The verdict in three sentences
For a Dublin company managing 400 active supplier contracts, a custom contract management web app costs 30,000 to 60,000 EUR in 2026 and ships in 3 months. A CLM SaaS at 35-70 EUR per user per month is faster to start, but it rarely fits your approval chain and its cost grows with every user you add. Alerts at 90 and 30 days before each deadline are often enough to avoid 25,000 to 40,000 EUR a year of unwanted auto-renewals and missed penalties.
The real cost of tracking contracts in Excel
In a distribution, construction or services group, supplier contracts cover facilities maintenance, security, vehicle leasing, software licences, telecoms and cleaning. Many auto-renew with a 60 to 90 day notice period. Without alerts, legal finds out after the fact.
| Risk | Typical frequency on 400 contracts | Estimated annual impact (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted auto-renewal | 10 to 20 contracts | 15,000-25,000 EUR |
| Unchallenged indexed price increase | 15 to 30 contracts | 5,000-9,000 EUR |
| Supplier late penalties not claimed | 5 to 10 contracts | 3,000-6,000 EUR |
| Expired guarantee or bond not renewed | 3 to 8 contracts | Legal risk, not quantified |
| Contract not found during a dispute | 2 to 5 a year | 20 to 40 hours of searching |
| Total avoidable losses | 23,000-40,000 EUR |
International SaaS or custom app: the comparison
| Criterion | Excel + file server | CLM SaaS | Custom Kolonell app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 EUR | 2,500-6,000 EUR setup | 30,000-60,000 EUR |
| Annual cost (15 users) | 0 EUR | 6,300-12,600 EUR (35-70 EUR per user per month) | 3,500-7,000 EUR (hosting + maintenance) |
| 90 and 30 day alerts | No | Yes | Yes, by email and Teams or WhatsApp |
| Approval chain (procurement, legal, CEO) | By email | Standard | Mirrors your delegation of authority |
| Document vault | Shared folders | Yes | Yes, with versions and rights per subsidiary |
| E-signature | No | Yes, paid add-on | Yes, built in |
| Ownership | Yours | Vendor's | Yours, code included |
Over 5 years, the SaaS costs 34,000 to 69,000 EUR for 15 users, versus 47,500 to 95,000 EUR for custom, maintenance included. For a small legal team the SaaS is cheaper; custom wins when you open the tool to 40 or more buyers across subsidiaries, or when your approval chain does not fit a standard product.
What the app includes
| Module | Content | Indicative 2026 budget |
|---|---|---|
| Contract register | Contract record, supplier, value, term, notice, key clauses | 6,500-11,000 EUR |
| Alert engine | 90, 30, 7 days, reminders, escalation to director | 4,000-8,000 EUR |
| Document vault | Encrypted storage, versions, amendments, full-text search | 5,000-10,000 EUR |
| Approval chain | Request, legal review, procurement sign-off, CEO approval | 5,000-11,000 EUR |
| E-signature | Signature provider integration, timestamping | 2,500-6,000 EUR |
| Dashboards | Commitments per subsidiary, deadline calendar, savings achieved | 3,500-6,500 EUR |
| Data migration and training | Import of 400 contracts, clause capture, training | 3,500-7,500 EUR |
Migration is often underestimated: every contract must be found and scanned, then dates and notice periods entered. Plan 3 to 4 weeks with a junior lawyer helping. On compliance, hosting in the EU and GDPR handling of signatories' personal data are part of the scope, and eIDAS governs electronic signatures.
Mini case study
Aoife, head of legal and procurement at a distribution group in Dublin, tracks 400 active contracts across 4 subsidiaries. Last year, 12 contracts auto-renewed when management wanted to renegotiate, at an average extra cost of 1,400 EUR each, or 16,800 EUR. Two unchallenged price increases cost another 5,500 EUR. Total: 22,300 EUR of avoidable losses. The app, quoted at 42,000 EUR with 5,000 EUR of yearly maintenance, pays back in about 2.5 years, before counting the time her team saves searching for documents.
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FAQ
How long does it take to go live?
Count 3 months: 2 weeks of scoping, 8 weeks of development and 2 weeks of acceptance testing. Migration of existing contracts runs in parallel with development.
Can alerts go to Teams or WhatsApp?
Yes, besides email, the app can push 90 and 30 day alerts to the contract owner on Teams or WhatsApp, escalating to the director if no action is logged within 7 days.
Are electronic signatures valid in Ireland?
Yes, the eIDAS regulation and the Electronic Commerce Act 2000 recognise electronic signatures. For high-stakes contracts, we recommend a provider offering qualified certificates and timestamping.
Why not choose a CLM SaaS?
It starts fast and costs 6,300 to 12,600 EUR a year for 15 users, which is reasonable for a small team. Custom makes sense when users multiply or your approval chain is specific, and you keep ownership of the code.
Can we start small?
Yes, a first release with register, alerts and vault at 18,000-25,000 EUR ships in 6 weeks. The approval chain and e-signature follow in a second release.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of contracts, subsidiaries and users, and we will price an app between 30,000 and 60,000 EUR, delivered in 3 months. 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.
