The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, a London CFO still steering on Excel exports loses time and reliability: a structured BI project costs 10,000 to 35,000 EUR and replaces manual spreadsheets with automatically refreshed dashboards. Cost depends mostly on the data model and the number of connectors, not the number of charts. Budget 6 to 12 weeks for delivery and 500 to 1,500 EUR/month for ongoing maintenance.
What a BI project costs in 2026
The budget splits between data infrastructure, modeling and reporting. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude in the London market.
| Scope | Timeline | Budget EUR | Connected sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple dashboards (1 to 2 sources) | 6 weeks | 10,000 - 16,000 | 1 - 2 |
| BI + simple data warehouse | 8 to 10 weeks | 16,000 - 26,000 | 3 - 5 |
| Advanced multi-source BI | 10 to 12 weeks | 26,000 - 35,000 | 6 and up |
| Monthly maintenance | Recurring | 500 - 1,500 /month | - |
A simple data warehouse (cloud store + ETL) accounts for 4,000 to 9,000 EUR of the total budget, often the best investment for reliability.
2026 BI tools compared
The tool choice drives licensing and team autonomy. Here are the main options.
| Tool | License /user/month | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power BI | 0 - 40 EUR | Rich Microsoft ecosystem | Governance to frame |
| Metabase | 0 (open source) - 15 EUR | Fast, self-service | Limited advanced modeling |
| Looker Studio | 0 EUR | Free, Google-connected | Limited volumes |
| Superset | 0 (open source) | Powerful, free | Technical setup |
2026 rule: for an SME, Metabase or Power BI cover 90% of needs; heavy stacks are reserved for very large volumes.
Mini case study
Thomas, CFO of an 80-person distribution group in London, manually consolidates 3 sources each month (ERP, e-commerce, payroll): about 3 days/month for a management controller, roughly 1,900 EUR/month loaded. The BI project (simple data warehouse + Metabase) is quoted at 19,000 EUR plus 600 EUR/month maintenance and 300 EUR/month licenses. Monthly reporting drops from 3 days to 0.5 day, saving 1,580 EUR/month, about 900 EUR/month net after recurring costs. ROI reached in roughly 21 months on time alone, before counting fewer errors and faster reactivity.
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FAQ
Do we need a data warehouse from the start?
Not always. For 1 to 2 sources, a direct connection is enough. Beyond 3 sources or when volumes exceed a few million rows, a warehouse (4,000 to 9,000 EUR) makes everything reliable.
Power BI or Metabase for an SME?
Metabase appeals with its free tier and simplicity; Power BI with its ecosystem. Both cover 90% of an SME's needs; the difference comes down to your existing Microsoft stack.
How long before a usable dashboard?
A first useful dashboard arrives in 4 to 6 weeks. The full project, with a robust data model, takes 6 to 12 weeks.
Who updates the dashboards afterwards?
Once the model is in place, refresh is automatic (scheduled). Maintenance (500 to 1,500 EUR/month) covers changes and adding new sources.
Is the data secure?
Yes: encryption, per-user access rights and GDPR-compliant hosting. Access is limited by role, with view logging.
Let's scope your project. List your data sources, your 5 key metrics and your preferred tool. 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.
