The verdict in three sentences
A group with 7 subsidiaries that consolidates by hand in Excel takes on average 10 working days to produce its monthly reporting, so the numbers are stale before the board meeting. An automated dashboard connected to each subsidiary's ERP, with a data warehouse and built-in currency conversion, costs between EUR 20,000 and 45,000 excluding tax and ships in about 4 months. The visible win is a close cut to 4 days, but the real benefit is reliability: one number, one source, auditable.
Why manual consolidation costs more than it looks
Whether a regional group is headquartered in Singapore, Paris or Dakar, each subsidiary often runs its own tool: Sage, Odoo, a local ERP or even an in-house accounting package. The financial controller receives 7 files in different formats, remaps charts of accounts, converts currencies (the CFA franc, for instance, is pegged at 655.957 FCFA to EUR 1) and eliminates intercompany flows by hand. Every step is a source of error.
The hidden costs add up: 2 to 3 people tied up for 10 days, chasing subsidiaries, gaps discovered in committee. Over a year this often means 240 to 360 person-days spent on data entry rather than analysis.
Typical architecture and data flow table
The principle is simple: data is extracted automatically from each ERP, normalized in a data warehouse, then delivered in a visualization tool (Power BI, Metabase or a custom dashboard).
| Flow | Source | Frequency | Processing | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial balance | 4 ERPs (Sage, Odoo, SAP B1, local ERP) | Daily | Group chart of accounts mapping | Data warehouse |
| Revenue by subsidiary | ERP and POS | Daily | Currency conversion (FCFA at 655.957 per EUR) | Executive dashboard |
| Intercompany flows | Inter-subsidiary invoices | Weekly | Automatic matching and elimination | Consolidation |
| Cash | Bank statements (API or files) | Daily | Multi-bank aggregation | Group cash view |
| Headcount and payroll | Payroll software | Monthly | Pay item normalization | HR indicators |
| Budget and forecasts | Controlled input files | Quarterly | Actual vs budget comparison | Commented variances |
The sensitive point is currency conversion: the euro and the CFA franc have a fixed peg, but subsidiaries using floating currencies (SGD, GHS, NGN) require variable rates, stored day by day.
2026 budget and timeline
| Item | Range (EUR excl. tax) | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping and group chart of accounts | 3,000 to 6,000 | 3 to 4 weeks | Workshop with each subsidiary |
| Connectors to 4 ERPs | 6,000 to 14,000 | 5 to 7 weeks | More if an ERP has no API |
| Data warehouse and consolidation rules | 5,000 to 12,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | PostgreSQL or BigQuery |
| Dashboards (10 to 15 screens) | 4,000 to 9,000 | 3 to 4 weeks | Executive, subsidiaries, cash |
| Testing, acceptance and training | 2,000 to 4,000 | 2 to 3 weeks | Parallel run over 2 closes |
| Total project | 20,000 to 45,000 | about 4 months | 2026 order of magnitude |
| Hosting and maintenance | 300 to 900 per month | Recurring | Depending on volume and BI licenses |
The main cost driver is the quality of the source ERPs: a recent Odoo connects in a few days, while local software without an API needs scheduled exports and heavier checks.
Mini case study
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Nadia, financial controller of a food group with 7 subsidiaries (3 in Europe, 4 in Senegal, Ivory Coast and Mali), tied up 3 people for 10 days every month, or 30 person-days. At an average loaded cost of EUR 350 per day, that was EUR 10,500 per month, about EUR 126,000 per year. After a EUR 38,000 project delivered in 4 months, the close drops to 4 days with 2 people, or 8 person-days: savings reach 22 person-days, about EUR 7,700 per month. The project pays back in roughly 5 months, not counting the value of decisions made 6 days earlier.
FAQ
Do subsidiaries have to replace their ERPs to automate reporting?
No, in 90% of cases we connect to existing tools. Replacing an ERP often costs EUR 50,000 or more per subsidiary, while a connector costs EUR 1,500 to 4,000.
How do you handle multi-currency conversion?
Pegged currencies such as the CFA franc (655.957 per EUR) are straightforward. For floating currencies like SGD, we store the daily rate and the monthly average rate, as consolidation standards require.
Power BI or a custom dashboard?
Power BI costs about EUR 14 per user per month and suits 80% of groups. Custom development is justified when you need a subsidiary portal with data entry, approval workflows or external access.
Is subsidiary data protected?
Yes, provided you comply with GDPR, Singapore's PDPA and local laws such as Senegal's law 2008-12. Data is encrypted, access is logged and each subsidiary sees only its own data.
What is a realistic timeline for a first dashboard?
A first consolidated revenue screen is often delivered in 6 to 8 weeks. Full consolidation with intercompany eliminations takes about 4 months.
Let's scope your project. Send us your list of subsidiaries, ERPs and key indicators: we will price connectors, warehouse and dashboards with an indicative budget and a 4-month 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.
