The verdict in three sentences
A farm machinery dealer managing 60,000 part numbers across 4 branches loses sales every time a farmer or contractor cannot find the right belt or filter and calls a competitor. A B2B ecommerce site with search by serial number and exploded diagrams, real stock per branch and account pricing turns the parts counter into a channel open 24/7 through harvest. As a 2026 ballpark, budget CAD 40,000 to 95,000 in Toronto or GBP 22,000 to 52,000 in London, and 4 to 6 months of project time.
Why the parts counter overflows in season
In Ontario or the English Midlands, between June and September a dealer's parts desk gets up to three times more calls than in winter. A farmer or agricultural contractor with a broken combine wants an answer now: does the part exist for that machine, is it in stock at another branch, can they collect at 7 am? The parts advisor checks the manufacturer catalogue, checks stock, calls back. Each request takes 8 to 12 minutes.
| Situation | Without ecommerce | With B2B ecommerce | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifying the part | Phone call, manual search | Serial number then exploded diagram | 2 min instead of 10 |
| Checking stock | Calls between branches | Live stock across 4 branches | Fewer wasted trips |
| Price applied | Discount keyed at the counter | Price per account (contractor, farm, garage) | No discount errors |
| Out-of-hours orders | Impossible | 24/7, collect at opening | Night orders during harvest |
| Wrong parts ordered | 6 to 8% of returns | Under 2% | Logistics savings |
| Share of orders online after 12 months | 0% | 25 to 35% (sector observation) | Advisors focus on technical help |
Key features and their weight in the budget
The real technical difficulty is data. Manufacturer catalogues (exploded diagrams, serial-number bills of materials, superseded parts) come in mixed formats, and 60,000 references need serious clean-up.
| Building block | 2026 ballpark (Toronto) | 2026 ballpark (London) |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogue migration and clean-up | CAD 8,000 to 19,000 | GBP 4,500 to 10,500 |
| Serial number search and exploded diagrams | CAD 10,000 to 24,000 | GBP 5,500 to 13,000 |
| Multi-branch stock and click and collect | CAD 5,000 to 13,000 | GBP 2,500 to 7,000 |
| Account pricing and terms | CAD 6,500 to 16,000 | GBP 3,500 to 8,500 |
| Payment, credit limits and 30-day terms | CAD 5,000 to 12,000 | GBP 2,500 to 7,000 |
| Dealer management system integration | CAD 5,500 to 11,000 | GBP 3,500 to 6,000 |
| Total | CAD 40,000 to 95,000 | GBP 22,000 to 52,000 |
At Kolonell, this is quoted in our custom application grid: medium, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670), for one brand and one branch; complex, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+), for several brands, four branches and DMS integration. Maintenance follows our 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month grid (EUR 53, 114 or 183).
Going live without disrupting the season
The right calendar starts after harvest: discovery and catalogue clean-up in November and December, build in January and February, a pilot at one branch in March with around twenty volunteer contractors, rollout to all 4 branches in April before haymaking. Involve parts advisors from day one: they know the nicknames customers use for parts and which superseded references cause errors.
An often overlooked point is search. Farmers type the part name followed by the tractor model into Google. Well-structured part pages bring qualified traffic from beyond your current customer base.
Mini case study
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Mark, aftersales manager of a machinery dealer near Toronto, runs 4 branches and handles about 3,200 parts requests a month in season. At 10 minutes each, that is 533 counter hours. With 30% of requests moving online and the rest identified in 2 minutes using the same tool internally, he saves about 300 hours a month in season, close to 2 advisors. At a loaded cost of CAD 65,000 a year per advisor, over a 4-month season the saving is about CAD 43,000. If night and weekend sales add 4% on CAD 4 million of parts revenue, that is CAD 160,000 at a 30% margin, or CAD 48,000 of extra margin. A CAD 75,000 project pays back in under two seasons.
FAQ
Can we reuse manufacturer exploded diagrams?
Often yes, subject to the brand's terms. Some manufacturers supply usable files, others require their own portal, in which case a deep link to the part covers 70 to 80% of needs.
How do we handle different prices per customer?
Each account (farm, contractor, garage) inherits its discount grid from the DMS. A logged-in customer sees their net price, and the credit limit blocks orders above the ceiling, say GBP 12,000 or CAD 20,000.
Do farmers really order online?
Increasingly, especially contractors and younger farmers. In the sector, 25 to 35% of parts orders move online within 12 months when the site shows real stock and click and collect.
How long for a first version?
A version with part-number search, stock and click and collect opens in 10 to 12 weeks. Exploded diagrams and serial number search arrive in a second release.
Do we need one site per brand?
No. A single multi-brand site with a manufacturer filter is easier to maintain and concentrates search visibility on one domain.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your brands, your DMS and number of branches, and we will scope a launch before next season, within 4 to 6 months. 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.
