The verdict in three sentences
An inspection body with 25 inspectors producing its design reviews and reports in Word wastes the equivalent of several full-time roles on regulatory copy-paste and formatting. Custom software at 40,000 to 75,000 EUR pays back in 12 to 18 months if it automates the final report from design reviews and site visits. A vendor at 80 to 150 EUR per inspector per month stays relevant if your missions and report templates follow the market standard.
Where the hours go in an inspection body
Building inspection missions (structural soundness, fire safety, accessibility, sometimes seismic or thermal) all follow the same cycle: design review at the drawing stage, site visits, final report before handover. The inspector writes each comment citing the relevant regulation article (Eurocodes, public building fire rules, accessibility orders), then carries those comments into the final report while checking they have been resolved.
In Word, this chain relies on copy-paste between documents, site photos renamed by hand and a regulatory library that each person maintains on their own. Result: 2 to 3 days for the final report of an average building, more than half of it on tasks with no technical value.
| Step | In Word (hours) | With dedicated software (hours) | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing a design review (20 comments) | 6 | 3.5 | 42% |
| Preparing a site visit (history, open points) | 1.5 | 0.3 | 80% |
| Entering findings and photos after the visit | 2 | 0.5 (tablet entry) | 75% |
| Tracking comment resolution | 3 | 1 | 67% |
| Final report (formatting, carrying over comments) | 12 | 0.5 day of proofreading | 1.5 days saved |
| Review by the technical manager | 2 | 1.5 | 25% |
Custom or vendor: 2026 comparison
| Criterion | Specialist vendor | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 2,000 to 8,000 EUR setup | 40,000 to 75,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost (25 inspectors) | 24,000 to 45,000 EUR per year | 6,000 to 11,000 EUR per year (maintenance, hosting) |
| Cumulative 5-year cost | 122,000 to 233,000 EUR | 70,000 to 130,000 EUR |
| Report templates | Vendor's, limited customisation | Yours, your branding, your clauses |
| Regulatory library | Supplied, updated by vendor | To build and maintain (or import) |
| Offline tablet app | Varies by vendor | Planned from V1 |
| Link with invoicing and scheduling | Limited connectors | Integrated with your tools |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
The weak point of custom software is the regulatory library: it has to be structured, then maintained with each change in the rules. Count 15 to 25 days of the technical manager's time at launch, then 2 to 4 days a year.
V1 scope
- Mission management: project, client, contracted missions, phases, assigned inspector.
- Design reviews: structured entry per building element, regulation reference picked from a list, status (favourable, suspended, unfavourable).
- Site visits on tablet: offline mode, geotagged photos attached to findings, signature by the site manager.
- Resolution tracking of comments between design and handover.
- Automated final report in Word and PDF, in the firm's branding, ready to proofread.
- Dashboard: late missions, unresolved comments, workload per inspector.
Realistic timeline: 4 to 5 months for V1, with 2 pilot inspectors from month two.
Mini case study
Laurent, branch director of an inspection body in Lyon, manages 25 inspectors producing about 300 final reports a year. With 1.5 days saved per report, the saving reaches 450 inspector-days a year.
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At a full cost of 450 EUR per day, that is 202,500 EUR of freed time, reinvested in new missions rather than formatting. Even counting only one third of that gain as truly productive (67,500 EUR), custom software at 60,000 EUR pays back in under 11 months. With a vendor at 120 EUR a month, the subscription would cost 36,000 EUR a year, but the report templates would not match those expected by the branch's long-standing clients.
FAQ
Can the software work on a site with no network?
Yes, the tablet app stores data locally and syncs when the network returns. This is essential for basements and structural works where 4G is weak.
Can we import our old Word reports?
Structured data (projects, clients, missions) is imported. Existing reports are archived as PDFs and attached to the project, since a full text migration would cost too much for little gain.
How is the regulatory library managed?
It is structured by mission and article, with version dates. The technical manager updates it from an admin interface, in 2 to 4 days a year on average.
Is the software compatible with accreditation requirements?
It records who wrote, checked and signed each comment, with timestamps. These logs make internal audits and accreditation body reviews easier.
How long before we see a gain?
Pilot inspectors save time on site visits from month two. The gain on final reports appears with the first projects created entirely in the tool, 4 to 8 months after launch.
Let's scope your project. Send us your mission types, a report template and your number of inspectors: we will price the V1, indicative budget and timeline. 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.
