The verdict in three sentences
For an accounting practice with 900 clients, the hidden cost of collecting documents quickly exceeds the cost of a portal: two days a month spent chasing by email, plus late bookkeeping at VAT deadlines. A custom portal with receipt OCR, automatic reminders and a connector to the practice software costs roughly 30,000 to 55,000 EUR in Dublin in 2026, delivered in 12 weeks. Against SaaS tools billed at 8 to 15 EUR per client per month, custom becomes cost-effective from a few hundred active clients.
The real problem: the missing invoice five days before the VAT return
A partner at a Dublin practice describes a typical month: small business clients send invoices as phone photos, email attachments or into a shared folder whose link nobody remembers. Staff spend the first week of the month reconciling bank feeds and writing "we're missing the invoice from the 12th". With 900 clients, even 3 minutes per reminder adds up to dozens of hours.
A useful portal does three simple things: it tells the client what is missing, it accepts the document in any form (photo, PDF, forwarded email), and it pushes it to the right place in the practice software, already read by OCR.
| Function | Without a portal | With a portal |
|---|---|---|
| Missing documents list | typed by hand | generated from bank reconciliation |
| Uploading an invoice | email, WhatsApp, USB stick | photo or drag and drop, 10 seconds |
| Reading amounts | manual entry | OCR, 85 to 95% accuracy |
| Reminders | ad hoc, forgotten | automatic at D-10, D-5, D-2 |
| Queries on an entry | email thread | comment on the document |
| Tracking by staff member | shared spreadsheet | dashboard per client |
Custom or off the shelf: the maths
Off-the-shelf collection tools (practice software add-ons, pre-accounting apps) deploy fast. They bill by usage and impose their own workflow. Custom costs more up front, but fits the practice's habits and does not grow with client numbers.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf tool | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 3,000 EUR setup | 30,000 to 55,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost | 8 to 15 EUR per client per month | hosting and maintenance, on quote |
| Annual cost for 900 clients | 86,400 to 162,000 EUR | a fraction of the upfront cost |
| Workflow customisation | limited | full |
| Practice software connector | standard, sometimes partial | built for your tool |
| Time to deploy | 2 to 4 weeks | 12 weeks |
| Ownership of data and code | vendor | the practice |
Be careful with the maths: not every client uses the tool each month, and some vendors bill active clients only. Even at 300 active clients at 10 EUR, the annual cost reaches 36,000 EUR, more than a custom portal in its first year.
At Kolonell, a portal like this falls into our medium (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) or complex (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) custom application range depending on connector and OCR depth. The exact figure is set on quote after reviewing your practice software. Maintenance runs 53 to 183 EUR a month depending on service level.
Technical points not to underestimate
The connector to the practice software (Xero, Sage, IRIS, CCH) is the critical item: you must establish what the API actually accepts, often the document plus a few metadata fields. OCR relies on a specialist service billed per page, a few cents per document. Security must be beyond reproach: strong authentication for staff, EU hosting, access logs, GDPR compliance and client confidentiality as expected by Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Mini case study
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Siobhan, partner at a practice in Dublin, has 900 clients, 600 active each month. Her 8 staff spend about two days a month on collection, plus 25 hours of avoidable data entry.
- Target saving: 25 hours a month at a loaded cost of 55 EUR an hour, or 1,375 EUR a month and 16,500 EUR a year.
- Off-the-shelf alternative: 600 active clients × 10 EUR × 12 months = 72,000 EUR a year.
- Custom portal at 45,000 EUR: paid back in under 8 months against the usage-based tool, and in under 3 years on hours saved alone.
FAQ
Will the portal work with our practice software?
Yes, if the vendor offers an API or automated import, which the main tools do in 2026. The connector study takes about a week at project start.
How reliable is OCR on till receipts?
Expect 85 to 95% correct reads on PDF invoices, somewhat less on photos of crumpled receipts. Staff always validate before posting.
Will clients actually use it?
Adoption depends on simplicity: photo upload without logging in each time, reminders by SMS or email. A target of 70% active clients within 6 months is realistic.
Where is the data hosted?
In the EU, encrypted at rest and in transit, with access logs. This is essential for client confidentiality.
How long does deployment take?
Twelve weeks for the full version, with a pilot on 50 clients from week 9.
Let's scope your project. Collection portal, OCR, reminders and a connector to your practice software: we define scope and a 12-week pilot plan. 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.
