The verdict in three sentences
For a manufacturer running 180 dealers, a custom extranet costs between 35,000 and 90,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026, depending on how deep the ERP integration goes. The payback comes first from sales administration: 30 to 50 hours saved per month, fewer pricing errors and warranty claims handled without re-keying. The right starting scope fits in four modules, and everything else can wait for phase 2.
What a dealer extranet must do in 2026
The classic problem: each dealer has its own price list, discounts per product family and shipping terms. When those lists travel as PDFs by email, the sales admin team spends its days answering "which version is the right one?". An extranet fixes this by showing each partner, once logged in, its own prices and its own documentation.
| Module | Key function | Effort (days) | Indicative cost excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts and roles | SSO, multiple users per dealer, permissions | 8 to 12 | 5,000 to 8,000 EUR |
| Custom pricing | Per-dealer price lists, family discounts, export | 12 to 20 | 8,000 to 14,000 EUR |
| Versioned documentation | Data sheets, manuals, CE certificates, history | 8 to 14 | 5,000 to 9,000 EUR |
| Order tracking | Statuses, delivery notes, invoices pulled from the ERP | 15 to 30 | 10,000 to 20,000 EUR |
| Warranty and after-sales | Claim submission, photos, approval workflow | 10 to 18 | 7,000 to 12,000 EUR |
| B2B online ordering | Cart, minimum order, push to the ERP | 20 to 35 | 14,000 to 24,000 EUR |
| Partner dashboard | Revenue, targets, year-end rebates | 6 to 10 | 4,000 to 7,000 EUR |
2026 order of magnitude based on an average day rate of 650 EUR excl. VAT, close to what Berlin and Lyon agencies or mixed nearshore teams charge. The useful core (accounts, pricing, documentation, order tracking) lands around 35,000 to 50,000 EUR excl. VAT. Online ordering and a full warranty portal push the bill to 70,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT.
Three project levels, three budgets
| Criterion | Core | Intermediate | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget excl. VAT | 35,000 to 45,000 EUR | 50,000 to 65,000 EUR | 70,000 to 90,000 EUR |
| Delivery time | 10 to 12 weeks | 14 to 18 weeks | 20 to 26 weeks |
| ERP integration | Nightly scheduled export | Read API | Read and write API |
| Online ordering | No | Quote request | Full cart |
| Warranty | Simple form | Approval workflow | Workflow and parts returns |
| Annual maintenance | 4,000 to 6,000 EUR | 6,000 to 9,000 EUR | 9,000 to 14,000 EUR |
| Hosting (EU) | 80 to 150 EUR/month | 150 to 300 EUR/month | 300 to 600 EUR/month |
The most underestimated line is still ERP integration. SAP Business One, Sage X3 or Cegid expose data of very uneven quality. Budget 3 to 5 days of data audit before freezing the quote: that is where overruns are decided.
Where the sales admin ROI comes from
Gains are measured on three items: "where is my order?" calls (often 40% of inbound contacts), manual document sending, and re-keying warranty claims. With 180 active dealers, 600 to 900 requests per month are common, and half of them become self-service once the extranet is adopted.
Adoption is the real condition. Plan 6 to 8 weeks of support: launch webinar, PDF guide, and follow-up of the 20 largest dealers by the sales reps. Without that plan, the login rate plateaus at 30%.
Mini case study
Marc, sales director of a professional cooking equipment manufacturer, manages 180 dealers with 3 people in sales admin. He picks the intermediate version at 58,000 EUR excl. VAT.
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- Sales admin time freed: 40 hours per month, or 480 hours per year.
- Loaded cost of one admin hour: 38 EUR, so 18,240 EUR saved per year.
- Pricing errors avoided (credit notes): about 9,000 EUR per year.
- Total gain: 27,240 EUR per year, minus 7,500 EUR of maintenance, so 19,740 EUR net.
Payback in a little under 3 years on sales admin alone, before counting extra sales driven by always up-to-date documentation.
FAQ
Off-the-shelf portal or custom build?
SaaS partner portals start around 800 to 2,000 EUR per month but handle per-dealer pricing from a specific ERP poorly. Beyond 100 dealers with custom price lists, a custom build pays off within 3 to 4 years.
How long until a first release is live?
A core of accounts, pricing and documentation can go live in 10 to 12 weeks. ERP-connected order tracking usually adds 4 to 6 weeks.
Is pricing data secure?
Yes, with strict per-dealer isolation, strong authentication and hosting in Germany or elsewhere in the EU. A penetration test costs 3,000 to 6,000 EUR excl. VAT and is recommended before launch.
Can the project be subsidised?
Several European regions support SME digitalisation, sometimes covering 30 to 50% of eligible costs depending on the programme. Check the conditions before signing the quote.
Who maintains the extranet after delivery?
A maintenance contract of 10 to 15% of the initial cost per year covers bug fixes, security updates and small changes. New features are quoted separately.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of dealers, your ERP and your priorities, and we will define the scope, indicative budget and go-live date. 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.
