The verdict in three sentences
For a London mid-size group with 3 subsidiaries running separate ERP, CRM and payroll systems, a consolidated dashboard refreshed every night costs £13,000 to £35,000 of Power BI modelling (plus about £12 per user per month) or £30,000 to £60,000 as a custom application. Either way, you need a data warehouse at £90 to £430 a month and 6 to 12 weeks of project time. The decisive gain is a month-end close brought forward by 10 days: the CEO decides on yesterday's numbers instead of those from 3 weeks ago.
Why KPIs arrive 3 weeks late
In a company that grew through acquisitions, each subsidiary keeps its own tools. The financial controller exports files from the ERP, CRM and payroll, reworks them in Excel, harmonises charts of accounts and product codes, then sends a file to the leadership team. Every month this takes 6 to 8 working days, and any structural change breaks the formulas.
| Source | Subsidiary A | Subsidiary B | Subsidiary C | Consolidation difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERP and accounting | Integrated ERP | SME accounting package | Sector ERP | Different charts of accounts |
| CRM | SaaS CRM | Excel file | SaaS CRM from another vendor | Pipelines not comparable |
| Payroll | External bureau | In-house software | External bureau | Inconsistent pay codes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly | Weekly | No common date |
| Availability | D+15 | D+21 | D+12 | The slowest sets the pace |
The solution is to extract data nightly from the 9 sources into a shared warehouse, apply mapping tables (accounts, products, entities), then expose validated KPIs: revenue, margin, order book, payroll cost, cash, DSO.
Power BI or custom application: 2026 costs
| Item | Power BI | Custom application by Kolonell |
|---|---|---|
| Licences | About £12 per user per month (Pro), roughly £3,600 a year for 25 users | No per-user licence |
| Modelling and connectors | £13,000 to £35,000 | Included |
| Interface development | Standard Power BI reports | £30,000 to £60,000 in total |
| Data warehouse | £90 to £430 a month | £90 to £430 a month |
| Timeline | 6 to 10 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Comments and targets entry | Limited | Approval workflow and comments |
| 3-year cost for 25 users (estimate) | £27,000 to £62,000 | £33,000 to £75,000 |
Power BI fits if the finance team already knows the tool and the need is mostly reading. A custom application makes sense when the dashboard must also capture budgets, validate forecasts per subsidiary or be opened to dozens of managers without licence costs.
KPIs to deliver first
| KPI | Source | Frequency | Gain for leadership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue by subsidiary and activity | ERP | Daily | Alert from the first week of slippage |
| Gross margin | ERP and purchasing | Daily | Price and volume effects separated |
| Order book | CRM and ERP | Daily | 3-month visibility |
| Payroll cost and headcount | Payroll | Monthly | Payroll-to-revenue ratio |
| Consolidated cash | Banks | Daily | Cash position at D-1 |
| DSO and overdue clients | ERP | Weekly | Prioritised collections |
Mini case study
Claire, CEO of a distribution group in London (3 subsidiaries, £73,000,000 revenue), used to tie up 2 financial controllers for 7 days each month on reporting, or 112 hours. After the project, preparation falls to 24 hours, freeing 88 hours a month, about £4,400 at a loaded £50 an hour, or £52,800 a year. The 10-day earlier close also flagged a 1.2-point margin slip at one subsidiary on the 5th of the month instead of the 25th. For a custom application at £48,000 and £260 a month of warehouse, payback arrives in under 12 months on time saved alone.
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FAQ
How much does a consolidated executive dashboard cost in 2026?
With Power BI, expect £13,000 to £35,000 of modelling plus about £12 per user per month. As a custom application, £30,000 to £60,000, plus £90 to £430 a month of data warehouse.
Why nightly refresh rather than real time?
Nightly refresh is enough for most leadership decisions and avoids loading ERPs during the day. Real time adds 20 to 30% to the budget for a rarely justified benefit.
How long does delivery take?
Allow 6 to 12 weeks depending on the number of sources. A first version with revenue and margin is usually visible by week 4.
Do the subsidiaries need to change ERP?
No, the data warehouse connects to existing tools. It is often a far cheaper alternative to an ERP migration costing £250,000 or more.
Who guarantees the figures are reliable?
Each KPI is reconciled with the accounts during the first 2 closes, and an automatic check flags any variance above 0.5%.
Let's scope your project. List your subsidiaries, ERPs, CRMs and payroll systems, and we will price a consolidated dashboard between £30,000 and £60,000, or a Power BI build, deliverable in 6 to 12 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h via our free quote form. 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.
