How saldiaCore Came to Be – Out of Our Own Frustration

I've already told you the story of saldiaTools – that one started with a glass of Appenzeller at the regulars' table. This one is different. saldiaCore didn't come from a nice apéro idea, but out of sheer desperation. Our own.

Hundreds of tools, annoyed a hundred times

Anyone who runs a company knows the game: there's a separate tool for every task. One for CRM, one for support tickets, one for projects, one for time tracking, another for holiday planning. Honestly, over the years we tried hundreds of them. Rolled them out, trained the team, migrated data – and switched again six months later because it still didn't fit.

The real problem was never the individual tool. It was that none of them talked to the others. The customer in the CRM knew nothing about the open support ticket. The hours in the time-tracking tool never made it into the quote. Everyone had ten tabs open and still never had the whole picture. We spent more time managing tools than working with them.

And there was one more thing that really got on our nerves: every tool was genuinely good at something – but not a single one could do everything we needed. We even tested three or four similar tools side by side, and it was the same picture every time: one had the best CRM, another the nicest ticketing, the third the cleverest time tracking – but it was never all in one place. At some point we flipped it around: we cherry-picked the best bits from all of those hundred tools and built exactly those into our own solution.

At some point we'd simply had enough

And then came that one moment – I think it was yet another tool migration gone wrong – when we'd simply had enough. We sat there and said: «That's it. We're done searching.» If there's nothing out there that plays together cleanly and is made for a Swiss SME, then we'll just build it ourselves. Exactly the way we need it, no compromises.

So we started. One module after another, all under one roof, all connected. The frustration turned into a tool – and the tool turned into saldiaCore. For the first time we saw the whole customer history in one place, from the first contact through the project to the invoice. No more tool-hopping.

It was never actually meant to be sold

And now comes the part I love most: saldiaCore was never planned as a product. It was our internal tool, built for us, full stop. We weren't trying to make money with it, we just wanted to finally work in peace.

Then we showed it to a few befriended web agencies – just to share what we were tinkering with. And the same sentence kept coming up: «We need exactly something like this.» The first time we laughed, the third time we paused, by the fifth time it was clear: yes, sure, why not. If it helps us this much, it helps others just as much – so they're welcome to use it for themselves too.

For us it's actually a win: the more people use saldiaCore, the better we can develop it together. Honestly, achieving more together is always more appealing to me than everyone tending their own little garden. Together is better than against each other – that's not just a nice slogan, it's exactly the reason our internal tool became an open product.

What's in saldiaCore today

What started as frustration has become a proper all-in-one platform for Swiss SMEs – everything connected, with a bexio connection and integrated AI:

• CRM & sales – contacts, companies and deals in a visual pipeline, with the whole customer history in one place.
• Support & ticketing – requests from email, WhatsApp, phone and forms bundled into one ticket system.
• Projects & tasks – projects with budget, phases and team roles, work organised across boards and lists.
• Time tracking – log time directly on tickets and tasks; it lands automatically in the right place and becomes an invoice via bexio.
• HR & people – manage working hours, absences and holidays in line with Swiss employment law.
• AI & automation – an integrated AI searches your data in natural language and helps with support and recurring processes.
• Gamification – XP, levels and badges that keep the team motivated. Because work is allowed to be fun too.

Important: saldiaCore doesn't replace your bexio accounting, it complements it. bexio stays for accounting and invoicing, saldiaCore runs the operational business – and the two talk to each other cleanly via the bexio connection.

And that's how it goes on

The nice thing about software born from real frustration: we notice immediately when something is annoying – because we use it ourselves every day. We're our own strictest customer. And since a few agencies came on board, the best ideas suddenly come from everywhere. That's exactly how it should be.

And the same thing applies here as in the saldiaTools story: if you want to talk to me about this, come and find me at our saldia regulars' table. Maybe you recognise yourself in this tool madness – too many programs, too many logins, and still no overview at the end. If so, show me over an apéro which three or four tools are driving you up the wall, and I'll show you how we solved it. A frustration curve like that, I understand best when someone tells me about it in person – with an Appenzeller in hand instead of through a headset.

The easiest first step is our contact form. The second step we take together, at the table. Looking forward to it. See you soon, Bidu.

P.S. Wondering what we run saldiaCore, this website and pretty much our whole day-to-day on? The answer is hiding right down in the footer, next to «Made in Switzerland, with …». Hover over the little graphic and click it – you'll get it straight away. 🥃

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How did saldiaCore come about?

Out of our own frustration. Over the years we tried, rolled out and ditched hundreds of tools – one for CRM, one for tickets, one for projects, one for time tracking. At some point we'd had enough because nothing played together cleanly. So we stopped searching and built it all ourselves – exactly the way we need it. That's how saldiaCore came to be.

Was saldiaCore meant to be a product for sale from the start?

No. We first built saldiaCore just for ourselves, as an internal tool. Only when we showed it to a few web agencies and kept hearing «we need exactly something like this» did we open it up. If it helps others just as much, they're welcome to use it – a solution is easier to improve together anyway.

Which areas does saldiaCore cover?

CRM & sales, support & ticketing, projects & tasks, time tracking, HR & people and AI & automation – plus gamification. Because everything is connected, the customer history is visible across modules and logged time turns into an invoice directly in bexio.

Does saldiaCore replace my bexio accounting?

No, saldiaCore complements bexio. bexio stays your accounting and invoicing system, saldiaCore covers the operational business – CRM, support, projects, time tracking and HR. Through the bexio connection, quotes and billable time flow directly into bexio without copying hours over by hand.

What does saldiaCore cost?

saldiaCore is offered as an individual solution with pricing on request, because every team has different requirements. In a short conversation we clarify your needs and put together a fitting package – the easiest way is via the contact form. Prices may change.