B2B auto parts e-commerce with OEM reference search: build cost

The verdict in three sentences

A parts importer serving 450 garages by phone loses sales every day to reference errors, missed calls and prices negotiated case by case. A B2B platform with OEM and vehicle search, price lists per garage tier and credit tracking costs 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) with Kolonell for a mid-complexity build. A realistic target is 30% of orders placed online in year one, freeing salespeople for large accounts.

Why the phone stops working at 25,000 SKUs

Across West African cities, and in many emerging markets, independent garages and fleet workshops still order by calling the counter. The mechanic reads a part number stamped on the worn part, the salesperson looks it up in an ERP or a spreadsheet, then calls back with price and availability. With 25,000 active references, several makes (Toyota, Hyundai, Peugeot, Mercedes trucks) and cross-references between genuine and aftermarket parts, errors pile up.

Hidden costs of that model, as 2026 order-of-magnitude estimates for a mid-sized importer:

The B2B site does not replace the counter. It absorbs repetitive, standard orders where the garage already knows the reference or the vehicle, and leaves complex cases to the sales team.

The features that matter to a garage

Search is the core of the project. A mechanic must find a brake pad in under 20 seconds on a phone, often over a patchy 3G connection. Four entry points are needed: the OEM number (tolerant of spaces, dashes and leading zeros), the aftermarket manufacturer number, the vehicle (make, model, year, engine) and, for fleets, the VIN when data allows.

Then come the B2B commercial rules:

• Price lists per garage tier: neighbourhood garage, approved workshop, fleet operator, reseller. Each logged-in account sees its own prices.
• Customer credit: limit, 30-day terms, automatic block beyond it, balance payable by Wave, Orange Money or bank transfer.
• Cross-references: when the genuine part is out of stock, the platform suggests the compatible aftermarket part.
• Quick order: paste several references at once, or reorder a past basket.
• Stock sync with the existing ERP (Sage, Odoo or in-house), every 15 minutes at least.

Budget: three project levels

Kolonell builds this kind of platform as a custom application. These are our 2026 grid ranges, excluding payment fees and vehicle data licences.

An often forgotten line: vehicle data. TecDoc or similar datasets are licensed yearly, priced by makes covered and API volume. For an importer whose catalogue revolves around 15 very common models, an in-house compatibility table enriched with each sale is often enough in year one.

Mini case study

Moussa, sales director of a parts importer in Dakar, serves 450 garages. He handles about 9,000 order lines a month with an average order of 85,000 FCFA, roughly 2,200 orders monthly.

• Assumption: 30% of orders move online in year one, or 660 orders a month.
• Sales time saved: 12 minutes per order, 132 hours a month, about one and a half reps redeployed to fleet prospecting.
• Reference errors fall from 5% to 1.5% on online orders. On 660 orders at 85,000 FCFA, 3.5% fewer returns means about 1,960,000 FCFA of revenue no longer taken back and reprocessed each month.
• If saved margin and return costs reach 600,000 FCFA a month, a mid-complexity app at 5,500,000 FCFA pays back in just over 9 months, before counting new garages ordering outside opening hours.

FAQ

Will garages really order online?

Not all of them, and not at once. Workshops ordering more than three times a week adopt first because they save time. 30% of orders in year one is realistic if reps push the tool on every call.

Do we need a TecDoc licence?

No. For a catalogue focused on the most common models, an in-house compatibility table often covers 80% of searches. An external licence makes sense once the catalogue spans dozens of makes.

How is garage credit handled?

Each account gets a limit and terms, for example 1,500,000 FCFA at 30 days. Orders are blocked beyond it, and the garage settles its balance by Wave, Orange Money or transfer from its account page.

Does it work on a low-end phone?

Yes, that is a starting requirement. Light pages, compressed images and search answering in under 2 seconds on 3G are designed in from day one.

Can we keep our current ERP?

Yes. The platform reads stock and prices from the existing system and pushes orders back to it. The cost of that sync depends on the tool and is quoted separately.

Let's scope your project. We map your catalogue, OEM search and credit rules with you, then ship a first version your garages can use within weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.