySQL → PostgreSQL, same data) starts from $3,000 to $8,000. Access database replacement with a new web application is $15,000 to $60,000 depending on the number of forms, reports, and complexity. Enterprise database migration (on-premises SQL Server → Azure SQL) is $5,000 to $25,000. Fixed-price quotes after scoping.
Can you make our existing database faster?
Almost certainly. Most slow databases have missing indexes, unoptimised queries, or poor configuration. We profile the database, identify the bottlenecks, and implement fixes. Typical improvement is 60–90% in response time for problem queries. Quoted as a fixed-price optimisation engagement.
Should we use a cloud-managed database or self-managed?
Cloud-managed (RDS, Azure SQL, Aurora) for almost every business. Automated backups, patching, monitoring, failover, and scaling without a DBA. Self-managed only when compliance requirements demand specific infrastructure control, or when the cost of managed services exceeds the cost of a skilled DBA — which is rare for small-to-medium businesses.
What about NoSQL (MongoDB, DynamoDB)?
NoSQL databases suit specific use cases — document storage, event logging, session data, content management with flexible schemas. For most business applications with structured data and relationships, a relational database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) is the better choice. We have seen too many projects use MongoDB where a relational database would have been simpler.
Can you manage our database ongoing?
Yes. Monthly support plans covering monitoring, performance tuning, backup verification, security patching, capacity planning, and incident response. Pricing based on the database complexity and SLA requirements.
Do you handle data migration from other legacy platforms?
Yes. Beyond Access, we migrate from FoxPro, dBase, FileMaker, SQL Server Compact, Paradox, and flat-file systems. The approach is the same: map the schema, transform the data, validate the migration, and build a modern interface on top.
Get Started
Need database design, migration, or optimisation?
New application, legacy replacement, slow queries, or cloud migration — tell us the situation and we will respond with a plan, timeline, and fixed-price quote.
Tell Us About Your Database Project
New design, migration, or optimisation — describe the project and we will respond with a practical plan.
Prefer a quick chat? Call 0425 531 127 – we're Perth-based and we answer the phone.