The verdict in three sentences
A payroll bureau producing 6,000 payslips a month in Manchester loses dozens of hours every month chasing, rekeying and checking spreadsheets sent by email. A bespoke client portal costs 22,000 to 48,000 GBP excluding VAT as a 2026 order of magnitude, over 3 to 5 months, and covers pay input collection, secure payslip delivery and a connector to Sage, IRIS or BrightPay. No special health-data hosting is required for payroll, but encryption and access logging are essential under UK GDPR.
What the portal replaces, and what it saves
In a bureau with 12 payroll administrators, each one handles 40 to 60 client companies. The bottleneck sits between the 20th and the 25th of the month, when pay changes arrive in mixed formats.
| Monthly task | With Excel and email | With a portal | Estimated time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chasing missing pay inputs | 3 to 5 reminders per client | Automatic reminders D-5, D-2 | 70% |
| Rekeying absences and bonuses | 6 to 10 min per changed employee | Direct import into payroll software | 80% |
| Checking inconsistencies | Visual, case by case | Blocking rules (overtime, leave) | 50% |
| Sending payslips | Unencrypted PDF by email | Secure vault with employee access | 90% |
| Answering client queries | Email and phone | Per-client messaging with history | 40% |
| Starters and leavers | Paper forms or scans | Guided form with attachments | 60% |
Budget and features by level
The Manchester market offers three routes: the software vendor's generic portal, a configured low-code tool, or a bespoke build connected to your payroll software.
| Level | Key features | Budget excl. VAT (2026 order of magnitude) | Timeline | Recurring cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard vendor portal | Document upload, little customisation | 0 to 4,500 GBP setup | 2 to 4 weeks | 1.50 to 5 GBP per payslip |
| Configured low-code | Pay input forms, simple workflows | 9,000 to 17,000 GBP | 6 to 10 weeks | 250 to 800 GBP a month in licences |
| Bespoke UK agency build | Inputs, checks, vault, payroll connector | 22,000 to 48,000 GBP | 3 to 5 months | 350 to 1,000 GBP a month |
| Kolonell, medium application | Pay inputs, payslip delivery, client area | 4M to 7M FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) | 10 to 16 weeks | Maintenance 75,000 FCFA a month |
| Kolonell, complex application | Multi-software, e-signature, API, dashboards | 7M to 15M+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870 EUR and more) | 4 to 6 months | Maintenance 120,000 FCFA a month |
The connector is the most variable item. Some payroll packages expose APIs, others integrate through import files: allow 15 to 25% of the budget for this component.
Security and compliance to write into the specification
Payslips carry National Insurance numbers, salaries and sometimes sickness absence. The portal must encrypt files at rest and in transit, log every download, enforce two-factor authentication for administrators and client HR managers, and keep payslips for the retention period agreed with the employer (HMRC expects payroll records for at least 3 years). UK or EU hosting, an up-to-date record of processing and a data processing agreement with each client complete the set-up.
Mini case study
Emma, partner in a 12-administrator payroll bureau in Manchester (illustrative scenario), processes 6,000 payslips a month. She estimates 2.5 minutes per payslip for chasing, rekeying and sending, which is 250 hours a month. If the portal removes 60% of that, the bureau recovers 150 hours, the equivalent of one full-time administrator costing about 38,000 GBP a year. With a medium-complexity Kolonell portal at 6M FCFA (about 9,150 EUR) and 1,370 EUR of annual maintenance, the investment pays back in under 4 months, before counting new clients absorbed without hiring.
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FAQ
Does the portal need specialist health-data hosting?
No. For payroll, encrypted UK or EU hosting, daily backups and access logging are enough in most cases. Health-data accreditation only matters if you process clinical records.
Can the portal connect to two payroll packages at once?
Yes, if the bureau runs both. Plan two separate connectors, each about 3 to 5 weeks of development.
How long until the portal is live?
Allow 3 to 5 months for a full portal, or 10 to 16 weeks for a first version limited to pay inputs and payslips. A phased rollout to 10 pilot clients reduces risk.
Can client employees access their payslips?
Yes, through an employee area with strong authentication. It adds 10 to 20% to the budget and replaces paper or unencrypted email delivery.
What monthly cost should we expect after launch?
Between 350 and 1,000 GBP a month in the UK as a 2026 order of magnitude, hosting included. Kolonell maintenance plans are 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your payslip volume, your payroll software and the tasks to automate first, and we will price a first version and its 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.
