The verdict in three sentences
For a consulting firm in Berlin, a custom application (engagements, staffing, time, profitability) costs 40,000 to 90,000 EUR and ships in 4 to 6 months. A specialised SaaS costs 12 to 25 EUR/user/month and is often enough below 30 consultants. The real lever is utilisation: fine-grained time and staffing tracking lifts it by 5 to 12 points and improves margin per engagement.
The core model: time, staffing, profitability
In a consulting firm, the raw material is billable time. A staffing spreadsheet and loose time entry hide the real losses: under-utilised consultants, engagements running over budget, forgotten change orders. A dedicated application links forecast planning, actual time and profitability in a single flow.
| Module | Scope | 2026 ballpark (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Engagements and projects | Scoping, milestones, deliverables | 8,000 - 18,000 |
| Staffing / planning | Assignment, load, forecast | 10,000 - 22,000 |
| Time entry | Timesheets, approval | 6,000 - 14,000 |
| Profitability | Margin per engagement, day rate, utilisation | 8,000 - 20,000 |
| Billing | T&M, fixed price, change orders, accounting | 8,000 - 18,000 |
| UAT, training | 4,000 - 10,000 |
Total budget lands between 40,000 and 90,000 EUR depending on forecast depth and accounting integration.
SaaS or custom: the tipping point
| Criterion | SaaS (specialised PSA) | Custom application |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 12 - 25 EUR/user/month | 40,000 - 90,000 EUR once |
| Annual cost, 40 consultants | ~5,800 - 12,000 EUR/year | Maintenance ~5,000 - 13,000 EUR/year |
| Profitability model | Standard | 100 % tailored to your P&L |
| Staffing forecast | Good | Bespoke |
| Accounting/payroll integration | Standard connectors | Bespoke |
| Ownership / lock-in | Vendor | You own the code |
Below 30 consultants, SaaS is almost always the right call. Beyond that, or when the profitability model is atypical (multi-BU, subcontracting, variable rates), custom takes the lead.
Mini case study
Antoine, partner at a 35-consultant firm in Berlin runs an average day rate of 750 EUR and 72 % utilisation. Moving to 79 % through staffing control (+7 points) means each consultant bills about 15 extra days/year. Across 35 consultants: 35 x 15 x 750 = about 393,000 EUR of additional annual production. Even converting just a third of that potential (131,000 EUR), a 70,000 EUR application pays for itself in under 7 months.
FAQ
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At how many consultants does custom make sense?
Generally beyond 30 to 40 consultants, or sooner if your profitability model (multi-BU, subcontracting) does not fit a standard SaaS.
Can it connect to our accounting software?
Yes, billing/accounting integration is included in the budget (8,000 to 18,000 EUR) and avoids double entry between delivery and finance.
How long to deploy?
A first operational scope (engagements, staffing, time) ships in 3 to 4 months; profitability and billing follow.
How do we get reliable time entry from consultants?
Make it fast (mobile, pre-filled from the plan) and tie it to engagement validation; adoption hinges mostly on ergonomics.
What annual maintenance cost?
Budget 10 to 15 % of the initial cost, roughly 5,000 to 13,000 EUR/year.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your consultant count, billing model (T&M/fixed) and accounting tools, and we will price the application and the expected utilisation gain. 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.
