The verdict in three sentences
Automating a first custom business process costs between 16,000 and 33,000 EUR in 2026 in London, from scoping to acceptance testing. No-code (Make, n8n) starts at 20-100 EUR/month but hits a ceiling once business logic gets complex or volumes rise. With 1.5 to 2.5 FTEs freed up, payback most often falls between 7 and 11 months.
The budget line by line
Automating a process (for example purchase approval or order entry) breaks into five blocks. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for a London industrial mid-cap.
| Item | 2026 range (EUR) | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping + process mapping | 3,500 - 6,000 | Number of actors, rule complexity |
| Custom workflow development | 8,000 - 18,000 | Number of steps, exception cases |
| Connector to a tool (each) | 2,000 - 5,000 | API available or not, auth |
| Acceptance and testing | 2,500 - 4,000 | Volume of cases to validate |
| Change management / training | 1,500 - 3,500 | Number of users |
| Typical project total | 16,000 - 33,000 | 2-3 connectors included |
Annual maintenance is 12 to 18 % of the build, roughly 2,000 to 6,000 EUR/year, to absorb API changes and new business cases.
No-code vs custom development
No-code isn't free: it shifts cost from build to subscription and fragility. Here is the comparison for a process running 3,000 executions/month.
| Criterion | No-code (Make/n8n) | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 20 - 100 EUR/month | 16,000 - 33,000 EUR |
| Cost at high volume | 200 - 800 EUR/month | Hosting 50-150 EUR/month |
| Complex business logic | Limited | Unlimited |
| Vendor lock-in | High | None (owned code) |
| Robustness to changes | Medium | High |
| Best for | Prototype, low volume | Critical process, high volume |
Moving to custom pays off as soon as a process is critical, frequent (>2,000 executions/month) or carries rules too rich for an off-the-shelf editor.
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Mini case study
Mark, operations director at a London industrial mid-cap (110 staff), automates purchase approval. Project cost: 24,000 EUR + 3,800 EUR/year maintenance. Before, two coordinators each spent 3 h/day on it, i.e. 1.7 FTE at a loaded cost of 52,000 EUR/year/FTE. Annual saving: around 88,000 EUR. Payback: 24,000 / 88,000 × 12 ≈ 3.3 months on reallocated payroll alone, before counting fewer entry errors (estimated at 4 % of orders before automation).
FAQ
Can a process be automated without changing the ERP? Yes, in most cases. The custom workflow interfaces via API or connector; there's no need to replace the existing ERP. Budget 2,000 to 5,000 EUR per connector.
How long to deliver a first process? 2026 order of magnitude: 5 to 9 weeks from scoping to production, depending on the number of steps and systems to connect.
Is no-code enough to start? For a prototype or low volume, yes. Once the process becomes critical or exceeds a few thousand monthly executions, custom becomes cheaper and more reliable again.
How do I calculate automation ROI? Divide project cost by annual saving (FTEs freed + errors avoided), multiply by 12 for the payback in months. Below 12 months, the project is nearly always defensible.
Do I need a maintenance budget? Yes, plan for 12 to 18 % of the build per year. APIs evolve, rules change, and an unmaintained process degrades within 12 to 18 months.
Let's scope your project. Describe the process to automate (monthly volume, connected tools, business rules) and we'll frame an indicative budget between 16,000 and 33,000 EUR. 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.
