The verdict in three sentences
A business process automation (BPA) project costs in 2026 between 8,000 and 35,000 EUR depending on the number of flows handled, over 4 to 10 weeks of delivery. Each automated process saves on average 5 to 20 hours per week, which at a loaded hourly cost of 35 EUR means 9,000 to 36,000 EUR saved per year. The result: payback within 6 to 12 months, and teams reassigned to value-adding work instead of data entry.
What automation costs in 2026
Price depends mostly on the number of processes, the complexity of business rules and how many tools must be connected. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude for the European market.
| Scope | Automated processes | Timeline | Project cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick win | 1 to 2 (dunning, exports) | 2 to 4 weeks | 8,000 to 12,000 |
| Standard | 3 to 5 (entry, reporting) | 5 to 7 weeks | 14,000 to 22,000 |
| Advanced | 6 to 10 + approvals | 8 to 10 weeks | 24,000 to 35,000 |
| Bespoke | Multi-service orchestration | 10 to 16 weeks | 35,000 to 60,000 |
On top of this comes a recurring platform cost (iPaaS, RPA or script hosting) of 80 to 600 EUR per month, plus evolutionary maintenance of 10 to 15 % of the project cost per year.
Where the time savings hide
Not all tasks are equal. The best automation candidates are repetitive, rule-based and high-volume. 2026 estimate of hours freed per week.
| Process | Hours/week before | After automation | Net gain /week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order entry | 12 h | 2 h | 10 h |
| Overdue dunning | 6 h | 1 h | 5 h |
| Weekly reporting | 8 h | 0.5 h | 7.5 h |
| Invoice matching | 9 h | 2 h | 7 h |
| Client onboarding | 5 h | 1.5 h | 3.5 h |
A portfolio of three to four well-chosen processes easily frees 20 to 30 hours per week, equivalent to 0.6 to 0.8 FTE reassigned without hiring.
Mini case study
Claire, CFO of a 45-employee industrial SME in Lyon, automates three flows: customer dunning, cash reporting and supplier invoice matching. Project cost: 18,000 EUR + 250 EUR per month for the platform. Measured gain: 19 hours per week, about 836 hours per year. At a loaded hourly cost of 35 EUR, that is 29,260 EUR saved in the first year. After deducting the project and 3,000 EUR of annual subscription, the net gain is 8,260 EUR in year one, then 26,260 EUR per year afterwards. Payback is reached in about 8 months.
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FAQ
How much does a first automation project cost?
For one or two targeted processes, budget 8,000 to 12,000 EUR and 2 to 4 weeks. It is the ideal format to prove value before scaling up.
Do I need a paid platform on top?
Often yes: an iPaaS or RPA engine costs 80 to 600 EUR per month depending on volume. Some simple flows run on hosted scripts for under 100 EUR per month.
How fast is it profitable?
Between 6 and 12 months in most cases, because each process frees 5 to 20 hours a week valued at around 35 EUR loaded per hour.
Will jobs be cut?
Rarely: in 80 % of cases freed hours are reassigned to customer relations, sales or quality control, not to layoffs.
Which processes should I automate first?
Those that are repetitive, rule-stable and high-volume: entry, dunning, reporting, matching. A 3 to 5 day audit is enough to prioritise them.
Let's scope your project. Send us your 3 most time-consuming processes and your monthly volume: we price the batch, the timeline and the ROI. 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.
