The verdict in three sentences
For an accounting firm under 15 staff, a market vendor is almost always the right call: predictable licences, statutory updates included, no technical debt. Custom pays off past ~25 users, or when one specific workflow (review production, client portal, document-management automation) burns hours every week. The real question isn't the sticker price but the cost per hour saved on accounting production.
Vendor licences vs custom development
Accounting suites (production, review, tax filings, DMS) are billed per user. Custom is a one-off investment amortised over time, plus 15-20% annual maintenance.
| Item (2026, ballpark) | Market vendor | Kolonell custom |
|---|---|---|
| Licence per user / month | 30 to 80 EUR | 0 (no licence) |
| Yearly cost, 12-user firm | ~8,640 EUR | maintenance ~9,000 EUR |
| Upfront investment | 0 to 2,000 EUR | 40,000 to 120,000 EUR |
| Statutory updates (tax filings) | included | to be contracted |
| Workflow customisation | limited | total |
| Code ownership | no | yes |
| Custom client portal | paid add-on | included |
Over 5 years, the vendor costs ~43,000 EUR for 12 users; custom at 70,000 EUR plus 5 years of maintenance reaches ~105,000 EUR. Custom only wins financially if it removes hours or replaces several stacked subscriptions.
DMS and case handling: where hours are won
The real gain isn't data entry, largely automated, but document flow. A well-designed custom DMS cuts collection and filing time.
| Function | Time impact / case / year | Estimated gain |
|---|---|---|
| Automated client document collection | -3 h | high |
| Recognition-based DMS filing | -2 h | high |
| Automatic client reminders | -1.5 h | medium |
| Secure upload portal | -2 h | high |
| Pre-filled tax filing generation | -1 h | medium |
| Deadline dashboard | -1 h | medium |
At a 60 EUR loaded hourly cost, 10 hours saved per case is worth 600 EUR. Across 200 cases, that's 120,000 EUR of recovered capacity per year — enough to fund custom in year one for a high-volume firm.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Marc, a partner at a 22-person firm in Nantes, handles 340 cases. His vendor licences cost 15,840 EUR per year. Document collection eats 8 hours per case per year. He invests 78,000 EUR in a custom client portal + DMS wired to his production tool, cutting collection to 3 hours. Gain: 5 hours x 340 cases x 55 EUR = 93,500 EUR of capacity per year. The tool pays for itself in under 11 months, and he keeps the vendor purely for regulatory production.
FAQ
Should you fully drop your accounting vendor? Rarely. Regulatory production (tax filings, VAT) is safer with a vendor guaranteeing fiscal updates. Custom sits on top: portal, DMS, automations, reporting.
What does a standalone custom portal + DMS cost? Budget 25,000 to 45,000 EUR for portal + document upload + reminders, excluding accounting production. It's the most profitable entry point.
What delivery timeline should you expect? A portal + DMS ships in 10 to 16 weeks. A full management platform takes 5 to 9 months depending on integrations (banking, production tool, e-signature).
Is custom GDPR and professional-secrecy compliant? Yes, given EU hosting, document encryption and fine-grained access control. It's easier to master with custom than with an opaque SaaS.
At how many staff does custom pay off? Generally past 20 to 25 staff, or as soon as one repetitive flow costs over 60,000 EUR of time per year.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your current production tool, case volume and the flow that costs you the most hours: we'll price a client portal, a DMS or a full platform. 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.
