The verdict in three sentences
A scoped first automation project costs between 12,000 and 45,000 EUR in 2026 depending on the number of steps and systems to connect. The real payoff isn't saved time alone but the collapse in error rate, which typically drops from 4% to under 0.5%. Chosen well, the process pays back in 4 to 9 months — beyond that, the scope was cut wrong.
What you actually pay in 2026
An automation project isn't a single flat fee: it's an initial build plus a recurring running cost. The table below gives 2026 ballpark figures for the London market.
| Line item | 2026 range (EUR) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping + process mapping | 3,000 - 6,000 | Workshops, volume measurement, rule definition |
| Simple automation (1 flow, 2 systems) | 12,000 - 18,000 | Connection, logic, testing, go-live |
| Complex automation (multi-step, approvals) | 25,000 - 45,000 | Orchestration, exceptions, dashboard |
| iPaaS per flow (Make, Workato) | 40 - 120 /month | No-code platform subscription |
| Custom orchestration | 18,000 one-off | Dedicated API, controlled hosting |
| Annual maintenance | 15 - 20% of build | Fixes, updates, monitoring |
The central question: iPaaS or custom? For a simple, low-volume flow, an iPaaS subscription at 40-120 EUR/month per flow is enough and launches in days. Once volume exceeds a few tens of thousands of monthly operations, or the business logic gets granular, custom orchestration at ~18,000 EUR becomes cheaper over 18 months.
Where the return hides
| Metric | Before automation | After automation |
|---|---|---|
| Processing time per team | Baseline | -15 to -25 h/week |
| Data-entry error rate | 4% | < 0.5% |
| Approval lead time | 2 to 4 days | A few hours |
| Cost of reworking errors | High | Marginal |
| Return on investment | — | 4 to 9 months |
A fully-loaded hour of skilled staff costs 35 to 55 EUR in London. Twenty hours recovered per week therefore represent 700 to 1,100 EUR/week, or 35,000 to 55,000 EUR/year — enough to absorb a mid-range build in the first year.
Mini case study
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Claire, CFO of a 45-person industrial SME in Croydon, manually handles supplier order approvals: re-keying into the ERP, threshold checks, chasing approvers. The team spends 22 h/week on it with a measured 4% error rate.
She scopes a project at 28,000 EUR (multi-step orchestration). Result: 18 h/week recovered (at 45 EUR fully-loaded = 810 EUR/week, ~37,000 EUR/year) and an error rate cut to 0.4%. Payback: around 9 months, then a net annual gain above 30,000 EUR.
FAQ
How long before I see a result? A first simple flow is in production in 3 to 5 weeks. Time savings are measurable from the first month of operation, before full payback.
Start small or automate everything? Always start with a single high-volume, highly repetitive process. Too broad a scope blows up cost and pushes ROI past 12 months.
iPaaS or custom development? iPaaS (40-120 EUR/month per flow) to launch fast at low volume; custom (~18,000 EUR) as soon as volume or business logic exceeds what no-code handles cleanly.
What's the main hidden cost? Maintenance: budget 15 to 20% of the build per year for fixes, API changes and monitoring. A project with no maintenance budget drifts fast.
How do I measure ROI honestly? Cost the hours actually recovered at their loaded rate, add the avoided cost of errors, and divide by build + maintenance. ROI under 9 months is the mark of a good project.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your SME's most time-consuming process (volume, steps, systems) and we'll scope a first ROI-positive project, indicative budget 12,000-45,000 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.
