The verdict in three sentences
For a group of 9 nursing homes with 750 residents, in Dublin or Bordeaux, a custom rota and handover module built around the existing care record costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between EUR 40,000 and 90,000 excluding VAT (about USD 43,000 to 97,000), with a timeline of 4 to 6 months. It does not replace the care software: it removes double entry across three tools and shows absences, cover shifts and handovers between teams in real time. The main financial lever is agency staffing, which a well-run internal relief pool can cut by about 15%.
Why three tools cost more than one module
In many care home groups, the care record sits in a vendor product, the rota in a spreadsheet or HR tool, and end-of-shift handovers in a notebook or a messaging app. Every clinical nurse manager re-enters the same information two or three times a week, and the operations director discovers rota gaps too late to call in internal relief. The result is an agency booking, more expensive than overtime or a relief-pool employee.
| Module | Function | Indicative share | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-home rota | Cycles, rotations, skills, rest rules | 30% | 12,000 to 27,000 |
| Cover and relief pool | Absence alert, offer to volunteers, approval | 20% | 8,000 to 18,000 |
| Mobile handovers | Entry on work smartphone, per resident, tracked reading | 20% | 8,000 to 18,000 |
| Care record connection | Read residents, alerts and care plans | 15% | 6,000 to 13,500 |
| Management dashboards | Agency rate, overtime, absenteeism per home | 10% | 4,000 to 9,000 |
| Security and health-data hosting | Strong authentication, logging, certified host | 5% | 2,000 to 4,500 |
The low end works when the care record vendor exposes a documented API. The high end applies when scheduled exports are needed or when homes run under different pay agreements.
How the module cuts agency staffing by about 15%
Agency shifts are booked when an absence is known late and no internal solution is found within the hour. The module acts on both variables: the absence is entered once and visible immediately to the operations director, and the cover offer goes automatically to relief-pool staff and volunteers in the group's other homes.
| Indicator | Before (3 tools) | After (unified module) |
|---|---|---|
| Time from known absence to solution | 3 to 6 hours | 30 to 90 minutes |
| Share of absences covered internally | 45 to 55% | 60 to 70% |
| Rota entries per manager per week | Same data 2 to 3 times | Once |
| Manager time spent on rotas | 6 to 8 h per week | 3 to 4 h per week |
| Lost or unread handovers | Not measured | Tracked reading per resident |
| Estimated agency reduction | Baseline | About 15% |
These figures are estimates based on groups of comparable size. They depend on having an internal relief pool and on night-team availability, often the hardest shifts to cover.
Regulatory requirements and project plan
Handovers contain health data: hosting must use certified health-data infrastructure (HDS in France; in Ireland, GDPR-compliant hosting meeting HIQA expectations), with strong authentication for carers, access logging and compliant retention. Mobile handovers run on managed work smartphones, never on consumer messaging apps.
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and audit of the 3 tools | 3 to 4 weeks | Rota rules, data flows, choice of host |
| Rota and cover | 6 to 8 weeks | Module tested in 2 pilot homes |
| Mobile handovers | 4 to 6 weeks | App on work smartphones |
| Care record connection | 3 to 5 weeks | Resident and alert sync |
| Roll-out to the other 7 homes | 3 to 4 weeks | Manager training, switch-over |
Mini case study
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Niamh, operations director of a 9-home group around Dublin, spends about EUR 900,000 a year on agency staff. She chooses a EUR 70,000 excluding VAT module, delivered in 5 months. A 15% drop in agency use is worth EUR 135,000 a year. On top of that, 3.5 manager hours are freed per week per home, about 1,600 hours a year reinvested in supervising teams. The module pays for itself in just over 6 months on agency savings alone.
FAQ
Do we need to change our care software?
No. The module connects to the existing care record in read mode, about 15% of the budget. Switching vendors for 750 residents would cost far more and take over a year.
Is certified health-data hosting mandatory for handovers?
Yes, as soon as handovers contain health information about identifiable residents. The budget allows about 5% for security and the choice of a compliant host.
How soon will we see results?
Rota and cover run in 2 pilot homes by month 3. Full roll-out across the 9 homes takes 4 to 6 months.
Will carers adopt mobile handovers?
Adoption depends on entry time: the target is a focused handover in under 45 seconds. The project includes training per team and a 4-week pilot.
Can it handle several pay agreements?
Yes, rest and cycle rules are configured per home. This is one of the factors that moves the budget from EUR 40,000 towards EUR 90,000 excluding VAT.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your three current tools and your agency spend: we will price a module between EUR 40,000 and 90,000 excluding VAT with a 4 to 6 month plan. 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.
