The verdict in three sentences
A commercial refrigeration and HVAC contractor in Abidjan managing 1,500 contracted units with spreadsheets and paper job sheets loses money on every cold room failure it fails to anticipate. A custom field service software costs between 15 and 30 million FCFA in 2026 (about 23,000 to 46,000 EUR), plus 250,000 to 450,000 FCFA per month for maintenance. The payback is fast: 35% fewer breakdowns at supermarket and hotel clients, preventive contracts actually delivered and refrigerant tracking that finally holds up.
What the software must cover for a refrigeration contractor
Refrigeration combines three constraints that generic tools handle poorly: fixed-date preventive visits required by contract, urgent corrective jobs (a cold room failure in a Cocody supermarket puts several million FCFA of goods at risk within hours) and refrigerant traceability (R404A, R134a, R290), now required by key accounts and insurers.
| Module | Main function | Share of budget (2026 estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Asset register and contracts | Record per unit, history, preventive due dates, SLA per client | 20% |
| Geolocated scheduling and dispatch | Assign the nearest technician, 24/7 emergency handling | 20% |
| Technician mobile app | Job sheet, photos, client signature, offline mode | 20% |
| Refrigerant tracking | Charges, recoveries, cylinders, leak checks per unit | 10% |
| Spare parts inventory | Compressors, expansion valves, control boards, van stock per technician | 15% |
| Invoicing and reporting | Contract and non-contract billing, monthly client reports, dashboard | 15% |
Offline mode is not a detail: inside cold rooms and hotel basements in the Plateau district, mobile coverage is often missing. The app must save the job sheet and sync once the technician is back in range.
What each option costs in 2026
An Abidjan operations director has three paths. The table compares costs for 40 technicians and 1,500 contracted units.
| Option | Upfront cost | Monthly cost | Fit with refrigeration work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel + WhatsApp + paper sheets | 0 FCFA | 0 FCFA (high hidden cost) | No refrigerant tracking, missed preventive visits |
| Generic international FSM software | 2 to 4 million FCFA (setup) | 25,000 to 45,000 FCFA per technician, i.e. 1 to 1.8 million FCFA | Partial: no refrigerant module, limited FCFA invoicing |
| Kolonell custom software | 15 to 30 million FCFA | 250,000 to 450,000 FCFA (maintenance, hosting) | Full: contracts, refrigerants, stock, local invoicing |
| Custom go-live timeline | 3 to 5 months | n/a | Phase 1 (assets + mobile) delivered in 10 weeks |
| 3-year cost, generic FSM | about 40 to 68 million FCFA | n/a | Licences grow with the team |
| 3-year cost, custom | about 24 to 46 million FCFA | n/a | You own the code, no per-user fee |
Above 25 technicians, custom software is usually cheaper than per-user licences over three years, while matching your real contracts.
Measurable gains to expect
| Indicator | Before (paper/Excel) | After 12 months (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Cold room failures at clients | 100 (baseline) | 65, i.e. -35% |
| Preventive visits done on time | 60 to 70% | 95% |
| Average emergency response time | 6 to 8 h | 2 to 3 h |
| Time to issue invoice | 15 to 30 days | 48 h after the job |
| Unaccounted refrigerant | 15 to 25% of charges | under 3% |
| Critical part stockouts | 4 to 6 per month | 1 per month |
Mini case study
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Yao runs a refrigeration and HVAC company in Abidjan (40 technicians, 1,500 units across 3 supermarket chains and 12 hotels). He estimates losing 180 billable jobs a year because job sheets go missing, at 45,000 FCFA on average: 8.1 million FCFA. He also pays 2 SLA penalties a month at 400,000 FCFA, i.e. 9.6 million FCFA a year, and lost one hotel contract after a cold room failure (about 12 million FCFA in annual revenue). With software at 22 million FCFA and 350,000 FCFA monthly maintenance (4.2 million FCFA a year), recovered jobs and penalties cut by half bring in about 12.9 million FCFA a year, or 8.7 million FCFA net of maintenance. Payback in about 2.5 years, under 2 years when counting the margin on a single retained hotel contract (about 3.6 million FCFA a year at 30%).
FAQ
How long does it take to roll out the software to 40 technicians?
Plan 3 to 5 months overall. The first phase (asset register, mobile app, job sheets) goes live in about 10 weeks, followed by the refrigerant, inventory and invoicing modules.
Does the app work without signal inside cold rooms?
Yes, offline mode is built in from day one. The technician fills in the sheet, takes photos and collects the signature, and sync happens as soon as signal returns, usually within 5 minutes.
Can we track refrigerants per unit?
Yes. Every charge and recovery is logged in kilograms with refrigerant type and cylinder number. You produce the annual register requested by a client or insurer in 1 click.
Can the software invoice in FCFA with Ivorian VAT at 18%?
Yes, invoicing is configured for Côte d'Ivoire: 18% VAT, monthly or quarterly contract billing, and non-contract invoices generated from the signed sheet. Accounting exports follow your SYSCOHADA chart of accounts.
What does the 250,000 to 450,000 FCFA monthly maintenance include?
Secure hosting, daily backups, bug fixes, mobile updates and support. Major changes (new module, ERP integration) are quoted separately.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of technicians, contracted units and main clients: we will price a scope between 15 and 30 million FCFA with a first phase delivered in 10 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.