The verdict in three sentences
An executive BI dashboard for a Berlin SME's leadership costs, in 2026, between 12,000 and 35,000 EUR, light data warehouse included. The goal is not pretty charts but a single source of truth consolidating ERP, CRM and accounting. The concrete gain: time spent producing monthly reporting drops by about 70%, and decisions rest on current figures, not a three-week-old spreadsheet.
Data sources and light data warehouse
The core of the project is consolidation. We pull data from several systems into a lightweight warehouse, then clean and model it.
| Data source | Connection type | 2026 integration cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| ERP / sales management | API or scheduled export | 2,500 - 6,000 |
| CRM (pipeline, sales) | Native API | 1,500 - 3,500 |
| Accounting (margin, cash) | API or export | 2,000 - 4,500 |
| Light data warehouse (BigQuery, Postgres) | Modelling | 3,000 - 8,000 |
| Payroll / HR (headcount, cost) | Export | 1,500 - 3,000 |
| File sources (Excel, Google Sheets) | Ingestion | 1,000 - 2,500 |
KPIs per function and refresh rate
A good dashboard is segmented by role. The manager sees the summary, each function sees its detail. Cost depends on the number of views and refresh frequency.
| Business view | Key KPIs | Refresh | 2026 cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Revenue, margin, cash, DSO | Daily | 3,000 - 6,000 |
| Sales | Pipeline, conversion rate | Daily | 2,000 - 4,000 |
| Finance | Margin per product, working capital | Daily | 2,500 - 5,000 |
| Operations | Lead times, service level | Hourly | 2,500 - 5,500 |
| Annual maintenance | Changes, new KPIs | - | 2,000 - 5,500 / yr |
Mini case study
Thomas, owner-manager of a 60-person trading SME in Berlin, spends two working days each month manually consolidating four Excel exports for his management committee. That is about 16 hours/month of his time and his controller's. The dashboard, quoted at 24,000 EUR, automates daily consolidation. By cutting reporting from 16 to under 5 hours per month, he saves roughly 11 hours/month at a 55 EUR loaded cost, about 7,300 EUR per year, not counting decisions made earlier thanks to current figures. Payback in just over 3 years on time alone, far faster once decision quality is valued.
FAQ
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How is this different from a plain Excel export?
Excel is filled manually, breaks and is never up to date. An executive dashboard refreshes itself from your systems and guarantees everyone looks at the same numbers.
Does an SME really need a data warehouse?
A light warehouse (a few hundred euros a month of hosting) is justified as soon as you cross 3 or more sources. It prevents slow dashboards and inconsistencies between tools.
How long does it take to set up?
Between 3 and 6 weeks. The first phase, often underestimated, is precisely defining the KPIs with leadership.
Which visualization tool do you recommend?
Depending on your stack: Metabase or Looker Studio for a controlled budget, Power BI if you are already on Microsoft. The choice barely affects integration cost, more so licensing.
Who maintains the KPIs over time?
A maintenance contract (2,000 to 5,500 EUR/yr) covers API changes and adding new indicators as your business shifts.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your data sources, the KPIs expected per function and your target budget, and we will propose a mockup and a quote. 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.
