Use case · Fulfilment · Tech
Operations Database & Data Migration
An operations database moves your business out of scattered spreadsheets into one structured, linked system. Clients, products, orders, projects, deals and documents are connected, your existing data is cleaned and migrated, forms keep new records complete, and live dashboards show what's going on. It's the foundation every automation and AI agent runs on.
- Source of truth for every record
- One
- Migrated, cleaned and de-duplicated
- Full history
- Dashboards that update themselves
- Live
What is an operations database?
An operations database is one structured database that holds the records your business runs on, such as clients, products, orders, projects, deals, staff and documents, with every record linked to the ones it belongs to. Data migration is moving your existing spreadsheets and tools into it, cleaned and de-duplicated, so you start with your full history.
Your team works in tidy interfaces built for each job, not in raw tables, and every number on a dashboard clicks through to the records behind it.
Why do spreadsheets stop working as a business grows?
Spreadsheets stop working because they were never designed to work together. There's one for clients, one for orders or jobs, one for suppliers, and notes in email. The same client appears three times with different spellings, nothing links an order to its client and product, and automation and AI have no clean data to work from.
The same client, three spellings
Records are copied between sheets, so nobody knows which version is right.Simple questions take an afternoon
"Which clients bought twice this year?" means cross-checking tabs by hand, and nobody trusts the totals.Nothing for AI to run on
Automations and AI agents need structured, linked data. Scattered sheets give them nothing reliable to read or write.
How do we move you from spreadsheets to one database?
We move you from spreadsheets to an operations database in seven steps: map how you work, design linked tables, migrate and clean your data, add forms for new records, connect your other tools, build an interface for each job, then add live dashboards. After that, every form, import and automation keeps the data clean.
With AI automations
A project to replace spreadsheets or an outgrown tool. After that, every form, import and automation keeps the data clean
Map how you work
Your records and how they relate: clients, products or services, orders or jobs, projects or deals, staff and tasks, documents and notes.Design the structure
Each record type gets its own table, with defined fields, dropdowns for fixed values, automatic IDs and links between tables.Migrate your data
Your existing spreadsheets and tools are cleaned, de-duplicated and imported, so you start with your full history.Forms for new data
Add-client, add-order and similar forms enforce the required fields and link new records to existing ones, so nothing is incomplete or orphaned.Connect your other tools
Website forms, CRM, accounting, e-commerce and booking tools feed the database automatically, so nobody retypes data.Interfaces for each job
Tidy pages built for each task, with saved views such as open orders, overdue and this week.Live dashboards
Revenue by product, jobs by status, pipeline value or stock levels, updating themselves. Every number clicks through to its records.
Which database platform is right for you?
The right platform for an operations database depends on how flexible it needs to be and how much data it holds. Airtable or Notion suit no-code flexibility, Supabase or Convex suit custom apps and larger datasets, and Google Sheets suits the simplest setups. Where your existing CRM already fits, we build on it.
| Platform | Best when |
|---|---|
| Airtable or Notion | You want no-code flexibility and interfaces your team can adjust |
| Supabase or Convex | You need a custom app or are working with larger datasets |
| Google Sheets | The setup is simple and the team already lives in Sheets |
| Your existing CRM | It already holds most of your records and fits the way you work |
We choose the platform with you and tell you upfront which interface features your plan allows.
Which systems deliver it?
An operations database is delivered by AI automations: the migration, the forms that keep data clean, the integrations that feed it and the dashboards on top. Once the data is structured, other systems can run on it, such as an AI database assistant you can question in plain English, or a client portal built with web development.
| System | Trigger | What it does | Package note |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Automations | A form, an import or a change in another tool | Migrates and cleans your data, keeps new records complete, feeds and links every table | CRM or database setup is available on any automation package |
| AI Automations | A record changes | Updates live dashboards and the saved views your team works from | A reporting dashboard is available on any automation package |
| Web Development | A client or partner logs in | Gives outside users their own filtered view of the same data | See Client & Partner Portal |
Where is it used?
An operations database suits any business that has outgrown spreadsheets. Property brokers call it their deal and stock database. Service businesses call it job tracking. Wholesalers, traders and e-commerce brands use it for suppliers, orders and stock, and agencies use it to run clients, projects and tasks in one place.
Same job, their words
One database for properties, buyers, sellers and deals. Every property links to its owner, its documents and every deal it's part of, so the team can see at a glance what's available and what's waiting on paperwork.
Proof
From Google Sheets to one internal portal
Data migrated from Google Sheets · one Airtable portal for properties, contacts and deals · handed over September 2026
One platform built in phases
Deal pipeline moved into Airtable next to the data · 400+ qualified matches in three months
We also built demos for a commodity trading business and an interior design and contracting firm, each on its own Airtable base.
What should you know before you start?
An operations database is only as good as the data and decisions that go into it. Duplicates and messy records sometimes need your decision, so we flag them rather than guess. Some interface features depend on your platform plan, and we tell you upfront what your plan allows before promising an interface.
- Cleaning takes your input. We flag duplicates and conflicts for you to decide.
- Plan limits shape the interface. On some Airtable plans, for example, hiding a field based on a condition isn't available.
- Switch automations on when the data is ready. Matching and other automations run once the records they depend on are complete.
- You own it. Everything is built in your own accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Questions
Answer
Can you migrate our existing spreadsheets?
Yes. Data migration is part of every operations database build. Your existing spreadsheets and tools are cleaned, de-duplicated and imported into the new structure, so you start with your full history rather than a blank system. Where records conflict or look like duplicates, we flag them for you to decide instead of guessing.
Should we use Airtable, Notion or something custom?
It depends on how flexible the system needs to be and how much data it holds. Airtable or Notion suit no-code flexibility, Supabase or Convex suit custom apps and larger datasets, and Google Sheets suits the simplest setups. If your existing CRM already fits, we build on it. We choose with you on the discovery call.
Will my team need to learn databases?
No. Your team works in interfaces built for each job, such as adding an order or reviewing this week's jobs, with saved views like open orders and overdue. They don't work in raw tables. Forms enforce the required fields, so new records are complete and linked to the right client, product or project.
Can it connect to our CRM and accounting tools?
Yes. Website forms, CRM, accounting, e-commerce and booking tools can feed the operations database automatically, so nobody retypes data. Which connections make sense depends on the tools you use and what they allow; we map them during the build. If your CRM already holds most of your records, it may become the database itself.
Why do we need a database before adding AI?
Because AI and automation need clean, structured data to read and write. With scattered spreadsheets, an AI agent can't reliably find a client's orders or a property's documents. Once records are structured and linked, you can add matching, an AI database assistant or a client portal on the same data.