The verdict in three sentences
A custom client portal plus production tracking fills the gaps that Cegid, ACD or Sage leave open: the collaborative relationship and production traceability. Budget 25,000 to 60,000 EUR for the portal, plus 6,000 to 14,000 EUR for a connector to your production suite, delivered in 10 to 14 weeks. For a firm with 200 files, saving up to 6 hours per file per year on document collection pays the project back in under two fiscal years.
What custom development covers
Custom software does not replace your accounting engine: it wraps it in the collaborative and document layer that vendors handle poorly. The most requested bricks in 2026:
| Brick | Scope | 2026 order of magnitude (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborative client portal | Document upload, messaging, deadlines | 12,000 - 28,000 |
| Internal production tracking | File Kanban, workload per staff | 8,000 - 18,000 |
| Cegid / ACD / Sage connector | File, entry and contact sync | 6,000 - 14,000 |
| Document vault | Timestamped archiving, legal value | 5,000 - 12,000 |
| OCR + pre-allocation | Invoice reading, account mapping | 7,000 - 16,000 |
| Embedded e-signature | Engagement letters, filings | 3,000 - 7,000 |
EU hosting (GDPR) and maintenance at 15%/year of the project cost must be budgeted upfront, not after go-live.
Timeline, hosting and maintenance
A firm cannot stop during a closing. The standard plan therefore splits the work to ship the portal first, then the connectors.
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping & mockups | 2 weeks | Validated client journey |
| Portal + vault | 4-5 weeks | Document upload live |
| Production connector | 3-4 weeks | Cegid/ACD sync tested |
| UAT & migration | 2 weeks | 200 files switched over |
| Maintenance (annual) | 15%/year | Fixes + enhancements |
Managed EU hosting runs around 150 to 400 EUR/month depending on document volume and redundancy level.
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Mini case study
Marc, partner at an accounting firm in Lille (200 files, 9 staff), spends on average 6 hours/year per file chasing and filing documents, or 1,200 hours/year. With the portal + OCR, he cuts that to 3.5 hours/file, saving 500 hours/year. Valued at 45 EUR/hour of loaded cost, that is 22,500 EUR/year. On a 42,000 EUR investment (portal + connector), the payback lands in about 22 months, before counting additional billable fees on the freed-up time.
FAQ
Do I have to replace Cegid or ACD? No. In 90% of firms, custom software connects to the existing suite. The connector (6,000 to 14,000 EUR) removes double entry without discarding your production engine.
Does the vault have legal value? Yes, if it is timestamped and compliant with the electronic archiving standard. Budget 5,000 to 12,000 EUR for a legal-value module, useful in an audit.
How much is maintenance? Maintenance sits around 15%/year of project cost, i.e. 6,000 to 9,000 EUR/year on a 42,000 EUR project, fixes and minor enhancements included.
What is a realistic timeline? 10 to 14 weeks for a portal + connector scope, shipping the portal before tax season to avoid disrupting production.
Does the portal really cut chasing? Yes: a guided upload with an expected-documents checklist removes 60 to 80% of email back-and-forth on collection, the biggest time sink.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your production suite, file count and closing deadlines, and we will price the portal + connector to the right scope. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
