The verdict in three sentences
A production OCR + LLM pipeline to extract invoices and delivery notes costs 90,000 to 220,000 MAD (~9,000-22,000 EUR) in 2026, plus 0.5 to 2 MAD per document in processing cost. The ROI hinges on manual entry cut by 75% and processing time falling from 6 minutes to 25 seconds. A 25,000-60,000 MAD POC validates feasibility before any heavy commitment.
What document extraction costs in 2026
The project runs through a POC (proof of concept on a sample), then a production pipeline combining OCR (text recognition), LLM (smart structuring) and human validation on doubtful cases. Maintenance covers model drift and new supplier formats.
| Phase | Scope | Cost 2026 (MAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Extraction POC | 1 doc type, 200-500 samples | 25,000 - 60,000 |
| Production pipeline | OCR + LLM + validation queue | 90,000 - 220,000 |
| Cost per document | By model and volume | 0.5 - 2 MAD |
| Annual maintenance | Drift, new formats | 12-18% of build |
| ERP/accounting integration | Automatic posting | 20,000 - 50,000 |
Cost by volume, and custom vs vendor solution
Vendor solutions (Rossum, Mindee, Klippa) often bill 0.05 to 0.20 EUR per page, handy at low volume but costly and rigid at scale. Custom amortizes a fixed build then lowers the marginal cost.
| Monthly volume | Vendor solution (~0.10 EUR/page) | Custom pipeline (amortized build + marginal) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 docs | ~110 EUR/month | heavy build, not worth it |
| 3,000 docs | ~330 EUR/month | ~300-600 EUR/month |
| 6,000 docs | ~660 EUR/month | ~450-900 EUR/month |
| 12,000 docs | ~1,320 EUR/month | ~700-1,300 EUR/month |
| Rule control | Low | Full |
| Lock-in | High | None |
Below 2,000-3,000 documents/month, the vendor is fastest to deploy. Above that, custom becomes competitive and removes the marginal cost that otherwise explodes.
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Mini case study
David, controller of a distribution SME in New York, processes 4,500 supplier invoices/month. Three clerks key data by hand, 6 minutes per invoice on average, with 4% errors driving disputes and credit notes. He invests 150,000 MAD (~15,000 EUR) in an OCR/LLM pipeline plus ERP integration. Result: entry -75% (~2.1 FTE lightened), 25 s/invoice, errors at 0.8%. Estimated annual HR saving ~320,000 MAD (~32,000 EUR), processing cost ~900 EUR/month. Payback in under 7 months.
FAQ
OCR alone or OCR + LLM? OCR reads the text, the LLM understands the structure (who is the supplier, what is the net total, which line items). The combination lifts reliability from 85% to over 98% on varied documents.
Do I need human validation? Yes, on low-confidence cases (5-15% of documents at first). That queue shrinks with learning but never fully vanishes.
Does my data stay confidential? Yes: the pipeline can run on your infrastructure or a dedicated region, with anonymization before model calls where needed.
How long for the POC? 2 to 4 weeks. It measures the real extraction rate on your documents before committing the production budget.
Does per-document cost fall with volume? Yes, since the build is fixed, higher volume converges the unit cost toward 0.5-1 MAD, versus 2 MAD at low volume.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your document types, monthly volume and ERP: we'll frame a priced POC before any commitment. 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.
