The verdict in three sentences
A surveying or architecture firm running projects in Excel only sees its margin per project once the job is done, often too late to negotiate a change order. Off-the-shelf software at EUR 50 to 110 per user per month covers standard needs, while a custom tool at EUR 35,000 to 75,000 excl. VAT makes sense when jobs mix boundary surveys, topography, apartment division and design management with their own fee scales. Either way, the gain comes from progress billing by phase and overruns flagged at 50% of budget, not at 120%.
The real cost of Excel in a 14-person firm
The managing partner of an Amsterdam firm knows signed fees, rarely actual hours per phase. Time is logged on Friday from memory, interim invoices go out late, and fixed-fee boundary jobs overrun without warning.
| Common symptom | 2026 order of magnitude (14-person firm) | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Hours not logged or misallocated | 5 to 10% of hours | Distorted project margin |
| Fixed-fee projects over budget | 20 to 30% of projects | 3 to 6% of revenue lost |
| Delay between phase end and invoice | 15 to 40 days | Tight cash flow |
| Average client payment time | 55 to 75 days | High working capital |
| Time to prepare monthly billing | 1.5 to 3 days | Partner pulled off billable work |
| Change orders never billed | 1 to 3% of revenue | Free work |
Off-the-shelf or custom: the comparison
Practice management tools for architects and engineering firms (time tracking, phase-based fees, invoicing) are plentiful. They handle classic design management well, surveyor specifics less so: cadastral work, land divisions, apartment rights, field surveys linked to measurement logs.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf software | Custom tool |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 2,000 to 8,000 (setup, data import) | EUR 35,000 to 75,000 |
| Recurring cost, 14 users | EUR 8,400 to 18,480/yr | EUR 4,000 to 8,000/yr |
| 5-year total cost | EUR 44,000 to 100,400 | EUR 55,000 to 115,000 |
| Go-live time | 4 to 8 weeks | 10 weeks |
| Custom job phases | Standard templates, adaptable | Fully free (boundary, topo, division, design) |
| Progress billing | Yes, by phase | Yes, by phase and field milestone |
| Link to trade tools (AutoCAD, QGIS, survey software) | Rare | Possible via exports and shared folders |
| Data ownership | Vendor | Firm |
Over 5 years the budgets are close. The deciding factor is fit: if more than 30% of jobs fall outside standard templates, custom avoids workarounds that bring Excel back through the side door.
What a good tool should deliver in 10 weeks
| Week | Deliverable | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Scoping: job types, fee scales, phases | Project template approved by partners |
| 3-5 | Time entry on mobile and desktop, by phase | Actual hours per project |
| 6-7 | Budget per phase, alerts at 50, 80 and 100% | Overruns caught early |
| 8 | Progress billing, change orders, reminders | Invoice sent the day a phase ends |
| 9 | Margin dashboard by project, client, staff member | Firm-level steering |
| 10 | Import of live projects, training | Switch with no double entry |
Mini case study
Pieter, managing partner of a 14-person surveying firm in Amsterdam, generates EUR 1,600,000 in revenue. He commissions a custom tool for EUR 48,000 excl. VAT. Overrun alerts and change orders now billed recover 3% of revenue, i.e. EUR 48,000 per year. Progress billing cuts payment time by 25 days, freeing about 1,600,000 × 25 / 365 = EUR 109,600 of cash. Billing prep drops from 2 days to 2 hours a month, nearly 20 partner days recovered per year. The tool pays back in 12 months on margin gains alone.
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FAQ
Will staff log their hours every day?
Yes if entry takes under 2 minutes, from a phone in the field or a desktop at the office. An automatic 5 pm reminder lifts daily logging from 40% to over 90% within a month.
Can fixed-fee and time-and-materials jobs live in the same tool?
Yes. Fixed fees are steered by hour budgets per phase, time-and-materials by hourly rate, EUR 65 to 110 depending on profile in 2026. The dashboard compares both on the same margin basis.
How do we migrate the Excel history?
Live projects are imported with fees, phases and hours already spent, in 2 to 4 days. Closed history can stay in a searchable archive without migration.
Is the tool ready for e-invoicing?
It should be: EU e-invoicing rules are expanding under the ViDA package, and Dutch public clients already require e-invoices via Peppol. A Peppol connector costs EUR 2,000 to 5,000.
Does an architecture firm have the same needs as a surveying firm?
The core is identical (time, phases, fees, margin). Architects follow design stages from concept to handover, surveyors add cadastral jobs and field milestones, which often justifies deeper configuration.
Let's scope your project. Fee, time and project margin management tool for your firm, indicative budget EUR 35,000 to 75,000 excl. VAT, delivered in 10 weeks. 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.
