The verdict in three sentences
For a Berlin mid-sized company whose leadership waits 10 days for monthly KPIs, Power BI remains the fastest and cheapest choice as long as users are Microsoft 365 managers and the data is clean. A custom web dashboard, at EUR 20,000 to 45,000, makes sense when figures must reach dozens of frontline managers, complex business rules must be calculated or data entry must be built in. Either way, most of the budget goes into ERP, CRM and payroll integration, not into the charts.
Three-year cost of both options
Calculation for 40 users, with an ERP, a CRM and a payroll system to connect. Power BI Pro has cost USD 14 per user per month since April 2025, about EUR 13.
| Item | Power BI Pro | Custom dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Licences (40 users, 3 years) | About EUR 18,700 | EUR 0 |
| Data modelling and connectors | EUR 8,000 to 20,000 | Included |
| Application development | Included in the tool | EUR 20,000 to 45,000 |
| Hosting and database (3 years) | Included up to 1 GB per model | EUR 2,500 to 5,500 |
| Maintenance and changes (3 years) | EUR 9,000 to 18,000 | EUR 7,500 to 13,500 |
| Three-year total | EUR 35,700 to 56,700 | EUR 30,000 to 64,000 |
| Cost per additional user | EUR 13 a month | Close to zero |
At 40 users, both options hold up. At 150 managers and shop floor leads, the gap widens: about EUR 70,000 of Pro licences over 3 years, or a dedicated Fabric capacity at several thousand euros a month.
Which tool for which need
| Criterion | Power BI | Custom build by Kolonell |
|---|---|---|
| Time to go live | 4 to 8 weeks | 8 to 14 weeks |
| Data freshness | Next day, or 8 refreshes a day on Pro | Next day or real time depending on source |
| Users without a Microsoft licence | No, unless paid capacity | Yes, simple login |
| Comments, targets, budget entry | Limited | Native |
| Complex business rules (job margins, bonuses) | Possible in DAX, hard to maintain | Coded and tested |
| Mobile reading | Decent | Designed for mobile |
| In-house skills required | One analyst trained in Power BI | None, outsourced maintenance |
KPIs available the next day
Moving from day 10 to day 1 comes down to automated extraction. Here is what a mid-sized company usually connects.
| Source | KPIs | Frequency | Integration effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERP (SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics, DATEV exports) | Revenue, gross margin, order book, stock | Nightly | 3 to 6 days |
| CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce) | Pipeline, conversion rate, forecast | Nightly | 2 to 4 days |
| Payroll (DATEV Lohn, Personio) | Payroll cost, headcount, absenteeism | Monthly | 2 to 5 days |
| Bank | Cash position, receipts | Daily | 2 to 3 days |
| Production or logistics | Service level, delays, scrap | Nightly | 3 to 8 days |
| Subsidiary Excel files | Budgets, forecasts | On upload | 1 to 3 days |
Mini case study
Jonas runs a 320-employee industrial company in Berlin. Every month, his financial controller spends 6 days compiling figures, 72 days a year valued at EUR 450: EUR 32,400 a year. With Power BI for 25 managers, he would pay about EUR 3,900 a year in licences plus EUR 14,000 of modelling. He also wants to open KPIs to 60 team leads without Microsoft accounts and let them enter variance comments: he chooses a custom dashboard at EUR 32,000, plus EUR 3,500 a year of maintenance. The controller now spends only 1 day a month checking: a EUR 27,000 gross annual gain, EUR 23,500 net of maintenance, payback in about 16 months, with no per-user licence cost.
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FAQ
Can we start with Power BI and move to custom later?
Yes, and it is often wise: data modelling, which accounts for 40 to 60% of the effort, is reusable. The custom application then costs EUR 15,000 to 30,000.
Is payroll data secure?
Access is role-based: detailed payroll cost stays visible to leadership and HR only. The custom dashboard is hosted in Germany with an access log, GDPR compliant, and the access model can be shared with the works council before go-live.
How long until data is available the next day?
Usually 6 to 10 weeks, including 2 to 3 weeks spent cleaning ERP data. Companies that skip this step see 2 to 5% gaps against accounting.
Do we need an in-house data engineer?
Not for the custom build, whose maintenance is outsourced for EUR 250 to 400 a month. For Power BI, a trained analyst is recommended, about 20% of a full-time role.
Does the dashboard work on mobile?
Yes: the custom version is designed smartphone first, with 5 to 8 key KPIs per screen. Power BI offers a decent mobile app, but built around reports designed on desktop.
Let's scope your project. List your data sources, number of users and your 10 priority KPIs: we will compare Power BI and custom on your case, with a EUR 20,000 to 45,000 budget for the custom route. 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.
