The verdict in three sentences
A dock appointment scheduling SaaS MVP can be built in London in 12 weeks for 50,000 to 90,000 GBP in 2026, as long as scope stays at 4 user roles and one promise: cut truck waiting time by 20%. With a target subscription of 300 to 900 GBP per warehouse per month, around twenty warehouse clients take you past 100,000 GBP of annual recurring revenue. Innovate UK grants and SEIS investment can cover a meaningful share of the first build.
The problem the MVP must solve, and nothing else
A 200,000 sq ft warehouse receiving 60 trucks a day sees arrivals bunch between 6 am and 10 am. Drivers sometimes wait two hours, docks are jammed in the morning and idle in the afternoon, and hauliers bill detention charges. The dock supervisor runs everything by phone and whiteboard.
The MVP must let the haulier book a slot online, let the dock supervisor see the day's plan, and let the site measure real waiting time. Detention billing, algorithmic optimisation and number plate recognition wait for version 2.
| User role | What they do in the MVP | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Haulier or freight forwarder | Books, changes or cancels a slot, gets confirmation | must have |
| Driver | Gets an SMS with dock and time, checks in on arrival | must have |
| Dock supervisor | Sees the plan, logs arrival and departure, reassigns docks | must have |
| Warehouse admin | Sets docks, hours, durations by load type | must have |
| Shipper | Sees slots for its deliveries | version 2 |
| Multi-site logistics director | Consolidated dashboard | version 2 |
Budget and 12-week plan
MVP budget depends less on screen count than on integrations. A connector to the warehouse WMS or a TMS can double a work package on its own. For a first pilot, a file import of expected inbound orders is usually enough.
| Work package | Content | Weeks | 2026 ballpark (GBP, excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery and designs | 4 role journeys, tests with 2 warehouses | 1 to 2 | 6,000 to 10,000 |
| SaaS foundation | Accounts, multi-warehouse, permissions, billing | 3 to 5 | 13,000 to 23,000 |
| Booking engine | Slots, dock capacity, duration rules | 5 to 8 | 15,000 to 26,000 |
| Notifications | SMS and email, reminders, dock changes | 8 to 9 | 5,000 to 9,000 |
| Waiting time dashboard | Wait times, utilisation, late arrivals | 9 to 10 | 6,000 to 12,000 |
| Testing and pilot | On-site tests, fixes, go-live | 11 to 12 | 5,000 to 10,000 |
Total: 50,000 to 90,000 GBP. At Kolonell, this scope is quoted after discovery, with our custom applications ranging from 2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (3,810 to 22,870+ EUR) depending on complexity, and maintenance from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA a month (53 to 183 EUR).
Business model and funding
A per-warehouse subscription is the clearest model for a logistics operator. A simple grid: 300 GBP a month up to 4 docks, 600 GBP up to 10 docks, 900 GBP beyond with the advanced dashboard. Hauliers are never charged in the MVP, otherwise they will not book.
On funding, Innovate UK Smart grants and SEIS investment (up to 250,000 GBP raised per company, with income tax relief for investors) are the usual levers for an early-stage UK startup. Applications land better with a pilot warehouse committed by letter of intent and a clear metric: 20% less waiting time, measured over 8 weeks.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
James, founder of a logistics startup in London, signs a first pilot warehouse with 8 docks receiving 60 trucks a day and an average wait of 70 minutes. Hauliers bill 35 GBP an hour in detention beyond the first hour.
With 20% less waiting, average wait drops to 56 minutes. If 30 trucks a day exceeded the hour by 25 minutes on average, savings reach about 30 × 0.4 h × 35 GBP = 420 GBP a day, over 9,000 GBP a month across 22 working days. A 600 GBP monthly subscription is justified fifteen times over. On the startup side, a 70,000 GBP MVP with 30,000 GBP from SEIS angels and a 20,000 GBP grant leaves 20,000 GBP of founder cash, covered by 4 warehouses at 600 GBP in under 9 months.
FAQ
How much does a dock scheduling SaaS MVP cost in London in 2026?
Plan 50,000 to 90,000 GBP for 12 weeks of build and 4 user roles. Adding a WMS connector to the MVP can add 12,000 to 25,000 GBP.
What subscription price should we target?
Between 300 and 900 GBP per warehouse per month, based on dock count and reporting features. Hauliers book for free to secure adoption.
Can grants fund the MVP?
Innovate UK grants and SEIS-backed angel rounds commonly fund early SaaS builds. A signed pilot and a measurable metric strengthen any application.
How do we prove a 20% reduction in waiting time?
The dock supervisor logs arrival and docking for every truck. Compare 4 weeks before and 8 weeks after rollout on the same site.
Should we connect the WMS from day one?
Not for the pilot: a file import of expected receipts is enough. The connector becomes a priority from 5 to 10 warehouse clients.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your pilot warehouse, user roles and funding timeline, and we will scope an MVP deliverable in 12 weeks. 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.
