The verdict in three sentences
A drinks wholesaler delivering to 1,600 pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants and still taking 70% of orders by phone the night before pays for it in keying errors, overtime and missed sales. A B2B ordering portal with account-specific pricing, keg and cask deposit tracking and minimum order rules moves most orders online within 6 to 9 months and frees up the equivalent of 2 telesales staff. At Kolonell, this sits in our custom application grid, 2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 22,870+) depending on scope, with a 4 to 6 month timeline.
Why phone orders are expensive in on-trade distribution
In London or Dublin, a bar manager orders after close, between 10 pm and midnight, often by voicemail or WhatsApp. Next morning two inside sales staff listen back, rekey into the ERP and call back when something is out of stock. Typical outcome: 3 to 5% of lines wrong, late route planning and little upselling.
| Metric | Phone ordering | B2B portal | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of orders | 70% | 15 to 25% after 9 months | 45 to 55 points moved online |
| Keying time per order | 6 to 8 min | 0 (ERP integration) | About 140 hours a month saved |
| Lines with errors | 3 to 5% | Under 0.5% | Fewer credit notes and returns |
| Order cut-off | 6 pm (office hours) | 11:30 pm (picking at 5 am) | Late-night orders captured |
| Average basket | Baseline | +8 to 12% | Suggestions and reminders |
| Keg deposit tracking | Spreadsheet, frequent gaps | Live balance per account | Fewer lost kegs |
The commercial upside is real. A bar manager who sees on their phone that they usually order 4 kegs of lager and only have 1 on deposit orders more accurately, and more.
Features that matter for 3,500 SKUs
A standard online shop is not enough. You need a 3,500-SKU catalogue (draught beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks, coffee) with on-trade logic.
| Feature | Why it matters | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Account-specific pricing | Negotiated terms, retrospective discounts, brewery tie agreements | High: ERP sync |
| Keg, crate and gas cylinder deposits | Charged on delivery, credited on return | High: balance per account |
| Minimum order and free delivery thresholds | By route (central, suburbs, coast) | Medium |
| Quick reorder and order history | Repeat the usual order in 30 seconds | Low |
| Delivery slots by route | City centre mornings, outlying areas afternoons | Medium |
| Multi-user accounts | Bar manager, owner, bookkeeper with separate rights | Medium |
| Mobile app or PWA | Order from behind the bar after service | Medium |
As a 2026 ballpark, off-the-shelf B2B SaaS (B2B modules of ecommerce platforms, hospitality ordering apps) costs GBP 400 to 2,500 or EUR 500 to 3,000 a month, plus GBP 12,000 to 40,000 of integration work in London or EUR 15,000 to 50,000 in Dublin. They rarely handle deposits and brewery tie pricing well, which is often what tips the decision towards custom. At Kolonell that is quoted in the medium application band, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670), or complex, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+), when ERP integration is heavy. Maintenance follows our 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month grid (EUR 53, 114 or 183).
A realistic 4 to 6 month plan
Month 1: discovery, extract prices and deposits from the ERP, wireframes tested with 10 venues. Months 2 and 3: catalogue, accounts and quick reorder. Month 4: ERP integration and a pilot route. Months 5 and 6: progressive rollout by area, with field reps demoing the tool during visits. Change management matters as much as code: a venue that gets a walkthrough moves online three times faster than one that only gets an email.
Mini case study
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Liam, sales director of a drinks wholesaler in Dublin, serves 1,600 on-trade accounts and about 9,000 orders a month. 70% come by phone, so 6,300 orders at 7 minutes of keying: 735 hours a month, just over 4 inside sales staff. After 9 months, 50% of orders go through the portal: 4,500 orders no longer rekeyed, 525 hours freed. He moves 2 people (estimated loaded cost EUR 45,000 a year each) to outbound selling, worth EUR 90,000 of useful capacity a year. If the average basket grows 8% on half of a EUR 6 million on-trade turnover, that is about EUR 240,000 of extra sales. Even at a 25% gross margin, the project pays back within the year.
FAQ
Will bar managers really order online?
Yes, if ordering takes under a minute. Wholesalers offering one-tap reorder and an 11:30 pm cut-off commonly move 40 to 60% of orders online within 12 months.
How are keg deposits handled in the portal?
Each keg, crate or gas cylinder delivered creates a deposit charge, each return a credit. The customer sees a live balance, say 12 kegs on deposit worth GBP 360, and stock discrepancies drop sharply.
Do we need to replace our ERP?
No. The portal connects to the existing ERP by API or by file exchange every 15 minutes for stock and prices. The ERP remains the reference for invoicing.
What happens to the telesales team?
They move from keying to selling: calling accounts inactive for 30 days, pushing new lines, helping venues get started.
Can a first version go live sooner?
A version limited to quick reorder, account pricing and delivery slots can open in 10 to 12 weeks, with deposits in a second release.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of accounts, your routes and your current ERP, and we will scope a portal delivered in 4 to 6 months with a pilot route from month three. 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.
