Base Apps & Evolution Paths — A product memo by Symph Agency
Each product is a fully functional, generic starting point. Generic enough to work for any business out of the box — specific enough to be immediately useful. When a client purchases a base, they're buying a foundation that evolves to fit exactly what they need.
Business data is scattered across 10+ tools — CRMs, spreadsheets, analytics platforms, admin panels. No one has the full picture, and the numbers are already stale by the time they're compiled.
Widgets show daily appointments, no-show rates, billing collections, and doctor utilization per branch. Alerts fire when a branch drops below target occupancy.
Minimal evolution — mostly new data connectors and custom KPI definitions.Each branch gets its own view; HQ sees a consolidated roll-up. Adds sell-through rates, inventory turnover, and promo performance as core metrics.
Moderate evolution if POS integration is required.Each client logs in and sees their own dashboard — ad spend, leads, ROAS, conversions — white-labeled per account.
Heavy evolution: multi-tenant architecture, client-facing login, automated report generation.Critical business processes — expense approvals, PTO requests, purchase orders, IT tickets — run through email. Requests get buried, status is unclear, there's no audit trail, and everyone wastes time chasing updates.
Every material request, contractor approval, and safety sign-off flows through structured, trackable processes. Adds document attachments, site supervisor roles, and compliance checklists.
Moderate evolution — new workflow templates and mobile-friendly view for field workers.Members submit loan requests via structured forms; they route to credit officer → branch manager → approvals committee, with conditional logic based on loan amount.
Heavy evolution: member records integration, BSP-compliant audit logs, branch-level access control.Leave requests, budget proposals, curriculum changes, thesis approvals — all structured, trackable, and digitally signed off. Adds department hierarchy routing and academic calendar awareness.
Moderate evolution — primarily org structure and routing logic.Small businesses use a POS for sales and a completely separate system for tracking labor hours — then manually reconcile both at end of day. Labor is 25–35% of revenue but operators have no real-time visibility until next week's P&L.
HQ sees sales and labor across all branches in real time. Adds franchisee-level access, royalty calculation, and branch-to-branch benchmarking.
Moderate evolution — multi-tenant branch structure on top of the existing POS core.Walk-in sales stay the same, but adds service booking tied to specific staff. Time tracking evolves to include service duration per therapist, commission calculations, and room utilization.
Moderate-to-heavy evolution depending on booking complexity.Workers clock in per job or production order, not per shift. Adds job costing (labor hours × wage per order), output tracking, and productivity reports per worker.
Heavy evolution — the POS is de-emphasized; replaced by job-order workflows.Files go over email, invoices live in a separate tool, updates come through Slack. Clients are confused, things fall through the cracks, and the overall experience feels unpolished.
Clients review and approve deliverables directly in the portal with version history and comment threads. Adds approval workflows, revision request forms, and asset download tracking.
Moderate evolution — approval and feedback layer on top of the document base.Each legal matter gets its own space with case documents, billing statements, court date reminders, and encrypted messaging. Adds matter-based organization, billing time entries, and strict role-based access.
Heavy evolution — compliance requirements, granular permissions, and audit trails.Tenants submit maintenance requests, pay rent, and view lease documents. Property owners see occupancy, income statements, and maintenance history — two very different client types in one system.
Heavy evolution: dual-role architecture, payment gateway, maintenance ticketing with photo uploads.Tasks are scattered across Notion, Slack, spreadsheets, and Jira. No single view of what's in progress, who owns what, and what's blocked.
Each client is a workspace, projects map to engagements, and clients get a Viewer role to track progress. Adds time logging per task for billing, milestone-based billing triggers, and a client-facing status page.
Moderate evolution — billing layer and client access tier on top of existing RBAC.Tasks become construction milestones with hard dependencies. Adds document sign-offs per phase, contractor assignments, budget tracking per task, and photo progress uploads from the field.
Heavy evolution — construction-specific phases, budget module, mobile-first field experience.Projects are productions; tasks map to pre-production, shoot days, and post milestones. Adds call sheet generation, crew assignments with contact info, and a production calendar.
Moderate-to-heavy evolution depending on how specialized crew management needs to get.Employee records live in spreadsheets, PTO is managed via email, and time tracking is a separate system no one updates consistently. HR spends more time on data reconciliation than on actual people work.
New hires go through a structured digital checklist (ID submission, contract signing, uniform sizing, orientation). Leavers trigger a clearance workflow (equipment return, exit interview, payroll stop).
Moderate evolution — lifecycle workflows built on the existing employee and approval base.Shifts replace simple time tracking — nurses have rotating schedules per department. PTO requests check against minimum coverage requirements before approval. Adds credential tracking with license expiry alerts.
Heavy evolution — scheduling engine and compliance layer are substantial builds.Multiple countries means multiple payroll rules, holiday calendars, and leave policies running simultaneously. Adds country-specific leave entitlements, multi-currency payroll exports, and a self-service hub for remote staff.
Heavy evolution — multi-jurisdiction logic is complex, but Alignly's core is the perfect foundation.| Evolution Type | What's Being Added | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| New KPIs / reports | Data layer on existing structure | Low |
| New workflow templates | Config on top of existing engine | Low–Moderate |
| New user type (client, field worker) | New role + access tier | Moderate |
| Multi-branch / multi-tenant | Organizational hierarchy | Moderate–High |
| Compliance / audit layer | Regulatory requirements | High |
| Financial / billing module | New system domain | High |
| Multi-jurisdiction logic | Country-specific rules | High |
The simpler evolutions add a data or config layer on top of the base. The heavier ones introduce a new user type or a compliance/financial domain. But in every case, the base app already has the hardest part done: the data model, auth, core UX, and role system.