The verdict in three sentences
A managing director in Amsterdam who waits 10 days after month end to see the numbers steers a quarter behind competitors. Power BI costs about 14 EUR per user per month plus 4,600 to 12,200 EUR of setup, while a custom executive dashboard costs 9,150 to 22,900 EUR excl. VAT (6 to 15 million FCFA) in 6 to 10 weeks. Either way, the real issue is automatic consolidation of ERP and spreadsheet data to bring reporting down to D+1.
Why reporting takes 10 days in mid-sized companies
In a distribution company, a plant or a services group with 100 to 500 staff, numbers come from scattered sources: an ERP (Exact, Odoo, SAP Business One), spreadsheets sent by branches, payment provider statements, payroll. The financial controller spends one to two weeks copying, fixing and reconciling before producing a slide deck.
The hidden cost is twofold: 6 to 10 person-days a month of manual work, and decisions made on numbers that are already three to six weeks old.
Power BI or custom build: the 2026 comparison
| Criterion | Power BI (licences + integrator) | Custom dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 4,600 to 12,200 EUR excl. VAT | 9,150 to 22,900 EUR excl. VAT |
| Licences | About 14 EUR per user per month (Pro) | No per-user licence |
| Annual cost for 25 users | About 4,100 EUR | Hosting and maintenance 1,400 to 3,650 EUR |
| Timeline | 4 to 8 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks |
| ERP + spreadsheet consolidation | Power Query, fragile when files change | Dedicated pipeline with data quality checks |
| Field input (branches, warehouses) | Not included | Built-in mobile forms, offline mode |
| Mobile access on weak networks | Fine, heavy apps | Lightweight pages |
| 3-year cost (25 users) | 16,900 to 24,500 EUR | 13,300 to 33,850 EUR |
Power BI fits when data is already clean in a single ERP and the team has a trained analyst. Custom wins when a large share of data comes from spreadsheets or the field, or when more than 40 people need the indicators.
The 12 KPIs to track and the target reporting delay
| KPI | Source | Refresh | Target delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue by branch and product | ERP | Daily | D+1 |
| Gross margin by product family | ERP | Daily | D+1 |
| Cash collected by channel | Bank and PSP APIs | Daily | D+1 |
| Receivables and DSO | ERP | Daily | D+1 |
| Stock levels and stock-outs | ERP, warehouses | Daily | D+1 |
| Available cash | Banks | Daily | D+1 |
| Payroll / revenue | Payroll | Monthly | D+3 |
| Sales productivity | CRM, ERP | Weekly | D+1 |
| Delivery service level | Logistics | Daily | D+1 |
| Fixed costs vs budget | Accounting | Monthly | D+5 |
| Top 20 customers and trend | ERP | Weekly | D+1 |
| 13-week cash forecast | Calculation | Weekly | D+1 |
The realistic goal: 9 of 12 KPIs available at D+1, the rest at D+5 instead of D+10.
Mini case study
Pieter, managing director of a food distribution company in Amsterdam (280 staff, 7 depots), received his reporting on the 10th of each month. Chosen scope: a custom dashboard consolidating the ERP, depot spreadsheets and payment collections for 35 users. Budget: 14,500 EUR excl. VAT (9.5 million FCFA), 8 weeks.
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Results: the controller saves 7 days a month, worth about 5,200 EUR a year at a comparable workload. A recurring stock-out on two SKUs, spotted in week two, was costing 1,830 EUR of margin per month. With Power BI Pro for 35 users, licences alone would have cost about 5,900 EUR a year. The project pays back in under 7 months.
FAQ
Can we start with Power BI and move to custom later?
Yes, and it often makes sense. Data cleaning and modelling, 40 to 60% of the budget, is reusable in both cases.
Where is the data hosted?
A custom build can be hosted in an EU data centre of your choice, which keeps GDPR compliance simple. Any personal data processed must be listed in your record of processing activities.
How many users should we plan for?
Usually 15 to 25% of management: leadership, branch managers, controlling. Above 40 users, having no per-user licence saves roughly 6,700 EUR a year.
What if branches keep sending spreadsheets?
The pipeline accepts a locked spreadsheet template and rejects non-compliant files with a clear message. Within 6 to 8 weeks, most branches switch to the mobile form.
What maintenance should we budget?
Plan 115 to 300 EUR a month (75,000 to 200,000 FCFA) for hosting, backups and minor changes, i.e. 1 to 3 new KPIs per quarter.
Let's scope your project. ERP and spreadsheet consolidation, 12 KPIs at D+1, mobile access for branch managers: budget 9,150 to 22,900 EUR excl. VAT and 6 to 10 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.
