MethodScope first
How a build runs
Seven steps, each ending in something you can see. You pay at three of them, and never before a written scope.
Every ADA Lab build follows the same order: a conversation about the problem, a free one-page scope, screens you can tap through, a demo every week or two, a working version tested by your own people, then launch, training and handover, followed by 30 days of free fixes. You pay 30% to start, 40% when the working version is in your hands and 30% at launch. The code, the data and the accounts are yours.
From a problem to a system in use
- Before any paymentA conversation about the problem
By phone, WhatsApp or in person. We ask what is slow, who is affected and what it costs you. We do not start with features. If the answer is a tidier spreadsheet or a ready-made product, we say so.
- Before any paymentA one-page scope
Who uses it, what it does, what it does not do, the fixed price and the weeks. In plain words, so that you could hand it to another developer and get a comparable quote.
- Stage 1 paidScreens first
Every screen is drawn and linked before code is written. You tap through it on your phone. Changes here cost minutes.
- During the buildA demo every week or two
You open the real system on a private address and try what was added. You say what to change while it is still cheap to change.
- Stage 2 paidA working version in your hands
The whole first version works from start to finish. Your people use it with real records, and we fix what they find.
- Stage 3 paidLaunch, training and handover
Your existing records are loaded, the system is switched on at your address, staff are trained, and the code, logins and a short manual are handed over.
- The next 30 daysFixes at no charge
Anything that does not work as the scope says is fixed free. After that, a care plan or hourly work.
What every system is made of
Five parts. The scope describes each one for your case, in your own words.
- PeopleWho uses it, and what each one is allowed to do
- ScreensWhat they see and fill in, on a phone or a computer
- RulesWhat must be approved, what cannot be skipped, what is worked out
- RecordsWhat is stored, for how long, and how it is backed up
- ReportsThe totals and lists that come out the other side
What we need from you
- One person who can decide. A build with three bosses has three scopes.
- One person who knows the daily work. Often not the same person.
- Real examples. Your actual forms, sheets and reports, not descriptions of them.
- An answer within three working days after each demo.
- Your least confident user for testing. If they manage, everyone will.
What we commit to
- A written scope and a fixed price before any payment
- No jargon in anything you have to approve
- A demo on the real system every week or two
- Telling you early when something will be late, and why
- Telling you when you do not need custom software
- Accounts in your name from the first day
- 30 days of fixes after launch at no charge
How we treat the data in your system
A system holds facts about your customers, staff or learners. That is a responsibility before it is a feature.
- Only the details the work needs are collected. Every extra field is one more thing to protect.
- Each person sees only what their role requires.
- Connections are encrypted, and passwords are never stored in readable form.
- Backups run daily, and one is restored each month to prove that it works.
- Every change is recorded with a name and a time.
- A person's record can be exported or deleted when you ask.
The law. According to DLA Piper's country guide, last modified on 20 March 2026, Namibia had not yet enacted a comprehensive data protection law, and a draft bill was under consideration. That may have changed by the time you read this. We build as though such a law already applies, and if you hold records about people in other countries, their laws may apply to you too. This is not legal advice.
Questions about the process
How long does a build take?
An automation takes one to two weeks. A system that replaces a spreadsheet takes two to four. A booking or stock system takes four to six, a business system six to ten and a mobile app eight to twelve. The estimator gives the weeks for your case.
What do you need from us?
One person who can decide, one person who knows the daily work, real examples of your records, and an answer within three working days after each demo. Builds are late far more often because of slow answers than because of slow code.
What if we want to change something halfway?
Small changes inside the scope are part of every demo. Something new is priced before it is built, at N$424.99 an hour, and you decide whether to add it now or after launch.
What technology do you use?
Mainstream, widely used tools, the same ones ADA's own systems run on: a web framework called Next.js, a PostgreSQL database with logins provided by Supabase, and hosting on Vercel. We choose common technology on purpose, so that any competent developer can take the system over.
Do you use AI to write code?
Yes, as most software teams now do, to write and check code faster. A person at ADA Lab is responsible for everything delivered, and every build is tested with your own people and records before launch.
What happens to our data while you build?
We work with the smallest sample that lets us test properly, kept in accounts that belong to you. We do not sell, share or reuse client data, and we delete our working copies at handover.
Can we stop partway?
Yes. You pay for the stages reached, and you receive everything built up to that point, including the code.
Describe the problem. We will send back a scope.
Say what is slowing the work down and who is affected. You get a one-page scope in plain words: what would be built first, how long it takes and what it costs. It is free, and you owe nothing if you do not go ahead.