Building with AI: Better SaaS management

How we tamed internal subscriptions with the help of augmented engineering

For a long time, we managed employee software access like many growing companies do: with a clever, but ultimately limited, system. We used a Smartsheet form that fed into a massive spreadsheet, with some basic automated notifications to keep things moving. At first, it got the job done.

But as our organization grew and time passed, the cracks started to show. The spreadsheet became a beast to manage, and getting a clear, real-time picture of who had access to what was nearly impossible. The system that had once been a solution was now a bottleneck. It wasn't scalable, and the manual clean-up was a constant administrative headache.

Our first instinct was to look for an off-the-shelf solution. We explored several SaaS platforms designed for this exact purpose, and while they were powerful, they often came with a hefty price tag. Looking at the expense and complexity, we asked ourselves a simple question: "Could we build something tailored specifically to our needs?" We felt confident that we could.

And so, we built App Directory.

A smarter way to manage access

App Directory is our custom-built answer to the limitations of our old system. At its heart is an intelligent workflow that guides employees from request to approval with automated notifications and a clear history. Users can browse a central catalog of available applications, see what they already have, and request new apps with a single click.

We designed it to be intuitive for everyone. Role-based permissions ensure that employees, approvers, and administrators all have the specific interface they need to do their jobs without being overwhelmed. The platform gives leaders a clearer view of access patterns across the organization, helping to make smarter decisions.

Our unique development partner: An AI co-pilot

Here’s what makes our story different: this entire platform was built in partnership with an AI assistant. We, the human developers, acted as the architects and reviewers, while the AI served as our tireless co-pilot, handling much of the initial code generation.

We call this collaborative process Augmented Engineering: AI generation followed by human refinement. It allows us to build at an incredible speed — for this project, at least twice as fast as without AI — without sacrificing quality. It ensured a remarkable level of consistency across the codebase and allowed us to focus on what truly matters: building a great product that solves our specific problems.

Under the hood: Built for today and tomorrow

To bring App Directory to life, we chose a robust and modern technology stack. The user interface is built with industry-standard tools like React, creating a fast and responsive experience. The backend is powered by NestJS and a PostgreSQL database, a combination built for enterprise-grade performance and reliability. For security, we integrated Google OAuth, allowing users to sign in securely with their existing work accounts. The entire system is deployed on AWS, ensuring it's scalable and ready to grow with us.

A step in the right direction

The goal of App Directory is to bring clarity and efficiency to a once-chaotic process. We designed it to dramatically reduce request processing times and to provide a complete audit trail for compliance, giving us the visibility we've been missing.

By providing a simple, centralized, and transparent process, we're making it easier for everyone to do the right thing. It's a solid foundation to build upon, moving us from a state of reactive firefighting to proactive management.

This journey taught us that the future of development is this kind of partnership between human creativity and AI capability. We're excited to see how this new app shapes our workflow and proves that even the most stubborn business problems can be solved with a fresh perspective and a little help from a digital co-pilot.