The verdict in three sentences
For 300 employees, an expense management SaaS at EUR 6 to 10 or GBP 5 to 9 per user per month costs EUR 21,600 to 36,000 (GBP 18,000 to 32,400) per year, every year, and imposes its own approval flow. A custom application with receipt OCR and accounting export falls in the simple range of 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) or the medium range of 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), plus monthly maintenance. If your approval rules per subsidiary do not fit the SaaS boxes, custom pays for itself in under a year.
The real problem: rules specific to each subsidiary
A services company with 300 staff, split between a head office in Amsterdam Zuidas or the City of London and four subsidiaries, handles about 1,400 expense claims a month. Rules differ: a consulting subsidiary needs approval above EUR 150 by the engagement manager then by financial control, a maintenance subsidiary recharges travel costs to clients and must link each claim to a job, another applies different meal caps depending on whether staff are local or travelling abroad. Market SaaS tools handle standard cases well, but beyond two conditional approval levels or project recharging, they often force manual workarounds.
The hidden cost is the finance team's time. At 1,400 claims a month, 3 minutes of manual rework per claim adds up to 70 hours a month, nearly half a full-time role.
| Criterion | Expense SaaS | Custom application |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for 300 users | EUR 21,600 to 36,000 per year, 2026 order of magnitude | 2,500,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA once, plus maintenance |
| Approval rules per subsidiary | 1 to 2 configurable levels | Unlimited, conditional by amount, project, category |
| Receipt OCR | Included | Included, OCR service at cost |
| Client recharging by project | Often add-on or missing | Native, linked to the job |
| Accounting export | Standard formats | Exact format for your software and chart of accounts |
| Cost trend | Rises with headcount | Stable, except changes quoted on request |
| Setup time | 2 to 6 weeks | 3 months |
What the application includes and what it costs
The typical scope covers mobile capture with a receipt photo, OCR extracting amount, date, VAT and merchant, mileage allowances (HMRC approved rates in the UK, the tax-free kilometre allowance in the Netherlands), categories and caps per subsidiary, conditional approvals, project linking, compliant digital archiving of receipts, accounting export to Exact, AFAS, Xero, Sage or other software, and batch reimbursement by SEPA or Bacs transfer.
| Module | Kolonell category | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Capture, OCR, simple approval, export | Simple application | 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) |
| + rules per subsidiary, projects, recharging | Medium application | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) |
| HRIS or ERP connection | Depends on system | Quoted on request |
| Maintenance | Basic, standard, premium | 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) |
| OCR service | Provider cost per receipt | At cost, about EUR 0.01 to 0.05 per receipt |
The project runs over 3 months: 2 weeks of scoping with the finance director and each subsidiary lead to formalise rules, 8 weeks of development, a 2-week pilot on a 40-person subsidiary, then full rollout.
When to stay on SaaS
SaaS remains the right choice if your rules are simple, one approval level and shared caps, if headcount is falling or fluctuates sharply, or if you need an integrated payment card supplied by the vendor. It also wins if you must be live in under 6 weeks. Custom takes the lead once rules are specific, recharging matters to revenue or headcount passes 200.
Mini case study
Sophie, finance director of a 300-employee services company in Amsterdam, pays a SaaS at EUR 8 per user per month.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
- SaaS cost: 300 x 8 x 12 = EUR 28,800 per year, or EUR 86,400 over three years.
- Chosen medium application: 7,000,000 FCFA (10,670 EUR), with maintenance at 120,000 FCFA per month, or 2,196 EUR per year.
- Three-year cost: 10,670 + 3 x 2,196 = 17,258 EUR, plus the OCR service, about 1,400 x 12 x 0.03 = EUR 504 per year.
The saving exceeds EUR 67,000 over three years. Automated recharging rules also remove the 70 monthly hours of manual rework, about 840 hours a year for the finance team.
FAQ
Is OCR reliable on receipts?
Current OCR engines correctly read 90 to 95% of legible receipts. Employees check the extracted fields in a few seconds before submitting.
Can paper receipts be thrown away?
Yes, if the app stores a compliant digital copy: HMRC accepts digital records in the UK, and the Dutch tax authority requires 7 years of retention. This requirement is part of scoping.
How long until we are live?
Allow 3 months for a medium application, including a 2-week pilot on one subsidiary. A SaaS deploys faster, in 2 to 6 weeks.
Can we migrate history from our current SaaS?
Yes, most SaaS tools export claims and receipts as CSV and PDF. Migrating 12 to 24 months of history is quoted on request depending on volume.
Who maintains the app after delivery?
A monthly maintenance contract covers fixes, security and backups, from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month depending on the level. New approval rules are quoted on request.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your subsidiaries, approval rules and accounting software, and we will propose a realistic scope and rollout plan. 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.
