The verdict in three sentences
For a building materials merchant serving 1,100 construction companies, whether in Dubai or Abidjan, a B2B e-commerce platform costs between EUR 18,300 and 38,100 in 2026 (12 to 25 million FCFA in West Africa), depending on how deeply it ties into stock and customer credit. The value is not in the catalogue but in three building blocks: job-site negotiated prices, quotes that convert into orders in one click and customer credit controlled in real time. Without a stock connection, the platform promises deliveries the yard cannot make, and site managers go back to the phone.
The real cost of trading by phone and Excel quotes
A merchant in cement, rebar, tiles and sanitaryware commonly issues 900 to 1,300 quotes a month, only 35 to 45% of which convert. Each quote is re-keyed into an order, then a delivery note, then an invoice.
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | Current process | B2B platform |
|---|---|---|
| Time to issue a quote | 24 to 48 h | under 2 h (site prices preloaded) |
| Quote-to-order conversion | 35 to 45% | 50 to 60% |
| Re-keying per order | 3 (quote, order, invoice) | 0 |
| Failed site deliveries (stock-out, wrong address) | 8 to 10% | 2 to 3% |
| Customer balances above limit | not tracked daily | automatic block |
| Receivables over 90 days | 12 to 15% of balance | 5 to 7% |
| Sales reps' time on admin | 40% | 15% |
On annual revenue of EUR 9.1 million (6 billion FCFA), gaining 10 points of quote conversion means hundreds of thousands of euros of extra sales with the same sales team.
The building blocks and their cost
| Building block | What it delivers | Indicative 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Company accounts and per-site users | the site manager orders for his site, the buyer approves | EUR 2,290 (1.5M FCFA) |
| Negotiated price lists per customer and per site | cement or rebar price locked for the contract | EUR 3,050 (2M FCFA) |
| Online quotes convertible into orders | the customer accepts, the order goes to the yard | EUR 2,740 (1.8M FCFA) |
| Customer credit: limit, balance, due dates | block or alert above the granted limit | EUR 3,350 (2.2M FCFA) |
| Multi-yard stock connection | real availability per yard | EUR 3,810 to 7,620 |
| Site delivery: slots, trucks, geolocation | route planning, photo proof of delivery | EUR 3,050 to 6,100 |
| Bank transfer, card and mobile money for small accounts | automatic payment reconciliation | EUR 1,830 (1.2M FCFA) |
| Lightweight mobile app for site foremen | ordering from site on a weak connection | EUR 3,810 to 7,620 |
The core (accounts, site prices, convertible quotes, customer credit, payment) costs about EUR 18,300 over 14 to 16 weeks. The full version with multi-yard stock, logistics and mobile app reaches EUR 30,500 to 38,100 over 6 to 8 months. Annual running costs (hosting, support, changes) come to EUR 3,660 to 7,320.
The trade-offs to settle before signing
The first trade-off is customer credit: automatically blocking an order above the limit protects cash, but irritates key accounts. Good practice is to block over a 5% overrun and route beyond that to the finance director for a decision within 2 hours. The second is pricing: showing a public reference price and applying the site discount at login keeps price lists from leaking to competitors. The third is starting scope: launch cement and rebar first, often 60% of volume, before finishing materials.
Mini case study
Serge, CEO of a building materials merchant in Abidjan (1,100 construction customers, EUR 8.8 million revenue), invests EUR 27,400 (18M FCFA) in a platform with convertible quotes, customer credit and a connection to his 3 yards. Quote conversion rises from 40% to 51%. With a 9% gross margin and an average quote of EUR 3,660, the 110 extra quotes converted each year (a conservative estimate limited to connected accounts, about 10% of the quote flow) bring roughly EUR 36,100 of margin. Add fewer failed deliveries (about EUR 9,150 of transport and labour avoided). The investment pays back in under 9 months, as a 2026 order of magnitude.
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FAQ
Can we set a different price for each site of the same customer?
Yes. Each site carries its own price list, for example cement at EUR 140 a tonne for an 18-month contract, with an end date and committed volume. At expiry, the price automatically reverts to the account rate.
How does online customer credit work?
The limit, balance and due dates sync with your accounting every 15 minutes. An order exceeding the limit by more than 5% is blocked and sent to the credit team, which usually decides in under 2 hours.
Does the platform work on site with a weak connection?
The foreman app is built for 3G: pages under 300 KB, cached catalogue, deferred sending if the network drops. An order takes less than a minute.
Which payment methods should we plan for?
Bank transfer remains dominant for construction firms (70 to 80% of value). Cards and mobile money serve tradespeople and small accounts, with baskets under EUR 1,525.
How long before we see results?
The core goes live in 14 to 16 weeks. The first effects on quote conversion show after 2 to 3 months, once 150 to 200 active accounts order online.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of yards, your ERP and your customer credit rules: we will price a platform between EUR 18,300 and 38,100 (12 to 25 million FCFA) with a launch by product family. 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.
