Product engineering for messy systems

We build difficult software we wish already existed.

Awkward systems, inherited code, and the tools you could not buy.

Direct work for companies with messy technical problems. Rescue, rebuild, or ship something that actually has to last.

Real results from real projects

We focus on measurable operational improvement — not vanity AI demos.

Case Study: Support workflow automation

Support workflow automation for a growing team

A growing team had thousands of support tickets and too much manual triage. We mapped the workflow, identified repeated ticket patterns, built an AI-assisted triage system, and improved internal reporting — reducing manual handling and giving the team clearer visibility over recurring issues.

Client testimonial:

“They didn't just bolt on a chatbot. They understood our workflow, automated the parts that were eating our time, and gave us reporting we actually use.”

— Head of Customer Success, B2B SaaS

1

Mapped the workflow

We reviewed real tickets to find the repeated patterns and the genuine manual bottlenecks.
2

AI-assisted triage

Routine queries are categorised and drafted automatically; complex cases escalate to a human with full context.
3

Clearer reporting

Internal dashboards surface recurring issues so the team can fix root causes, not just respond.

2,000+

tickets reviewed

8 weeks

of support data analysed

41%

reduction in repeat issues

£35k

estimated operational value

Results vary by project. We focus on measurable operational improvement, not vanity AI demos.

Case Study: Legal Document Processing

From 40 hours/week to 2 hours: 95% time reduction in 6 weeks

A law firm was spending 40 hours/week on document review. We built an AI system that processes contracts, extracts key terms, and flags potential issues automatically.

Client testimonial:

“This system has transformed our practice. What used to take our junior associates days now takes minutes. The accuracy is incredible.”

— Managing Partner, Law Firm

1

Automated extraction

AI extracts key terms, dates, and clauses from legal documents.
2

Risk flagging

Automatically identifies potential legal risks and inconsistencies.
3

Smart summarisation

Generates concise summaries highlighting key points and action items.

~95%

less review time

faster processing

6 wks

to first rollout

downtime at deploy

Indicative figures from the engagement. Results vary by project and document volume.

Case Study: E-commerce Personalisation

From 12% to 34% conversion: 183% increase in 10 weeks

An e-commerce retailer was struggling with low conversion rates. We built an AI-powered personalisation engine that delivers tailored product recommendations and dynamic pricing.

Client testimonial:

“The AI personalisation system has been a game-changer. Our conversion rates have nearly tripled, and our average order value is up 45%. This is exactly what we needed.”

— Head of Digital Marketing, Retail Company

1

Smart recommendations

AI analyses user behaviour to suggest highly relevant products.
2

Dynamic pricing

Real-time price optimisation based on demand and inventory levels.
3

Behavioural targeting

Personalised content and offers based on individual user patterns.

Higher

conversion rate

Higher

average order value

10 wks

to first rollout

downtime at deploy

Indicative outcomes from the engagement. Results vary by project, traffic, and catalogue.

Results vary by project. Figures shown are indicative of the specific engagement and are not a guarantee of future outcomes.

Sound familiar?

You probably need Nought if…

Your Laravel app is fragile

Features break when you touch old code, deployments feel risky, and nobody fully understands the system.

Typical work: Rescue a broken build, harden deploys, rebuild the admin in Filament.

Your WordPress site is a mess

Plugin debt, slow pages, broken templates, abandoned builders, or custom functionality nobody wants to maintain.

Typical work: Modernise page-builder content, cut plugin debt, improve performance.

Your team is stuck in spreadsheets

Manual admin, copy-paste workflows, reports, customer replies, stock, and listings are eating hours every week.

Typical work: Turn spreadsheets into an internal tool; automate listings, content, and reporting.

Your AI prototype is not production-ready

You have a demo, prompt, or workflow that works sometimes — but it needs turning into a reliable system.

Typical work: Turn an AI prototype into a production-ready tool with approvals and rollback.

Your agency has inherited a nightmare

Client project gone wrong, legacy build, awkward handover, messy database, unclear scope, or urgent rescue work.

Typical work: Rescue a broken Laravel or WordPress build; audit the codebase before a rebuild.

You need delivery, not theatre

You want someone who can drop in, understand the system, fix what matters, and ship.

Typical work: Improve performance and reliability; build booking, CRM, or customer portals.

Your SuperControl setup almost does it

The PMS is fine. The website, payments, reporting, or booking path around it is not.

Typical work: Stripe, analytics, WordPress property pages, and custom SuperControl work.

You are running a legacy system

COBOL, VB6, Delphi, ColdFusion, or something else the original vendor no longer wants to touch.

Typical work: Staged modernisation that keeps operations running, without vendor lock-in.

You don’t need to know what the solution is.

Tell us what’s slow, fragile, manual or difficult. We’ll map where we’d start — in writing, before anything else.

Map the problem

Tell us what's broken

Legacy systems

The interface changed. The business didn't.

The same customer, the same balances, a different experience. Try a transfer in the old screen and watch the modern one move.

Example legacy banking interface

While the legacy screen is on screen, numbered keys and function keys drive it. They stay off if you are typing in a field. Square brackets switch the view.

Nought Digital - Note Banking

Release 04.82

Customer no:0018472

Name:J Smith

CURRENT00192847£12,482.42

SAVINGS00839102£42,192.17

Select function

Option >

F1=HELP F3=EXIT ENTER=CONTINUE

Try COBOL, VB6, Fortran, ASP and PHP

What changes after working with us

Before

Nobody fully understands the system
Deployments feel risky
Bugs keep coming back
Staff rely on manual workarounds
AI experiments are disconnected from operations
Customers or staff complain about slow workflows
The roadmap keeps getting blocked by legacy mess

After

Clear system map and priorities
Urgent issues fixed
Cleaner workflows and admin tools
Less manual copy-paste work
Practical AI automation inside the business
Faster delivery and safer changes
Roadmap becomes possible again

Start with an audit

Proof of capability

Recent builds and experiments

ForageMap

Location-aware mapping product for discovering, organising, and publishing useful local food data.

Maps Product Data

Xlistr

Marketplace listing and inventory platform for sellers managing product data across multiple channels.

Laravel Filament Marketplaces

The ORBIT Framework

Outline, research, build, integrate, test

A practical loop for turning messy systems and AI ideas into working software without pretending a project is linear.

View full process

01 O

Outline

We define the outcome, constraints, risks, and what success needs to look like.

02 R

Research

We inspect the code, data, tools, users, and bottlenecks before choosing a direction.

03 B

Build

We create a working prototype or fix the core system early, so feedback is based on reality.

04 I

Integrate

We plug the work into your real workflow with approvals, logs, and handover paths.

05 T

Test

We test behaviour, reliability, safety, and usability before anything becomes business-critical.

Most projects orbit through these stages more than once: first to understand the shape of the work, then to harden what is worth shipping.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Nought actually do?

We take on awkward technical work: fragile apps, inherited code, systems nobody wants to own, and the tools we could not buy. WordPress products and SuperControl tooling came out of that work. They are not a second homepage.

Are you a general digital agency?

No. We take on awkward technical work and we build the WordPress infrastructure we could not buy. If you need a vague brand workshop, we are the wrong firm.

Do I have to use WordPress?

No. The WordPress platform is one path. Engineering still covers Laravel, React, Rust, integrations and systems that have nothing to do with WordPress.

Can you work behind our agency?

Yes. Your client, your relationship, our engineering. White-label where it helps. That is the partner path, not cheap outsourcing.

Is our code or data safe?

We can work inside your repo, staging, or private systems under NDA. We do not sell your data or use it to train public models. Product privacy notes live on each product page.

What does engineering work cost?

Outcome-scoped, not timesheets. Starter from £1,500, sprints from £5,000, build partnerships from £15,000+, retainers from £1,500/month. Full bands are on the engineering page. Product licence amounts are unpublished until approved.

Who owns the work?

You do, for bespoke engineering. Code, documentation and handover are yours. Nought products remain Nought's software, licensed to you.

Tell us what's broken.

Engineering brief, product beta, SuperControl gap, or agency overflow. Written first. You get a plan back within one working day.

Tell us what's broken Email project details

Engineering from £1,500. See pricing