The verdict in three sentences
A CFO who consolidates the cash position of 5 companies and 11 bank accounts in Excel every Monday loses roughly one working day a week and spots overdrafts too late. A custom cash position application built by Kolonell costs between 2.5M and 4M FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 6,100), ships in 8 to 10 weeks and covers statement import, a 13 week rolling forecast, overdraft alerts and consolidation in CHF, EUR and USD. For a group of this size, payback is measured in months, not years.
What the Monday spreadsheet does not do
In many Geneva groups, the cash position still relies on a shared workbook: each subsidiary emails its balances, an accounting assistant copies statements, the CFO fixes the gaps and sends a summary to the CEO on Tuesday. The problem is not Excel itself, but latency and error risk.
| CFO need | Manually consolidated Excel | Cash position application |
|---|---|---|
| Balances of the 11 accounts | Updated once a week | Updated at each statement import, daily possible |
| Intercompany flow matching | Manual, 1 to 2 h a week | Automatic through matching rules |
| Forecast | 4 weeks at best, often abandoned | 13 rolling weeks, per company and consolidated |
| Overdraft alert | Discovered after the fact on the statement | Email or messaging alert 5 to 10 days ahead |
| Multi currency | Manual conversion, rate errors | CHF base, EUR and USD at daily or budget rates |
| History and audit | Scattered file versions | Full log, role based access |
The 13 week forecast is the most useful steering tool for a group: it covers a quarter, leaves time to negotiate a credit line or delay a supplier payment, and stays short enough to be reliable.
Features and budget
| Module | Content | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Bank statement import | ISO 20022 camt.053 files used by Swiss banks, CSV for foreign accounts, automatic categorisation | 20 to 25 % |
| Multi company consolidation | 5 entities, intercompany elimination | 15 to 20 % |
| 13 week forecast | Customer receipts, supplier payments, payroll, taxes | 20 to 25 % |
| Alerts and thresholds | Overdraft, minimum balance, loan maturity | 10 % |
| Multi currency | CHF, EUR, USD, FX differences | 10 % |
| Dashboards and exports | CEO view, CFO view, PDF export for the bank | 15 % |
Kolonell places this project in its simple application grid: 2.5M to 4M FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 6,100) depending on the number of banks to integrate and the depth of the forecast. Monthly maintenance then ranges from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA depending on the support level. For comparison, international SaaS treasury tools cost, as a 2026 ballpark, between CHF 400 and 1,200 a month for a group of this size, with setup fees on top.
8 to 10 week schedule
| Week | Step | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Scoping with the CFO and subsidiary accountants | Treasury chart of accounts, categorisation rules |
| 3 to 4 | Import connectors for the 11 accounts | Statements imported and categorised |
| 5 to 6 | Consolidation and intercompany flows | Group position accurate to the day |
| 7 to 8 | 13 week forecast and alerts | First alerts tested on live data |
| 9 to 10 | Dashboards, training, acceptance | Go live, user guide |
The success factor is forecasting discipline in the subsidiaries. Appoint one owner per company and run a 30 minute weekly review during the first two months.
Mini case study
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Claire, CFO of a group of 5 companies in Geneva (trading, logistics, real estate), spends 6 hours every Monday on consolidation, and her assistant 4 more. Over 48 weeks, that is 480 hours a year. At an average loaded cost of CHF 110 an hour, the time lost represents CHF 52,800 a year. With an application at 3,200,000 FCFA (about EUR 4,880) plus maintenance of 75,000 FCFA a month, and 80 % of consolidation time removed, the saving reaches roughly CHF 42,000 a year in staff time alone. One avoided overdraft on CHF 500,000 at 8 % for 10 days adds about CHF 1,100 of interest saved. Illustrative scenario, to be recalculated with your own figures.
FAQ
How much does a consolidated cash dashboard cost?
At Kolonell, budget 2.5M to 4M FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 6,100) for 5 companies and about ten accounts, delivered in 8 to 10 weeks. Price varies mostly with the number of bank formats and forecast granularity.
Can the app connect directly to Swiss banks?
Swiss banks deliver statements in the ISO 20022 camt.053 format, which the app imports natively. Direct EBICS or API connections are possible when your bank offers them, for an added scope quoted separately.
Why a 13 week forecast rather than 12 months?
Thirteen weeks cover a quarter with usable accuracy, often 85 to 90 % over the first four weeks. An annual forecast remains useful for budgeting, but it cannot anticipate a specific overdraft.
How does the app handle euros and dollars?
Each account keeps its native currency and the group view converts to CHF at the daily rate or a budget rate. FX differences are shown separately so they do not distort operating cash.
Who can access treasury data?
Rights are set by role: the CEO sees the consolidated view, each accountant only their company, the CFO the full scope. Every change is logged, which simplifies audits.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of companies, accounts and banks to integrate: we will price your cash application within the 2.5M to 4M FCFA range, with an 8 to 10 week schedule. 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.
