The verdict in three sentences
A Singapore trading group consolidating 4 subsidiaries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam) in 6 working days a month can bring that down to 2 days with an automatically fed financial dashboard. Power BI fits when accounting data is clean and the need is mainly analytical: Pro licence at 14 USD per user per month, with implementation by a Singapore partner at 30,000 to 70,000 SGD. A custom dashboard pays off when you also need input, approval and adjustments across SFRS(I) and local GAAP, plus multi-currency rules Power BI alone does not manage.
The real bottleneck: data, not charts
The CFO of a group distributing consumer electronics across Southeast Asia receives four trial balances every month. Two subsidiaries run Xero, one runs NetSuite, the Vietnamese entity reports from a local system under VAS. Charts of accounts differ, intercompany balances do not reconcile, and four currencies (SGD, MYR, IDR, VND) must be translated at the right rates.
The 6 consolidation days break down like this: 2 days collecting and chasing subsidiaries, 2 days mapping accounts and eliminating intercompany, 1 day fixing gaps, 1 day producing the board pack. A visualization tool fixes only the last day. The real gain comes from automating the first four.
| Close step (4 subsidiaries) | Today | With a fed dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Trial balance collection | 2 days, email chasing | Automatic extraction or standard upload |
| Mapping to group chart (SFRS(I)) | 1 day, by hand | Mapping table maintained once |
| Intercompany elimination | 1 day | Automatic matching, gaps listed |
| FX translation and gap fixes | 1 day | 0.5 day |
| Board pack | 1 day | Instant, refreshed at each load |
| Total | 6 working days | 2 working days |
| Time to act on subsidiary margins | 15 to 20 days after month end | 5 to 7 days |
Power BI or custom: the numbers
Power BI is an excellent, low-licence analytics tool. Its limit shows when the group needs to capture data that lives in no accounting system (subsidiary budgets, management commentary, CFO-approved adjustments) or fine-grained permissions per entity. Teams end up stacking Excel files upstream, which recreates the problem.
| Criterion (2026 ballpark, Singapore) | Power BI with a partner | Custom dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation, local market | 30,000 to 70,000 SGD | 80,000 to 160,000 SGD |
| Licences | 14 USD per user per month (Pro) | Hosting, no per-user licence |
| Annual cost for 15 users | About 2,500 USD of licences plus support | Maintenance and hosting |
| Budget and commentary input | Limited, via Excel or Power Apps | Native, with approval |
| SFRS(I) and FX adjustments | In data models, must be documented | Coded, versioned business rules |
| Time to go live | 6 to 10 weeks | 3 to 5 months |
| Dependency | Microsoft 365 ecosystem | Source code handed over |
At Kolonell, a custom financial dashboard fits the application grid: mid-size at 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) for consolidated reporting with trial balance loading, or complex at 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) with budget input, approval workflow and direct connections to several accounting systems. Maintenance runs 53 to 183 EUR a month.
How to choose
Three questions settle most cases. Can the 4 trial balances be extracted automatically in a stable format? If so, Power BI on a solid data model often suffices. Does the CFO need controllers to enter budgets, forecasts and commentary in the tool? If so, custom avoids satellite spreadsheets. And how many people view the dashboards? Past 50 users, Power BI licences become a visible line, and a custom option without per-user fees deserves a calculation. For more on business applications, see our web applications service.
Mini case study
Wei Ling, CFO of a trading group in Singapore, consolidates 4 subsidiaries with two financial controllers. Month-end close takes 3 people 6 days, 18 person-days a month, 216 person-days a year. At a loaded cost of 700 SGD per person-day, consolidation costs about 151,000 SGD a year.
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Moving to 2 days saves 144 person-days, about 100,800 SGD a year of time redirected to margin and working capital analysis. Power BI option: 50,000 SGD implementation plus 15 Pro licences at 14 USD, around 3,400 SGD a year, payback in about 6 months. Custom option at 120,000 SGD: payback in roughly 15 months, with built-in budget input that retires a dozen circulating spreadsheets.
FAQ
Does Power BI handle SFRS(I) consolidation?
Power BI ships with no chart of accounts or consolidation logic: the data model carries the mapping and eliminations. Plan 5 to 10 days to build a clean, documented group mapping table.
Can we start with Power BI and move to custom later?
Yes, and it is often wise. The mapping table and elimination rules built for Power BI (about 30% of the work) carry over to a custom tool.
Where is the data hosted?
Power BI stores data in Microsoft's cloud, with a Southeast Asia region available. A custom tool can be hosted in Singapore if internal policy or PDPA obligations call for it.
How long until go-live?
6 to 10 weeks for Power BI, 3 to 5 months for a custom dashboard with budget input. The first full close on the new tool usually happens in the second month of use.
What maintenance should we plan?
At Kolonell, 53 to 183 EUR a month depending on support level. With Power BI, also plan a few partner days a year to evolve reports.
Let's scope your project. Send us your subsidiaries, accounting systems and current reports, and we will recommend Power BI or custom with a go-live 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.
