The verdict in three sentences
A firm managing 2,000 client cases a year across Excel, email and WhatsApp groups loses on average one working day of admin per employee per week searching for documents, chasing clients and re-entering data. A custom case management platform costs EUR 7,600 to 21,300 (5 to 14 million FCFA) depending on workflow stages and integrations, with a 8 to 12 week timeline. For a 10-person team, the time saved pays back the investment in 12 to 18 months, before counting avoided penalties on filing deadlines.
The hidden cost of tracking cases in Excel and WhatsApp
Customs brokers, tax advisers and legal firms, whether in London or in West African port cities such as Lomé, share the same symptoms: a shared spreadsheet nobody dares to sort, attachments scattered across 15 chat threads, filings chased at the last minute, and a managing partner who cannot tell at any moment how many cases are stuck and why. When a key employee leaves, part of the client history leaves too.
| Current situation | Measured impact (2026 estimate) | With a dedicated platform |
|---|---|---|
| Finding a supporting document | 10 to 20 min per case | under 30 seconds, files attached to the case |
| Chasing clients for missing documents | 3 to 5 manual messages | automatic email and SMS reminders |
| Missed customs or tax deadlines | 2 to 4 per month, EUR 75 to 460 penalty each | alerts at D-7, D-3, D-1 |
| Reporting to management | half a day per week | real-time dashboard |
| Handover when someone leaves | 1 to 2 weeks of confusion | full history per case |
| Admin time per employee | ~8 h per week | ~2 to 3 h per week |
How much does a case management platform cost
The price depends on the number of workflow stages, roles (staff, supervisor, client), attachment volume and integrations: accounting, e-signature, client portal, mobile or card payments.
| Package | Scope | 2026 price (excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | cases, stages, attachments, 3 roles, email alerts | EUR 7,600 to 10,700 (5 to 7M FCFA) | 8 weeks |
| Advanced | + management dashboard, SMS alerts, document templates, full-text search | EUR 11,400 to 15,200 (7.5 to 10M FCFA) | 10 weeks |
| Complete | + client portal, e-signature, invoicing, online payment | EUR 15,200 to 21,300 (10 to 14M FCFA) | 12 weeks |
| Hosting and maintenance | server, daily backups, fixes | EUR 115 to 305 per month | ongoing |
| Team training | 2 sessions on site or remote | included or EUR 460 | 1 week |
| Off-the-shelf subscription | generic tool, poor fit for customs workflows | EUR 23 to 61 per user per month | 2 to 4 weeks |
Generic software looks cheaper at first: for 10 users at EUR 46 per month, that is about EUR 5,500 a year, with no fit to customs-specific stages (declaration, release, pickup) and no data ownership. Over three years, the custom advanced package often costs a comparable amount and remains an asset of the firm. Note that London agency rates typically run 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than the figures above, which reflect a nearshore delivery model.
The features that really save time
Do not pay for 40 screens. The gains come from five building blocks: a configurable stage-based workflow (intake, document collection, filing, approval, closure), attachments linked to the case with completeness checks, configurable deadline alerts, a management dashboard (overdue cases, workload per employee, invoiced revenue) and an activity log that tracks who did what. The platform must work well on mobile and slow networks, since part of the team works from the port or at client sites.
Also plan for data migration: importing 2,000 to 5,000 historical cases from Excel typically costs EUR 600 to 1,400, an expense that avoids running two systems side by side for months.
Mini case study
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Mr Agbeko, managing partner of a customs and consulting firm in Lomé, employs 10 staff and handles 2,000 cases a year. Each employee saves one day per week, about 45 days a year. At an average loaded cost of 25,000 FCFA (EUR 38) per day, the gain reaches 10 × 45 × 25,000 = 11,250,000 FCFA (about EUR 17,150) per year. Adding 3 avoided deadline penalties per month at 100,000 FCFA, i.e. 3,600,000 FCFA, the annual benefit exceeds 14 million FCFA (EUR 21,300). For an advanced package at 9,000,000 FCFA plus 1,800,000 FCFA of yearly maintenance, payback comes in under 10 months.
FAQ
Can we start small and add the client portal later?
Yes, and it is recommended. An essential package at EUR 7,600 to 10,700, then the client portal and online payment in a second phase of EUR 4,600 to 6,100, lets you validate adoption before investing more.
Where is client data hosted?
On a dedicated server in the UK, EU or West Africa as you choose, with daily backups kept for 30 days. Both UK GDPR and Togo's 2019 data protection law require you to secure this data and be able to return it.
Does the platform work on a phone?
Yes, the interface is mobile-first and stays usable on 3G: a case page weighs under 300 KB. Staff can photograph a document and attach it to the case in 15 seconds.
How long does team training take?
Two 3-hour sessions are usually enough for 10 staff. Full adoption takes 3 to 4 weeks, the time needed to move ongoing cases over.
Who owns the code and data?
The firm, entirely. Source code and access are handed over at delivery, avoiding any dependency on a vendor or per-user subscription.
Let's scope your project. We define your case management platform (stages, roles, integrations) with an indicative budget of EUR 7,600 to 21,300 and go-live in 8 to 12 weeks. 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.
