tPanel builds custom software for Melbourne businesses — CRM, mobile apps, internal systems, process automation and the integrations between them.
Being straight with you about one thing first: we are based in Sydney and deliver to Melbourne remotely. There is no Collins Street office. Whether that matters is a fair question, and the next section answers it properly rather than talking around it.
Remote Delivery, Honestly Assessed
Software projects fail on unclear requirements and slow feedback, not on geography. Both of those are addressable remotely, and a Sydney-to-Melbourne working relationship has no time zone gap to manage — a question asked at 9am is answered at 9am.
What you genuinely give up: the ability to have someone physically walk your floor during discovery. For a process that lives in a warehouse, a production line or a service counter, that is a real loss. We handle it with recorded screen shares and walkthrough video from your own team, which works, but it is a substitute rather than an equivalent.
What you do not give up: Australian business hours, Australian consumer and privacy law, AUD invoicing with GST handled normally, and someone answering the phone in the same country. Those are the things that actually differ between a local developer and an offshore one — and none of them change between Sydney and Melbourne.
If in-person discovery is essential to your project, say so early. Sometimes the answer is that a Melbourne firm is the better fit, and we would rather say that in the first conversation.
What Melbourne Businesses Come to Us For
The Melbourne enquiries we receive skew differently from Sydney — more operational, more logistics and manufacturing, and noticeably more mobile work.
App development
The most common Melbourne request. Field teams, driver and delivery workflows, job sign-off, inspection apps and customer-facing portals for businesses whose work happens away from a desk.
Process automation
Approvals, handovers, quoting and reporting that currently run on email and manual re-keying. Frequently the highest-return project because the cost is measured in hours already being spent.
Custom CRM
Where an off-the-shelf CRM cannot express the real sales or service process — multi-branch ownership, trade accounts, recurring service schedules.
Integrations
Connecting warehouse, ordering, accounting and supplier systems so stock and order data stops being copied between them by hand.
How a Remote Project Actually Runs
- Discovery over screen share — with the people who do the work, not only the manager who commissions the project. Usually two to four sessions.
- Written scope with fixed pricing — you approve it before any code is written. This is where remote delivery is actually stronger than in-person: everything is documented because it has to be.
- Staged build with live links — you see working software at each stage rather than status reports.
- Remote training and handover — recorded, so new staff can be onboarded later without booking us.
- Ongoing support — fixed A$1,000/month, location-independent by nature.
The full stage-by-stage version is in the development process guide.
What It Costs
Identical to our Sydney pricing — there is no location loading either way:
- Single workflow or automation: A$3,000–6,000
- Focused business system: A$12,000–45,000
- Multi-module platform: A$50,000+, staged
- Support: fixed A$1,000/month, not per seat
See the Australian custom software cost guide for the full breakdown, or how we work as a custom software development company for process and delivery detail.
FAQ
Is tPanel based in Melbourne?
No. tPanel is based in Sydney and delivers to Melbourne clients remotely. We state that plainly rather than implying a local presence — everything except in-person site visits works identically, and there is no time zone difference to manage.
Does remote delivery cost more or take longer?
Neither. Pricing is the same nationally and timelines are unchanged. Discovery runs over screen share, which for most software processes captures more detail than a meeting room does because we watch the actual system being used.
What if we need someone on site?
For processes that live in a physical space — a warehouse floor, production line or service counter — on-site discovery genuinely helps. Tell us early. If it is essential to your project, a Melbourne-based firm may be the better fit, and we will say so.
How much does custom software development cost in Melbourne?
A$3,000 to A$6,000 for a single workflow, A$12,000 to A$45,000 for a focused business system, A$50,000 and above for a multi-module platform. Support is a fixed A$1,000 per month regardless of team size or location.
Do you build mobile apps for Melbourne businesses?
Yes, and it is the most frequent Melbourne request — field teams, delivery and driver workflows, inspection and job sign-off apps, and customer portals. Mobile work is well suited to remote delivery because testing happens on real devices in your hands, wherever you are.
Start With the Process That Costs the Most
A free conversation about what is eating hours right now. If a Melbourne-based firm is the better fit, we will say so.