The verdict in three sentences
For a group of 9 entities, automating monthly reporting moves publication from day 12 to day 5 and frees about 6 of the 8 days the finance team spends on it today. The 2026 New York market sits at USD 25,000 to 60,000 for a custom build, versus FP&A and consolidation tools at USD 1,000 to 4,000 a month. The right answer depends mainly on how stable your chart of accounts is and how many accounting systems you need to pull from.
Where the 8 days go
Picture a New York distribution and logistics group with 9 entities and three accounting systems (QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, and an outside bookkeeper for two subsidiaries). Every month the same manual chain repeats.
| Step | Current manual time | After automation | How it is automated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulling trial balances for 9 entities | 1.5 days | 0.1 day | Scheduled API extraction |
| Mapping to the group chart of accounts | 1.5 days | 0.2 day | Mapping table maintained once |
| Intercompany eliminations (recharges, loans) | 2 days | 0.5 day | Automatic matching, gaps flagged |
| Budget vs actual per entity | 1.5 days | 0.2 day | Budget loaded yearly, auto-computed |
| KPIs (working capital, DSO, margin by line) | 1 day | 0.2 day | Dashboard refreshed nightly |
| Board pack formatting | 0.5 day | 0.3 day | PDF export plus CFO commentary |
| Total | 8 days | 1.5 days |
The real gain is in intercompany eliminations: that is where spreadsheet errors cost the most, because a missed recharge distorts two entities at once.
Custom build or FP&A tool: 2026 options
| Option | Upfront cost | Recurring cost | Timeline | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improved Excel + Power Query | USD 4,000 to 10,000 | Low | 3 to 5 weeks | Fast, familiar | Fragile, key-person risk |
| FP&A / consolidation SaaS (Cube, Vena, Planful tier) | USD 8,000 to 30,000 implementation | USD 1,000 to 4,000 a month | 6 to 10 weeks | Proven features, audit trail | 3-year cost of USD 44,000 to 174,000 |
| Custom build (NYC market) | USD 25,000 to 60,000 | Hosting and maintenance | 8 to 12 weeks | Fits your specific eliminations | Needs a solid specification |
| BI only (Power BI, Looker) | USD 5,000 to 15,000 | USD 10 to 20 per user per month | 4 to 8 weeks | Rich visuals | Does not handle eliminations cleanly |
At Kolonell, a custom reporting tool with balance extraction, eliminations and dashboards is a custom application of medium complexity, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) on our grid, or complex at 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) beyond three source systems or with multi-currency. Maintenance follows the 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) grid.
Conditions for success
A stable group chart of accounts. If subsidiaries add accounts every quarter, the mapping table becomes the real project.
Data access. QuickBooks Online and NetSuite expose solid APIs; an outside bookkeeper may only send exports, which slows refresh to monthly.
Traceability. External auditors and lenders want to drill from each consolidated figure to the source entry. Require a clickable link from dashboard to source balance.
Security and controls. Named access, change log, SOC 2 hosting. If the group has bank covenants, the covenant calculation should come straight from the same data.
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Rachel, CFO of a 9-entity group in New York, and her FP&A analyst cost about USD 1,400 a day fully loaded as a pair. Reporting takes 8 days a month: 8 × 1,400 × 12 = USD 134,400 a year.
After automation, 1.5 days a month is enough: 1.5 × 1,400 × 12 = USD 25,200. Annual saving: USD 109,200 of time, redirected to margin analysis and cash planning. With a USD 40,000 custom build and USD 3,000 a year of maintenance, payback comes in about 5 months.
Against an FP&A tool at USD 2,500 a month plus USD 15,000 implementation, the 3-year cost is USD 105,000, versus about USD 49,000 for the custom build. The SaaS still makes sense if the group plans several acquisitions a year and needs statutory consolidation features.
FAQ
Do subsidiaries need to switch accounting systems?
No, the tool reads existing trial balances via API or export file. Only the mapping to the group chart of accounts must be built, usually 2 to 3 days of work with the CFO.
Does it replace statutory consolidation?
Not necessarily: monthly management reporting does not follow the same rules as audited consolidated statements. About 70% of groups under 15 entities keep their CPA firm for year-end consolidation.
How long to reach day 5?
The project takes 8 to 12 weeks, then two closes to settle in. Most groups hit day 5 in the third month of use.
Can we add a cash forecast?
Yes, as an add-on with 13-week receipts and disbursements. It is quoted separately, often 3 to 4 weeks of development.
Who maintains the mapping table?
The FP&A analyst, through a dedicated screen, with no developer needed. An alert flags every new unmapped account, in practice 5 to 10 a year.
Let's scope your project. Send us your entity list, their accounting systems and your current reporting pack, and we will scope the automation with an 8 to 12 week 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.
