The verdict in three sentences
A custom business platform replacing an Excel/Access patchwork costs, in 2026, between 70,000 and 200,000 EUR, delivered in 6 to 12 months. The gain is not cosmetic: 10 to 15 hours per week per team recovered from re-keying, errors and information hunting. The success factor is not the technology but the phasing: deliver in sprints, validate at each step, integrate the existing ERP without a big bang.
How much does a business platform cost in 2026?
The budget depends on the number of digitalised processes, roles/permissions, audit trail and integration with the ERP in place.
| Scope | Content | 2026 cost (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core V1 | 1-2 processes + roles + reporting | 70,000 - 100,000 | 6-7 months |
| Extended platform | 3-4 processes + audit trail + ERP API | 110,000 - 160,000 | 8-10 months |
| Full platform | Multi-process + multi-site + BI | 160,000 - 200,000+ | 10-12 months |
Add maintenance at 12-18% of build per year (8,400 to 36,000 EUR/year) for maintenance, security and evolutions.
Build phasing and cost per sprint
A well-run project splits into 2-to-3-week sprints. Each sprint delivers testable value.
| Phase | Deliverable | Sprints | Indicative cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping & UX | Specs + mockups + architecture | 2 | 12,000 - 20,000 |
| Technical core | Auth, roles, permissions, audit trail | 2 | 14,000 - 22,000 |
| Core process | The main business workflow | 4 | 28,000 - 45,000 |
| ERP integration | Connector + synchronisation | 3 | 18,000 - 35,000 |
| Reporting & BI | Dashboards, exports | 2 | 12,000 - 22,000 |
| QA & go-live | Testing, training, deployment | 2 | 10,000 - 18,000 |
The average daily cost of a team (dev + lead + PO) sits between 550 and 750 EUR/day in 2026, which explains most of the bill.
Mini case study
Sophie, operations manager at an aerospace mid-cap in Toulouse (140 employees), runs production tracking across 9 shared Excel files, a source of errors and duplicates. She invests 130,000 EUR in a business platform: production tracking, roles, audit trail, ERP connector.
Three teams of 6 each save 12 h/week, i.e. 36 h/week in total, roughly 1,600 h/year. Valued at 40 EUR/h, that is 64,000 EUR/year of productive time recovered. The platform pays back in about 2.3 years, maintenance included, before counting reduced production errors.
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FAQ
Why not keep Excel with macros?
Excel caps out as soon as several people edit in parallel: conflicts, lost versions, no traceability. A centralised platform eliminates re-keying and provides an audit trail required in aerospace.
Do we have to digitalise everything at once?
No. Start with the most time-costly process (often production tracking), then extend. Phasing avoids the big bang and lets you fund in stages.
How do we integrate the existing ERP?
Via an API connector between the platform and the ERP (SAP, Oracle, Sage). Budget 18,000 to 35,000 EUR depending on complexity, for synchronisation without re-keying.
What is the maintenance cost?
Maintenance runs 12 to 18% of build cost per year. For a 130,000 EUR platform, budget 16,000 to 23,000 EUR/year including security, evolutions and support.
How long before the first gains?
As soon as the first process goes live, often at month 6-7, the affected team measures its time savings. Other processes follow in waves.
Let's scope your project. List your most time-consuming processes, your ERP in place and target budget, and we'll propose a sprint-based phasing with a V1 in 6-7 months. Detailed quote within 48h. 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.
