The verdict in three sentences
For a company of 650 employees across 5 sites in Ireland, a self-service HR portal covering leave, expenses and payslips costs between EUR 40,000 and 80,000 excluding VAT, delivered in 3 to 4 months. Manager approval routes and the payroll export account for most of the effort. A realistic goal is 60 % fewer requests to the HR team, which then shifts from data entry to steering.
Modules and their cost
The portal only pays off if everyone uses it, including field staff without a desk. Hence a lightweight mobile app, phone-number login for staff without a corporate email, and single sign-on with Microsoft 365 for office staff.
| Module | Function | 2026 ballpark |
|---|---|---|
| Leave requests | Live balance, team calendar, Irish statutory leave rules | EUR 7,000 to 14,000 |
| Expenses | Receipt photo, Revenue civil service rates, caps by grade | EUR 7,000 to 15,000 |
| Payslips | Secure upload, download, history | EUR 3,500 to 7,000 |
| Approval routes | Manager, HR, finance, delegation during absence | EUR 5,500 to 12,000 |
| Payroll and accounting export | File or API to existing payroll software | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Mobile app | iOS and Android, partial offline mode | EUR 8,000 to 16,000 |
| HR dashboards | Absence, expenses by site, approval times | EUR 3,500 to 6,000 |
Expense reimbursement can be batched into the next payroll run or paid by SEPA transfer within days of finance approval, which matters for sales reps and field technicians.
Custom build or off-the-shelf HRIS
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf HRIS | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 5,000 to 20,000 configuration | EUR 40,000 to 80,000 |
| Annual cost for 650 staff | EUR 5 to 12 per employee per month, so EUR 39,000 to 93,600 | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 (hosting, maintenance) |
| Local rules | Usually configurable, sometimes UK-centric | Irish leave, expense rates and grades built in |
| Integration | Standard connectors only | Tailored to your payroll and ERP |
| Data ownership | Vendor hosting | Your EU cloud tenant |
| 3-year cost | EUR 120,000 to 300,000 | EUR 58,000 to 116,000 |
At 650 employees, per-seat licences make a packaged HRIS clearly more expensive over three years. Below about 100 employees the equation often flips.
Schedule and success factors
| Phase | Duration | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping | 2 to 3 weeks | Leave rules, expense rates, approval matrix |
| Mock-ups | 2 weeks | Test with 10 field employees on smartphones |
| Development | 8 to 10 weeks | Module-by-module delivery, leave first |
| Pilot on one site | 2 to 3 weeks | 100 to 150 employees, adjustments |
| Rollout to 5 sites | 2 weeks | Manager training, QR code posters |
HR data is personal data under the GDPR, supervised in Ireland by the Data Protection Commission. A record of processing, a data protection impact assessment where relevant and EU hosting should be planned from scoping.
Mini case study
Aoife, HR director of a distribution group in Dublin, runs an HR team of 6 for 650 employees. Each month the team handles about 900 manual requests: leave balances, payslip copies, expense chasing, at 15 minutes each, so 225 hours.
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The portal costs EUR 60,000 plus EUR 9,000 a year in maintenance. With 60 % fewer requests, the team frees 135 hours a month, about 1,620 hours a year. At a loaded cost of EUR 45 an hour, the gain is EUR 72,900 a year. Add avoided expense errors estimated at EUR 10,000 a year. The project pays back in about 10 months.
FAQ
How much does a custom HR portal cost in Dublin?
Budget EUR 40,000 to 80,000 depending on modules, sites and approval complexity. Maintenance runs EUR 6,000 to 12,000 a year.
Can the portal connect to our payroll software?
Yes, via file export or API. Approved leave and expenses flow automatically, saving 2 to 3 days of re-keying a month.
Can staff without a computer use it?
Yes, the mobile app runs on any recent smartphone, with phone-number login and SMS code for staff without a corporate email.
How fast are expenses reimbursed?
Reimbursement can be paid by SEPA transfer within 2 to 3 working days of finance approval, instead of 2 to 4 weeks with paper claims.
How long does rollout take?
Between 3 and 4 months, with a 2 to 3 week pilot on one site before full rollout.
Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, sites and leave and expense rules: we will price a portal between EUR 40,000 and 80,000 with a 3 to 4 month 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.
