The verdict in three sentences
For an 18-person firm, vendor software remains the essential foundation: case register, regulated client accounting and the connection to court and creditor systems. Custom development pays off where the vendor is weak, namely field inspection reports and enforcement visit routes, with a budget of 25,000 to 45,000 EUR excluding VAT. With 2,800 documents a month and 25 minutes saved per document on data entry, the investment pays back in under six months.
What vendor software really costs in 2026
Specialist vendors serving enforcement agents, High Court Enforcement Officers in England and Wales or sheriffs in Ireland, charge per seat on subscription. The bill rises quickly once optional modules are added (mobile inspections, amicable collection, document management, e-signature).
| Cost item | 2026 range | For 18 seats / year |
|---|---|---|
| Core software licence per seat | 250-450 EUR / month | 54,000-97,200 EUR |
| Mobile inspection module | 30-60 EUR / seat / month | 6,480-12,960 EUR |
| Amicable collection module | 40-80 EUR / seat / month | 8,640-17,280 EUR |
| Data migration and setup | 5,000-12,000 EUR (one-off) | 5,000-12,000 EUR |
| Initial training | 1,500-4,000 EUR | 1,500-4,000 EUR |
| Custom changes requested from the vendor | 900-1,400 EUR / day | often declined |
The real issue is rigidity rather than price. The vendor serves hundreds of firms with one roadmap. If your firm handles many property condition reports for housing associations or dense visit routes across Greater Manchester or Dublin, your needs rarely get prioritised.
Custom, vendor or hybrid: the comparison
The right architecture in 2026 is almost always hybrid: the vendor keeps the register, accounting and regulatory obligations, while the custom module handles field work and connects through an API or structured export.
| Criterion | 100% vendor | Hybrid (vendor + custom module) | 100% custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial budget | 6,500-16,000 EUR | 31,500-61,000 EUR | 120,000-250,000 EUR |
| Annual recurring cost | 68,000-127,000 EUR | 60,000-110,000 EUR | 15,000-30,000 EUR |
| Time to go live | 1-2 months | 3-5 months | 9-15 months |
| Regulatory compliance | carried by vendor | carried by vendor | your responsibility |
| Photo reports, geolocation, timestamps | basic | complete, matched to your templates | complete |
| Route optimisation | absent or limited | routes computed every morning | complete |
| Project risk | low | moderate | high |
Full custom is rarely sensible at this size: client account rules, court integrations and regulatory reporting change over time, and tracking those changes is the vendor's job.
What the inspection and route module should include
A useful module has four building blocks. Offline field capture on tablets: report templates per mission type, timestamped and geotagged photos, sketches, transcribed voice notes. Document generation: the report is pre-drafted from captured fields, the agent reviews and signs. Routes: the day's visits are grouped by area and ordered to cut mileage. Synchronisation with the vendor software: the document, evidence and fees flow back with no re-keying.
| Building block | Estimated effort | Budget excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Offline tablet app (inspections) | 25-40 days | 12,000-19,000 EUR |
| Template-based document generator | 10-15 days | 5,000-7,500 EUR |
| Route planning and optimisation | 8-14 days | 4,000-7,000 EUR |
| Connector to vendor software | 6-12 days | 3,000-6,000 EUR |
| Security, UK/EU hosting, acceptance testing | 4-10 days | 1,000-5,500 EUR |
| Total | 53-91 days | 25,000-45,000 EUR |
Mini case study
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David, partner in an 18-person enforcement firm in Manchester, handles 2,800 documents a month. Each currently needs 25 minutes of re-keying between field notes and the system. Potential gain: 2,800 × 25 min = 1,167 hours a month. Conservatively assuming 40% of that time is truly freed (the rest goes into review), that is 467 hours, about 2.9 full-time equivalents. At 3,200 EUR fully loaded per month for a caseworker, that means 9,300 EUR a month of freed capacity. With a 38,000 EUR module and 4,000 EUR a year of maintenance, payback comes in just over 4 months. The firm can absorb volume growth without hiring.
FAQ
Can we keep our current vendor software?
Yes, and we recommend it. The custom module connects through the vendor API when available, otherwise through structured file imports; this connector accounts for 3,000 to 6,000 EUR of the budget.
Where is inspection data hosted?
In UK or EU data centres certified ISO 27001, with photos encrypted at rest and in transit, in line with UK GDPR and the Irish Data Protection Act. Expect 150 to 400 EUR a month depending on stored evidence, roughly 1 TB a year for 2,800 monthly documents with photos.
How long until the module is live?
Between 3 and 5 months: 3 weeks of scoping, 8 to 12 weeks of development, then a 3-week pilot with two agents before rollout to all 18 seats.
Do tablets work without signal, in a basement or car park?
Yes, the app stores everything locally and syncs when signal returns. A rugged tablet costs 450 to 900 EUR, to budget for each field agent.
Who owns the code?
The firm, through an assignment of rights in the contract. You can change provider without starting over, which is impossible with vendor modules.
Let's scope your project. Send us your document volume, inspection types and current vendor: we price an inspection and route module between 25,000 and 45,000 EUR, delivered in 3 to 5 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.
