Yes, but usually modest and predictable: hosting, any third-party services the system calls, and support or changes as your business shifts. What you do not pay is a per-seat subscription that rises with your headcount, because a custom system is something you own rather than rent. Bamco is clear about running costs up front, so the ongoing figure is part of the decision, not a surprise later.
Information current as at 4 July 2026
A custom system does have ongoing costs, and it is fair to plan for them. There is hosting, the server or platform the system runs on, which is usually modest for a well-built system. There may be third-party services it calls, for example the AI that does the heavy lifting, or a mapping or messaging service, billed on usage. And there is support: keeping it running, and changing it as your business changes. None of these are large next to the manual cost the system removes, but they are real, and any honest builder will name them before you commit.
The one you avoid is the subscription that scales with your success. Off-the-shelf tools often charge per seat, so every new staff member adds to the bill, and the price you agreed grows quietly for years. A custom system is something you own, not something you rent by the head. Add ten people and the system does not send you a bigger invoice for the privilege. Over the years a business keeps a system, that difference between owning and renting is often larger than the build cost itself, and it is easy to miss when you only compare the sticker prices.
Bring us the idea you already have, or book an audit and we map where the money is leaking. Either way, you deal directly with the senior team that designs and builds it.
Bamco names the running costs during scoping, so the ongoing figure is part of your decision rather than something you discover afterwards. You are not locked into a mandatory retainer: a well-built system runs quietly, and support is there when you want a change, not billed just because time has passed. Because you own the system, you are not held hostage; you can host it, hand it to another developer, or leave it running. The aim is a system that pays for itself in multiples against the manual work it removes, with running costs small enough that the maths stays firmly in your favour.
Whether you can name exactly what you want built, or you just know something is leaking, the next step is the same conversation.