The verdict in three sentences
An 18-person architecture studio that does not know which design stage loses money is funding its loss-making projects with its profitable ones without noticing. Custom time tracking per design stage (from concept to construction, mapped to RIBA stages 2 to 6 or the French MOP phases) costs 20,000 to 45,000 EUR excluding VAT (about 17,000 to 38,500 GBP) in 2026, against 25 to 50 EUR per user per month for generic SaaS. The real stake is project profitability visible every week, with an alert as soon as 80% of a stage budget is consumed.
Where a studio loses its fees, stage by stage
Fees for a design commission are split by stage in the appointment, but actual time spent never follows that split. Typical overruns cluster in developed design, when the client revisits the brief, in technical design and tender documents, when engineers deliver late, and in construction stage services, when the site programme slips without a fee variation. Without time recorded per stage, the director discovers the loss at project close, too late to negotiate.
| Design stage (MOP / RIBA equivalent) | Typical share of fees | Frequent overrun observed | Main cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sketch (ESQ / RIBA 2) | 5 to 8% | + 10 to 30% | Unbilled options in competitions or bids |
| Outline design (APS / RIBA 2) | 8 to 10% | + 5 to 15% | Unstable brief |
| Developed design (APD / RIBA 3) | 12 to 15% | + 20 to 40% | Client changes without a variation |
| Technical design (PRO / RIBA 4) | 15 to 18% | + 15 to 25% | Late coordination with engineers |
| Tender (DCE and ACT) | 8 to 12% | + 10 to 20% | Packages re-tendered, contractor queries |
| Shop drawing review (VISA) | 5 to 8% | + 5 to 15% | Drawings received in several revisions |
| Construction and handover (DET, AOR / RIBA 5 to 6) | 20 to 25% | + 25 to 50% | Extended programme, multiple snagging rounds |
These 2026 orders of magnitude show that developed design and construction stage concentrate most losses. A tool that prices the overrun in money, not just hours, gives the director the argument to request a variation at the right moment.
What the software must do and what it costs
The core is a fast weekly timesheet (under 5 minutes per person), linked to a project and a stage. Each team member has a loaded hourly cost, which turns hours into production cost compared with the stage fee. The fee module handles fixed and optional stages, variations and progress invoicing. Dashboards show margin per project, per stage and per project architect.
| Module | Functions | Estimated 2026 budget (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Time entry | Weekly sheet, project and stage, mobile, automatic reminders | 4,000 to 8,000 EUR |
| Projects and appointments | Design stages, additional services (site coordination, executive design, fire safety), consultants | 3,000 to 6,000 EUR |
| Fees and variations | Split per stage, variations, progress invoices | 4,000 to 9,000 EUR |
| Costs and profitability | Loaded hourly rates, margin per stage, 80% alert | 3,500 to 8,000 EUR |
| Resource planning | Forecast workload per person over 12 weeks | 3,000 to 7,000 EUR |
| Connectors | Accounting export, invoicing, calendar sync | 2,500 to 7,000 EUR |
| Total | Delivery in 10 to 16 weeks | 20,000 to 45,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Option | 3 year cost for 18 users | Fit with design stages |
| Generic timesheet SaaS (25 EUR/month) | 16,200 EUR | Weak, stages typed as free text |
| Architecture-specific SaaS (50 EUR/month) | 32,400 EUR | Good, but fixed profitability model |
| Custom software + 250 EUR/month maintenance | 29,000 to 54,000 EUR | Full, you own the code |
Custom software is justified when the studio wants its own rules: additional services, joint ventures with engineering firms, fee splits between lead consultant and partners, or competition tracking. Below 10 people, a specialised SaaS is often the better choice.
Mini case study
Claire, managing architect of an 18-person studio in Lyon, bills 1,600,000 EUR excluding VAT in fees per year. Without stage tracking, her projects lose on average 12% of fees to uncompensated overruns, that is 192,000 EUR. With 80% alerts and change requests priced in money, the studio recovers through variations or avoids one third of these losses: 64,000 EUR per year. For software at 35,000 EUR plus 3,000 EUR of annual maintenance, payback comes in just over 6 months. Time entry, 5 minutes per week per person, adds up to 78 hours a year for the whole studio, less than one badly prepared site meeting per month.
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FAQ
Will staff actually record their time?
Yes if entry takes under 5 minutes per week, works on mobile and comes with a Friday reminder. Studios that show project margin in their weekly meeting generally reach over 90% completed timesheets.
Can we include services outside standard design stages?
Yes, the system accepts additional services (site coordination, executive design, surveys, client advisory) and private projects split freely. Each service keeps its own budget and 80% alert threshold.
How long until we are operational?
Allow 10 to 16 weeks of development, then 2 weeks to load live projects. The first useful release, time entry and margin per stage, can ship in 6 weeks.
Does it replace our accounting software?
No, it exports progress invoices to your accounting tool (CSV, standard export or API). It covers production management, which accounting cannot see.
What does it cost after delivery?
Hosting and maintenance run 200 to 400 EUR excluding VAT per month depending on support level, the equivalent of 8 to 10 SaaS licences for an 18-person studio.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, types of commission and current tool: we price a scope between 20,000 and 45,000 EUR excluding VAT with delivery in 10 to 16 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.
