The verdict in three sentences
An auto parts importer in Yaoundé serving 350 garages answers dozens of calls a day that boil down to one question: do you have it in stock? An online B2B catalogue with 15,000 SKUs, VIN search, trade prices, volume discounts and 2-hour motorbike delivery turns those calls into direct orders. At Kolonell this is a custom application project (2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA depending on complexity, i.e. EUR 3,810 to 22,870+), with a 3 to 5 month timeline.
The hidden cost of stock check calls
In Yaoundé, from Mvog-Mbi to Nkolbisson, a mechanic with a car on the lift cannot wait. He calls three or four suppliers, asks for the part, price and lead time, and orders from the first one who gets it right. For the importer, half of these calls go nowhere: wrong reference, incompatible part, or a customer who already found it elsewhere.
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | Phone sales | Online B2B catalogue |
|---|---|---|
| Stock check calls per day | 120 to 200 | divided by 3 to 4 |
| Average call length | 4 to 6 min | none, lookup in 30 s |
| Call to order conversion | 35 to 50% | 60 to 75% of in-stock searches |
| Fitment errors (returned parts) | 6 to 10% | 1 to 3% with VIN search |
| Time from request to bike dispatch | 30 to 60 min | 10 to 20 min |
| Service availability | opening hours | 24/7, order at night for the morning |
| Visibility of volume discounts | at negotiation | shown in the garage account |
A returned part costs two bike runs, warehouse time and sometimes a lost customer. Cutting returns from 8% to 2% on 2,500 monthly orders avoids about 150 returns a month.
The features that bring a mechanic back
A mechanic wants to find the right part fast, see the real price and know when it arrives. VIN search is the core of the project: it links the vehicle to compatible references, including equivalences between OEM and aftermarket brands.
| Module | Function | Complexity | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15,000-SKU catalogue | Search by reference, make, model, year, OEM and equivalents | Medium | Phase 1 |
| VIN search | VIN decoding and filtering of compatible parts | High | Phase 1 |
| Real-time stock | Quantities per depot, synced with the back office | High | Phase 1 |
| Trade prices and volume discounts | Grid per account, monthly tiers, net price shown | Medium | Phase 1 |
| 2-hour motorbike delivery | Yaoundé zones, time slot, rider tracking | Medium | Phase 2 |
| Orange Money and MTN MoMo payment | Pay at order or settle a statement | Medium | Phase 2 |
| History and statements | Invoices, credit notes, returns, garage balance | Low | Phase 2 |
A first phase with catalogue, VIN search, stock and trade prices sits in the medium band of our grid: 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670). With tracked delivery, mobile payment, a rider app and deeper integration with your back office, it moves into the complex band: 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+). The VIN compatibility database (a data provider licence) and hosting are quoted separately.
A 3 to 5 month plan
Month 1: clean the catalogue (duplicates, equivalents, photos) and choose the VIN data source. Months 2 and 3: build phase 1 and sync stock. Month 4: pilot with 30 regular garages in Yaoundé. Month 5: tracked delivery, mobile payment and rollout to all 350 garages. Catalogue cleanup is often underestimated: across 15,000 references imported from several suppliers, 10 to 20% contain duplicates or incomplete descriptions. After go-live, Standard maintenance at 75,000 FCFA per month (EUR 114) covers updates and monitoring.
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Serge, managing director of an auto parts importer in Yaoundé, takes 160 calls a day, 45% of which become orders, i.e. 72 orders. After the catalogue launch, 60% of garages order online and conversion on in-stock searches reaches 65%. With the same number of requests, he moves to about 96 orders a day, 24 more. At an average margin of 9,000 FCFA per order, that is 216,000 FCFA a day, about 5.6 million FCFA over 26 working days. A project at 8,500,000 FCFA, plus 75,000 FCFA of monthly maintenance, pays for itself in just over 6 weeks.
FAQ
Will garages in Yaoundé use an online catalogue?
They already use WhatsApp to send photos of parts. A smartphone VIN search that gives price and stock in 30 seconds is adopted by 50 to 70% of regular garages within 6 to 12 months, as a 2026 order of magnitude.
Does VIN search work for imported used vehicles?
Yes for most common Japanese, Korean and European vehicles. For models poorly covered by VIN databases, a make, model and year search fills the gap.
Can each garage see a different price?
Yes. Each garage account has its own volume discount grid with monthly tiers and sees its net price directly.
What budget should we plan?
On our grid, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA for a catalogue with VIN search, stock and trade prices, and 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA with tracked delivery and mobile payment.
How long does it take?
Allow 3 to 5 months, including one month of catalogue cleanup and a 3 to 4 week pilot with about thirty garages.
Let's scope your project. We define with you the catalogue, VIN search and delivery flow for your 350 garages, with a phased launch. 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.
