The verdict in three sentences
For a pharmaceutical wholesaler-distributor in Central or West Africa, ordering by phone and fax is costly: data entry errors, poorly announced stock-outs and half-empty delivery runs. A B2B ordering platform connected to stock, with batch and expiry management and customer credit control, costs between 18,000,000 and 35,000,000 FCFA (about EUR 27,440 to 53,360) depending on scope. Across 900 client pharmacies, fewer errors and optimized deliveries usually pay back the investment in 12 to 18 months.
What the platform must do
A retail pharmacist orders several times a day, often late morning, in small and urgent quantities. The platform must be fast on mobile, tolerant of network drops and strictly accurate on availability. Batch traceability is essential for product recalls, and customer credit must automatically block an order above the approved limit.
| Module | Function | Indicative 2026 price (FCFA, excl. tax) | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog and customer pricing | 6,000 to 12,000 SKUs, per-pharmacy discounts | 3,500,000 to 6,000,000 | Essential |
| Real-time stock and quotas | ERP sync every 5 minutes, stock-out alerts | 3,000,000 to 6,500,000 | Essential |
| Batches and expiry | FEFO, recalled batch blocking, traceability | 2,500,000 to 5,000,000 | Essential |
| Customer credit and exposure | Limits, reminders, automatic blocking | 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 | Essential |
| Deliveries and routes | Time slots, grouping by district, proof of delivery | 3,000,000 to 6,500,000 | High |
| Pharmacist mobile app | Offline ordering, quick reorder, history | 2,500,000 to 5,000,000 | High |
| Mobile payment and matching | Orange Money, MTN MoMo, bank transfer | 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 | Medium |
Total: 18,000,000 FCFA for a core without a dedicated app, up to 35,000,000 FCFA for the full scope with deep ERP integration. Timeline: 5 to 8 months in successive releases.
Recurring costs and expected gains
Hosting, monitoring and backups cost about 3,000,000 FCFA a year, plus ongoing development (10 to 15% of build cost per year). Gains are measured on three items: order errors, entry time and delivery cost.
| Indicator | Before (phone and fax) | After platform | Estimated annual effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data entry error rate | 3 to 5% of lines | Below 0.5% | 8,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA of returns avoided |
| Order entry staff | 12 people | 5 people, refocused on advice | 7 roles reassigned, about 21,000,000 FCFA |
| Order taking time | 6 to 10 minutes per call | 2 minutes online | 4,000 hours freed |
| Delivery run fill rate | 60% | 80% | 10 to 15% fuel saved |
| Expired products destroyed | 1.2% of stock | 0.6% with FEFO | 6,000,000 FCFA on 1 billion of stock |
| Bad debt | 2% of revenue | 1% with credit blocking | Depends on portfolio |
2026 ballpark figures, to be recalculated with your own volumes. Change management with pharmacists matters as much as technology: plan 2 to 3 months of dual channel and an incentive (priority delivery, 0.5% discount) for online orders.
Regulatory and technical watch points
The platform must meet the national pharmacy regulator's requirements on traceability and record retention (in Cameroon, the Department of Pharmacy, Medicines and Laboratories; in Nigeria or Ghana, NAFDAC or the FDA Ghana). Customer and order data fall under local data protection law. Technically, integration with the existing ERP (Sage X3, distribution software) is the main risk: require a stock exchange prototype in the first month.
Mini case study
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Mr Ekambi, managing director of a wholesaler-distributor in Douala, serves 900 pharmacies with 14 billion FCFA of revenue. He picks a full scope at 30,000,000 FCFA, plus 3,000,000 FCFA of hosting and 3,500,000 FCFA of maintenance a year. Estimated first-year gains: 10,000,000 FCFA of returns avoided, 4 entry roles reassigned to collections (12,000,000 FCFA of value), 5,000,000 FCFA of fuel and 6,000,000 FCFA less expired stock, for a total of 33,000,000 FCFA. After the 6,500,000 FCFA recurring cost, net annual gain reaches 26,500,000 FCFA: payback in about 14 months.
FAQ
How long does launch take?
Allow 5 to 8 months in successive releases: a first core with catalog, stock and credit in 3 months, then routes and the mobile app. The phone and web dual channel then runs for 2 to 3 months.
Will pharmacies really order online?
With a simple incentive, 50 to 70% of urban pharmacies switch within 6 months. An app that works offline and a 0.5% discount speed up adoption.
Do we need to replace our ERP?
In most cases no: the platform connects to the existing ERP through an API or file exchange. Integration accounts for 15 to 25% of the total budget.
How are batch recalls handled?
The recalled batch is blocked across the platform within minutes, and the list of pharmacies that received it is extracted automatically. This module costs 2,500,000 to 5,000,000 FCFA.
Can we collect mobile money?
Yes, Orange Money and MTN MoMo integrate for 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA with automatic matching of payments to invoices.
Let's scope your project. We scope your ordering platform (catalog, stock, batches, credit, routes) for an indicative budget of 18,000,000 to 35,000,000 FCFA and a 5 to 8 month timeline. 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.
