The verdict in three sentences
A client extranet for a manufacturing SME in Amsterdam should be budgeted at EUR 25,000 to 60,000 excl. VAT in 2026, depending on the depth of the ERP connection and the number of document flows. The return comes mainly from a drop of around 40% in order-tracking calls, which overload sales administration. Plan for 3 to 5 months of project time and 15 to 20% of the initial budget per year for ongoing maintenance.
What your customers really expect from a portal
The sales director of a machining, plastics or metal fabrication SME often handles 250 to 350 calls a month about three questions: where is my order, where is my delivery note, what is my invoice. An effective extranet answers all three without human intervention, 24 hours a day. Everything else (catalogue, online quotes, quality claims) belongs to a second phase.
| Feature | Priority | Indicative 2026 cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Impact on calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-user authentication per customer | Essential | 3,000 to 5,000 | Prerequisite |
| Real-time order tracking (ERP statuses) | Essential | 6,000 to 12,000 | -25% |
| Download of delivery notes, invoices, material certificates | Essential | 4,000 to 8,000 | -10% |
| Repeat orders and online replenishment | Recommended | 5,000 to 10,000 | -5% |
| Quote requests with PDF/STEP drawings | Recommended | 4,000 to 9,000 | Sales gain |
| Quality claims and non-conformity tracking | Optional | 3,000 to 7,000 | -3% |
| Customer dashboard (volumes, lead times, OTD) | Optional | 3,000 to 6,000 | Retention |
These are 2026 estimates for a European agency or a nearshore team managed from the EU.
The real cost driver: the ERP connection
Half the budget depends on integration. A recent ERP with a documented REST API (Exact Online, AFAS, Odoo, Microsoft Dynamics) connects in a few weeks. An older ERP without an API requires middleware, scheduled exports or direct database access, which is costlier and more fragile.
| ERP situation | Integration method | Integration cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Data freshness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odoo or cloud ERP with REST API | Direct API calls | 5,000 to 10,000 | Real time |
| Exact, AFAS with web services | Dedicated connector | 8,000 to 15,000 | A few minutes |
| Recent on-premise ERP | Middleware and message queue | 12,000 to 20,000 | 5 to 15 minutes |
| Legacy ERP without API | Scheduled CSV exports | 6,000 to 12,000 | 1 to 4 times a day |
| In-house ERP (SQL database) | Read replica access | 10,000 to 18,000 | Near real time |
| Several ERPs (subsidiaries) | Aggregation layer | 18,000 to 30,000 | Variable |
Add EU hosting (EUR 80 to 300 per month), backups and GDPR compliance for user accounts. Ongoing maintenance represents 15 to 20% of the initial budget every year: security updates, ERP API changes, new customer requests.
Typical 3 to 5 month schedule
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
A well-run project follows five steps: scoping and workshops with sales admin (2 to 3 weeks), mockups validated by three or four pilot customers (2 weeks), development and ERP integration (6 to 10 weeks), acceptance testing with real data (2 to 3 weeks), and phased rollout by customer waves (2 to 4 weeks). Phased rollout is decisive: it lets you fix badly mapped statuses before opening the portal to 300 accounts.
Mini case study
Julien, sales director of a sheet-metal SME near Amsterdam (90 employees, EUR 18M revenue), receives 300 tracking calls a month. Each call takes a sales admin assistant about 8 minutes including the ERP lookup, which is 40 hours a month. At a loaded cost of EUR 38 per hour, that is EUR 1,520 a month, or EUR 18,240 a year.
The chosen extranet costs EUR 42,000 excl. VAT (order tracking, documents, replenishment) with an Exact connection, plus EUR 7,000 a year in maintenance. With 40% fewer calls, direct savings reach EUR 7,300 a year. The real gain lies elsewhere: the freed-up assistant follows up 120 dormant quotes per quarter. If 5% convert at an average order of EUR 6,000 with a 25% margin, additional margin reaches EUR 36,000 a year. Estimated payback: 14 to 18 months.
FAQ
Should we build a custom extranet or use the ERP's portal module? The native module often costs EUR 5,000 to 15,000 but imposes its own ergonomics and limits. Custom becomes relevant once you have more than 100 active customers or specific documents (3.1 certificates, drawings). Many SMEs combine both: ERP data, custom interface.
How many customers actually adopt the portal? As a ballpark, 50 to 70% of active customers log in at least once a month after six months, if sales admin systematically directs them to the portal. Without that push, adoption often caps at 25%.
Can we start with a EUR 25,000 budget? Yes, with a scope limited to order tracking and document downloads, on an ERP with an API. The quote and claims modules come later, funded by the gains from phase one.
What security requirements should we plan for? Optional strong authentication, rights per contact and per customer site, access logging and EU hosting. A penetration test costs EUR 3,000 to 6,000 and is worth doing before opening to all accounts.
Who maintains the extranet after delivery? A maintenance contract of 15 to 20% of the budget per year covers fixes, version upgrades and a small volume of enhancements. Make sure you own the source code and all access credentials.
Let's scope your project. Send us your ERP, call volume and customer documents: we will price a phased extranet with an indicative budget and go-live date. 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.
