The verdict in three sentences
The CFO of an Amsterdam SME who spends 5 days a month consolidating cash, sales and receivables in Excel loses one week of steering out of four. Power BI costs about 14 EUR per user per month, plus 3,000 to 8,000 EUR of setup as a 2026 market estimate, while a custom Kolonell application sits between 2,500,000 and 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR). With fewer than 10 viewers and already clean data, Power BI often wins; beyond 20 users, or with a mix of payment providers, banks and a niche ERP, a custom build becomes more cost-effective and brings the close down to 1 day.
What the CFO dashboard must show
A good financial dashboard fits on one screen and answers four questions every morning: how much cash do we hold, how much will we collect, who owes us money, and where do margins stand.
| Metric | Data source in Amsterdam | Frequency | Automation difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated cash | ING, Rabobank, ABN AMRO accounts, Mollie, Adyen or Stripe balances | Daily | Low to medium: PSD2 bank feeds available |
| 13-week cash forecast | Customer and supplier schedules, payroll, taxes | Weekly | High: business rules to model |
| Sales by product, channel and rep | Webshop, POS, ERP, invoices | Daily | Low to medium |
| Aged receivables (DSO) | Exact Online, Twinfield or AFAS | Weekly | Low: APIs available |
| Gross margin by business line | Sales and purchase costs | Monthly | Medium |
| Tax and payroll deadlines | VAT (BTW), payroll tax, corporate income tax | Monthly | Low |
In the Netherlands, sources are better connected than in many markets: PSD2 bank feeds and accounting APIs are common. The difficulty lies elsewhere, in the business rules for cash forecasting and in reconciling several payment providers. That is where the choice between Power BI and a custom build is decided.
Power BI or custom application: a 3-year comparison
| Item | Power BI, 10 users | Power BI, 25 users | Custom Kolonell application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | 3,000 to 8,000 EUR (market estimate) | 4,000 to 8,000 EUR (market estimate) | 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) |
| Monthly licences | About 140 EUR | About 350 EUR | No per-user licence |
| Monthly maintenance | 150 to 400 EUR of external support (market estimate) | 150 to 400 EUR (market estimate) | 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA (50 to 180 EUR) depending on plan |
| 3-year cumulative cost | 13,440 to 27,440 EUR | 22,000 to 35,000 EUR | 5,610 to 12,580 EUR |
| Payment providers and banks | Connectors or custom gateway | Connectors or custom gateway | Built-in imports and reconciliation |
| Mobile viewing | Possible, heavier app | Possible, heavier app | Lightweight mobile-first interface |
| Ad hoc analysis by the CFO | Very rich | Very rich | Limited to planned views |
Power BI remains unbeatable for free data exploration: a CFO comfortable with the tool can build their own analyses. The custom application wins on three points: no cost per viewer, native integration of specific sources, and fast smartphone display for store or branch managers. A hybrid route also exists: a custom application that collects and cleans data, with Power BI for 2 or 3 analysts only.
Implementation plan
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| KPI scoping with management | 1 week | List of 15 to 25 KPIs and their calculation rules |
| Source connection and cleaning | 2 to 3 weeks | Bank feeds, payment providers, accounting |
| Mock-ups and approval | 1 week | Screens approved by the CFO and the CEO |
| Development and testing | 3 to 4 weeks | Dashboard in acceptance, reconciled on 3 months of history |
| Training and switch-over | 1 week | Monthly close performed in the tool |
Allow 8 to 10 weeks in total. Reconciling against 3 months of history is essential: as long as the dashboard does not show the same figures as the books, nobody uses it. Data is hosted in the EU, in line with GDPR.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Sanne, CFO of a retail SME in Amsterdam with 4 stores and a webshop, consolidates 3 bank accounts, Mollie and Adyen balances and the sales of 5 tills every month. The close takes her 5 days, plus 3 days for each of her 2 accountants.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- Fully loaded cost: Sanne 600 EUR per day, accountants 320 EUR per day.
- Time saved after automation: 4 days for Sanne and 2 days for each accountant.
- Monthly value: 4 × 600 + 4 × 320 = 3,680 EUR.
- Investment: application at 3,200,000 FCFA (4,880 EUR), Standard maintenance at 75,000 FCFA (110 EUR) per month.
- Payback: 4,880 ÷ (3,680 - 110) ≈ 1.4 months.
The biggest gain is not counted here: a reliable 13-week cash forecast reduces reliance on the overdraft facility and improves conversations with the bank.
FAQ
How much does Power BI cost for an Amsterdam SME in 2026?
The Pro licence costs about 14 EUR per user per month. Setup by an integrator ranges from 3,000 to 8,000 EUR as a market estimate, depending on the number of sources to connect.
What does a custom dashboard cost at Kolonell?
A financial steering application falls into the simple applications bracket, from 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR), with maintenance from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA (50 to 180 EUR) per month depending on the plan.
Can we connect Mollie, Adyen and our banks?
Yes, through their APIs and PSD2 bank feeds. Reconciliation with customer invoices then runs automatically for 85 to 95 % of receipts.
How long to go from a 5-day close to a 1-day close?
The project takes 8 to 10 weeks. A 1-day close is usually reached in the second month of use, once reconciliation rules have been fine-tuned.
Do we need to change our accounting software?
No. The dashboard reads data from your current software, Exact Online, Twinfield, AFAS or another, through its API or a regular export.
Let's scope your project. List your data sources, number of users and expected KPIs on our quote form: we scope the perimeter, Power BI, custom or hybrid, and the timeline. 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.
