The verdict in three sentences
Industry software for enforcement agents and bailiffs handles documents and office accounting well, but rarely the relationship with creditors and detailed management of amicable and court-ordered recovery. A custom tool at 25,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT, connected to your production software, adds a real-time creditor portal, recovery rate dashboards and automated debtor reminders. The most visible gain: about one full-time front desk position saved, worth 38,000 to 45,000 EUR a year fully loaded.
In London, where enforcement firms often handle large council and utility portfolios, the same scope typically costs 25,000 to 50,000 GBP, and the staff savings are proportionally higher.
Where the hours go in a mid-sized office
An office with two or three partners often handles several thousand recovery cases for landlords, banks, telecom operators or SMEs. Every creditor wants to know where their case stands, and every debtor calls to negotiate a payment plan.
| Activity (3 partners, 20 staff) | Estimated weekly volume | Time consumed |
|---|---|---|
| Creditor calls on case status | 250 to 350 | 20 to 28 h |
| Debtor calls and emails (payment plans) | 300 to 400 | 18 to 25 h |
| Sending case reports to creditors | 150 to 200 | 6 to 9 h |
| Tracking payment plans on spreadsheets | 400 to 600 rows | 5 to 8 h |
| Monthly reporting to major creditors | 10 to 15 reports | 4 to 6 h |
| Total low-value time | 53 to 76 h |
2026 order of magnitude. Much of this time disappears once creditors and debtors have up-to-date self-service information.
Custom build or vendor options: the comparison
| Criterion | Industry software vendor options | Custom tool |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront investment | 3,000 to 10,000 EUR | 25,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost | 200 to 600 EUR/month | 300 to 700 EUR/month (hosting, maintenance) |
| 5-year cost | 15,000 to 46,000 EUR | 43,000 to 92,000 EUR |
| Custom creditor portal | Standard, little configuration | Office branding, per creditor |
| Debtor area and online payment | Rare | Yes, card and transfer, payment plans |
| Recovery dashboards | Basic | Per creditor, portfolio, debt age |
| Bulk portfolio import | Limited | Your major clients' formats |
| Time to go live | 2 to 6 weeks | 3 to 6 months |
Vendor options are enough for a small office. Custom becomes profitable once recovery exceeds 40 % of revenue and a few major creditors demand precise reporting.
Modules and budget
| Module | Indicative budget excl. VAT | Measurable effect |
|---|---|---|
| Creditor portal (case status, documents, amounts collected) | 8,000 to 15,000 EUR | -60 % creditor calls |
| Debtor area with online payment and payment plan | 6,000 to 12,000 EUR | +8 to 12 points amicable recovery rate |
| Automatic SMS and email reminders | 3,000 to 6,000 EUR | -40 % missed instalments |
| Recovery rate dashboards | 4,000 to 8,000 EUR | Automated monthly reporting |
| Portfolio import and industry software interface | 4,000 to 9,000 EUR | Zero re-keying |
Hosting in the UK or EU, strong authentication and access logging meet GDPR and professional confidentiality requirements. Legal documents themselves stay in your industry software.
Mini case study
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Garnier, partner in an enforcement office, manages 6,000 active recovery cases for about forty creditors. Two front desk staff spend most of their time on the phone.
He invests 38,000 EUR in a creditor portal, a debtor area with online payment and dashboards. Creditor calls fall by 60 %, freeing one full-time position redirected to case handling, worth about 42,000 EUR a year. Online payment and automatic reminders raise amicable collections by 9 points on a 4 million EUR portfolio: about 360,000 EUR extra collected for creditors, and 25,000 to 35,000 EUR of success fees for the office. Year 1 cost including maintenance: 44,000 EUR. Payback: about 7 months.
FAQ
Do we need to drop our industry software?
No. The custom tool plugs into your production software, which remains the reference for documents, accounting and regulatory obligations. The budget covers the interface, between 4,000 and 9,000 EUR excl. VAT.
Do creditors see all case information?
No, the office decides what is visible: stages, public documents, amounts collected and paid over. Sensitive debtor data stays internal, and every access is logged.
Is online debtor payment secure?
It goes through a licensed payment provider, with fees of 1.2 to 2 % per transaction, and funds land directly in the office's client account. Payment plans are generated and chased automatically.
How long until we are operational?
Allow 3 to 6 months, with a pilot on two or three volunteer creditors before opening to all. Migration of active cases is included.
What maintenance should we plan?
A plan of 300 to 700 EUR a month covers hosting, security and minor changes. An annual security audit is recommended at 2,000 to 4,000 EUR.
Let's scope your project. Case volume, creditors to onboard, debtor payment and industry software interface, budget 25,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT, live in 3 to 6 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.
