Stop Wrestling with DIY Tools. Get Production Systems Built.
Outsource automation if you need a production system that handles core business logic reliably. Create solutions in-house with no-code tools for simple, non-critical tasks.
Syntora specializes in designing and building custom automation systems for complex document processing workflows in industries such as real estate. Their engineering engagements focus on delivering production-ready, auditable solutions using technologies like FastAPI, Claude API, and AWS Lambda.
A production system is different from a simple connector. It requires error handling, logging, and monitoring to run without constant supervision. The decision to build versus outsource depends entirely on whether a workflow failure costs you money or just time.
Syntora provides engineering services to design, build, and deploy custom automation solutions that integrate into your existing operations. We have experience building similar document processing pipelines using Claude API for financial documents, and the same architectural patterns apply to real estate or related industry documents. An engagement typically involves an initial discovery phase to define precise technical requirements, followed by the construction and delivery of a production-ready system.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Most businesses start with no-code platforms because they connect two apps in minutes. The problem appears with volume and complexity. These tools charge per task, so a workflow that checks a new lead, enriches the data, and routes it to a sales rep can burn 3-5 tasks per lead. At 100 leads per day, that is a $300 monthly bill for one workflow.
A 12-person recruiting firm tried to automate resume screening with a no-code tool. It parsed emails and added candidates to their ATS, but failed on image-based PDFs because it lacked OCR. Adding a separate OCR tool created a second workflow. When an API key expired, the connection broke silently, and they lost 400 applicants over a month before noticing.
Trying to solve this with an internal script creates a different problem. The script runs on someone's machine, has no monitoring, and becomes a piece of unmaintainable technical debt. When it breaks, the person who wrote it has likely moved on, leaving you with a broken process and no one to fix it.
How Would Syntora Approach This?
Syntora's approach for a custom document processing system would typically involve:
We would start by mapping your manual process into a detailed technical specification. Every step would be logged using structlog, creating a complete audit trail for compliance and debugging. We would define the schema for all data extraction with Pydantic, ensuring that critical data like invoice numbers or policy IDs are validated before anything is written to your systems.
The core logic would be built as a Python application using the FastAPI framework. For document processing, we would use an OCR library for initial text extraction, then pass that text to the Claude API for structured data generation based on predefined schemas. This architecture is designed to achieve rapid processing; typical performance for an 8-page invoice often falls within single-digit seconds, depending on document complexity and API latency. All external API calls to your CRM or ERP would be made asynchronously with httpx to avoid performance bottlenecks.
The finished application would be containerized and deployed on AWS Lambda, allowing it to scale from zero to hundreds of concurrent requests instantly. This serverless approach means you only pay for the compute time actually used. For a system processing 4,000 documents per month, estimated hosting costs are typically under $50. We would use Supabase as a Postgres database to store job metadata and processing results, enabling reporting and historical analysis.
Syntora would configure monitoring and alerting using AWS CloudWatch. Alarms would trigger on high error rates or unusual latency and send alerts directly to us. The full source code would be delivered to your private GitHub repository, along with a runbook documenting the architecture, ensuring you have full ownership and no vendor lock-in.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Production-Ready in 4 Weeks
Go from concept to a live, production-grade system in under a month. We handle all engineering so you can focus on your business.
Pay for Compute, Not for Seats
A one-time build cost plus optional maintenance. Your bill is based on usage, like $18 in Lambda costs, not your employee headcount.
You Get the Keys and the Blueprints
We deliver the complete source code to your GitHub repo. You own the system outright with no licensing fees or dependency on us.
Failures Trigger Alerts, Not Silence
We build in monitoring with AWS CloudWatch that sends an alert if processing fails. You know instantly, instead of discovering a problem a week later.
Connects Directly to Your Core Systems
We build direct API integrations with your CRM, ERP, and industry-specific platforms. No more brittle connectors that break with every update.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Scoping and Architecture (Week 1)
You provide access to your existing tools and walk us through the manual process. We deliver a technical specification document outlining the full system architecture.
Core System Build (Weeks 2-3)
We write the production code for the core logic and integrations. You receive access to a private GitHub repository to track progress.
Deployment and Testing (Week 4)
We deploy the system to your cloud environment and run end-to-end tests with live data. You get a deployment runbook with all credentials and setup instructions.
Post-Launch Support (Weeks 5-8)
We monitor the live system for two full weeks to resolve any issues. You receive a final handoff document, and we transition to an optional flat-fee monthly maintenance plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a custom automation build cost?
- Pricing is fixed-scope and depends on the number of systems to integrate and the complexity of the business logic. A typical document processing pipeline takes 2-4 weeks. An AI agent for lead qualification might take 3-5 weeks. We provide a fixed-price quote after our initial discovery call, so you know the full cost upfront before work begins.
- What happens when an external API like Claude is down?
- The system is built with resilience. We use an exponential backoff strategy to retry API calls up to 5 times over 60 seconds. If it still fails, the task is moved to a dead-letter queue in AWS SQS, and an alert is sent. No data is lost. We can reprocess the queue manually once the external service is back online.
- How is this different from hiring a freelancer on Upwork?
- A freelancer often delivers a script, not a production system. Syntora delivers a fully deployed, monitored, and documented application on your infrastructure. The person on the discovery call is the engineer who writes every line of code, ensuring deep context and accountability. There are no project managers or handoffs.
- What if our internal process changes after the build?
- This is common. The fixed-price build covers the initial scope. For future changes, we scope them as new, smaller fixed-price projects. The optional monthly maintenance plan covers keeping the existing system running, fixing bugs, and updating dependencies, but not adding new features. This keeps your costs predictable.
- Do we need an AWS account or other infrastructure?
- Yes, the system is deployed on your infrastructure for full ownership. If you do not have an AWS account, we can help you set one up during the project. You are responsible for the direct cloud costs, which are typically under $50/month for most systems we build. You pay for actual usage, not for idle servers.
- What kind of businesses are a good fit for Syntora?
- Syntora works best with 5-50 person businesses that have a critical manual process but no in-house engineering team. You know the process is slow and error-prone, but hiring a full-time engineer is not feasible. We bridge that gap by providing senior-level engineering on a project basis, focused entirely on building your system.
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