The verdict in three sentences
For an Ivorian electrical supplies distributor serving 600 installers, a B2B ordering portal costs between 10 and 25 million FCFA excl. VAT (about 15,200 to 38,100 EUR), depending on ERP integration depth and customer credit management. The core comes down to three features: a 5,000-SKU catalogue searchable by code, outstanding balances with a credit limit per customer, and payment by bank transfer, Wave or card. Delivered in 12 to 16 weeks, the portal quickly captures 30% of orders placed outside opening hours, when installers plan their jobs in the evening.
Why Abidjan installers want to order online
In Abidjan, an electrician or small installation firm usually orders by WhatsApp, phone or at the counter in Treichville, Yopougon or Koumassi. The problems are well known: sales staff swamped in the morning, wrong references on breakers or cable sections, prices given verbally and outstanding balances tracked in Excel. The portal fixes this by showing each customer their own price, available stock and remaining credit.
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | WhatsApp and counter orders | B2B portal |
|---|---|---|
| Orders placed after hours (6 pm to 8 am, weekends) | 0% | 30% |
| Entry time per order | 10 to 15 minutes | 2 minutes (check) |
| Reference errors | 3 to 5% | under 1% |
| Time to check outstanding balance | 1 to 2 hours | instant |
| Payments more than 60 days late | 18% of customers | 9% of customers |
| Average order value | 420,000 FCFA | 480,000 FCFA |
The 10 to 25 million FCFA budget, line by line
| Item | Essential package | Full package |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, workshops with sales and accounting | 800,000 FCFA | 1,500,000 FCFA |
| 5,000-SKU catalogue, data sheets, search by code | 2,500,000 FCFA | 5,000,000 FCFA |
| Prices per customer and discounts by family | 1,500,000 FCFA | 3,500,000 FCFA |
| Outstanding balance, credit limit and automatic hold | 1,500,000 FCFA | 3,500,000 FCFA |
| Bank transfer, Wave and card payment | 1,200,000 FCFA | 3,000,000 FCFA |
| ERP connector (Sage, Odoo or local software) | 1,800,000 FCFA | 6,000,000 FCFA |
| PWA mobile app and WhatsApp notifications | 700,000 FCFA | 2,500,000 FCFA |
| Total excl. VAT | 10,000,000 FCFA | 25,000,000 FCFA |
| Monthly maintenance and hosting | 200,000 FCFA | 450,000 FCFA |
The essential package syncs stock and prices hourly and handles a simple credit limit. The full package adds real-time sync, custom payment schedules, job-site quotes, multi-branch (Abidjan, Bouaké, San-Pédro) and automated payment reminders.
Payment methods: what to offer and at what cost
| Payment method | Cost to the distributor (2026 order of magnitude) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day credit (invoice) | 0% fees, bad-debt risk | Regular, rated customers |
| Bank transfer | 0 to 2,500 FCFA per transaction | Large job-site orders |
| Wave Business | about 1% | Small installers, quick restocking |
| Orange Money or MTN MoMo | 1 to 2% | Customers without Wave |
| Bank card (local aggregator) | 2.5 to 3.5% | Companies and occasional customers |
| Pay at the counter on pickup | 0% | Branch pickup |
The portal shows each customer their available credit. Above the limit, it offers immediate payment by Wave or card instead of blocking the sale, which cuts lost orders without increasing risk.
Mini case study
Mr Kouassi runs an electrical supplies distributor in Abidjan: 600 installer customers, 5,000 SKUs, 450 million FCFA monthly revenue, 20% gross margin. He picks a mid-range package at 17 million FCFA excl. VAT, plus 300,000 FCFA monthly maintenance.
- Evening and weekend orders: 30% of orders go through the portal outside opening hours, a third of which were previously lost or went to a competitor, i.e. about 4% additional sales: 18 million FCFA a month, 3.6 million FCFA of margin.
- Late payments halved: about 1.2 million FCFA a month of financing costs and losses avoided (estimate).
- Two counter staff redeployed to prospecting new installers.
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Estimated monthly gain: 4.8 million FCFA, i.e. payback in about 4 months after go-live.
FAQ
Do we have to connect the ERP?
It is strongly recommended: without a connector, prices and stock must be updated by hand, with 5 to 10% discrepancies. A simple hourly export costs 1.8 million FCFA and is enough to start.
Will installers really use the portal?
Experience shows 25 to 35% of active customers online after 3 months, provided the portal works well on a smartphone over 3G. A 1 to 2% launch discount on online orders speeds up adoption.
How do we protect ourselves against bad debt?
Each customer gets a credit limit read from the ERP. Above it, the portal requires immediate payment by Wave, mobile money or card, which on average halves payments more than 60 days late.
Can orders be confirmed on WhatsApp?
Yes. The portal sends the confirmation and delivery note on WhatsApp, at a messaging cost of about 15 to 40 FCFA per message depending on the notification type.
What timeline should we plan?
Plan 12 weeks for the essential package and 16 weeks for the full package, including 3 to 4 weeks cleaning the 5,000 product records.
Let's scope your project. We scope your portal (catalogue, credit, payment methods, ERP) with an indicative budget between 10 and 25 million FCFA excl. VAT and a 12 to 16 week plan. 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.
