The verdict in three sentences
A Dubai supplier of IT equipment for businesses loses deals in the gap between quote request and order, often 10 to 15 working days when everything runs through email and phone. A B2B webshop with online quotes, internal purchase approval and multi-user company accounts cuts this cycle to 3 or 4 days and frees sales reps for key accounts. A Dubai agency charges 180,000 to 420,000 AED for this scope (market estimate), while the Kolonell grid places it between 4,000,000 and 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), with a 12-week timeline.
The sales cycle before and after the B2B webshop
At a corporate buyer, an order for 15 workstations goes through the requesting department, the IT manager, procurement and sometimes finance. Without a tool, each step restarts by email with a PDF quote that has to be found, edited and sent back.
| Step (2026 order of magnitude) | Before: email and phone | After: B2B webshop |
|---|---|---|
| Quote request | 1 to 2 days (call, follow-up, clarifications) | 1 to 2 hours, cart turned into a request |
| Quote issued | 1 to 3 days, prices re-keyed by hand | Instant for catalogue items, 4 h for special discounts |
| Internal approval at the customer | 4 to 7 days, quote lost in inboxes | 1 to 2 days, approval workflow with automatic reminders |
| Purchase order | 1 to 2 days | 10 minutes, generated from the approved quote |
| Stock and lead time confirmation | 1 day | Instant |
| Total cycle | 10 to 15 working days | 3 to 4 working days |
| Quote conversion rate | 25 to 35% | 40 to 50% |
The main gain comes from internal approval: the quote stays in the webshop, each approver gets a notification, sees the history and approves in one click. The supplier always knows where the decision stands.
The features that drive the budget
The price depends mostly on the depth of the approval workflow and the connection with your sales or ERP system.
| Feature | What it covers | Indicative share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-user company accounts | Requester, approver, buyer roles, spending limits per user | 15 to 20% |
| Online quotes | Cart turned into a quote, customer-specific discounts, 15 or 30-day validity | 15 to 20% |
| Approval workflow | 1 to 3 levels by amount, reminders, delegation during leave | 15 to 20% |
| Technical catalogue | Product sheets, configurator (RAM, storage, warranty) | 10 to 15% |
| Invoicing and payment | Compliant tax invoice with 5% VAT, bank transfer, card or payment link | 10 to 15% |
| Sales system connector | Net prices, stock, customers, orders | 15 to 20% |
Regulatory point: the UAE is rolling out mandatory B2B e-invoicing in phases from 2026, so the webshop must produce invoices ready to be transmitted in the required structured format, which is checked during scoping. The 12-week timeline splits into 2 weeks of scoping, 8 weeks of development and 2 weeks of acceptance testing with 3 to 5 pilot customers.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Omar, sales director of an IT equipment supplier in Dubai, issues 120 quotes a month, with an average value of 55,000 AED, a 30% conversion rate and a 12% gross margin.
- Before: 120 × 30% = 36 orders, so 1,980,000 AED in monthly revenue.
- After, at 42% conversion: 50 orders, about 2,770,000 AED.
- Additional revenue: about 790,000 AED a month, so 95,000 AED in gross margin at 12%.
- The 3 sales reps each get back about 30 hours a month of re-keying and follow-up.
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With a project in the Kolonell range of 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA and Standard maintenance at 75,000 FCFA (110 EUR) a month, payback comes in under 2 months even if the conversion uplift holds on only half the portfolio.
FAQ
How much does a B2B webshop with quotes and approvals cost in Dubai?
A Dubai agency charges 180,000 to 420,000 AED in 2026 depending on the depth of the approval workflow (market estimate). On the Kolonell grid, this project sits between 4,000,000 and 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR).
How long does it take to launch?
Allow 12 weeks, including 2 weeks of acceptance testing with 3 to 5 pilot customers. Opening to all accounts then takes 2 to 4 weeks.
Can the approval workflow be adapted to each customer?
Yes: each customer company sets its own approvers and thresholds, for example IT manager approval up to 30,000 AED and finance approval above that. Delegation during absences avoids bottlenecks.
Does the webshop handle negotiated discounts?
Net prices per customer come from your sales system, and exceptional discounts go through a quote approved internally within 4 hours. The customer always sees their own price, never the list price alone.
What does maintenance cost?
Kolonell maintenance ranges from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA a month (50 to 180 EUR) depending on the level. The Standard level at 75,000 FCFA (110 EUR) is enough for a B2B webshop of this size.
Let's scope your project. Describe your customer types, your quote process and your sales system: we will price your B2B webshop in the 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA range (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), delivered in 12 weeks. 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.
