The verdict in three sentences
A field sales route planning app for 25 reps covering Berlin and Brandenburg is budgeted at EUR 20,000 to 38,000 excl. VAT. It combines route optimisation, offline order taking and CRM synchronisation, delivered in 12 weeks. With 12% fewer kilometres and visit reports logged in two minutes, the investment usually pays back in under 18 months.
What a poorly organised route costs
A field rep at a regional distributor (electrical supplies, food service, industrial consumables) drives 35,000 to 45,000 km a year between Berlin, Potsdam, Cottbus, Frankfurt (Oder) and the rural districts. Routes are often planned the night before in a spreadsheet, visit reports written in the evening and orders re-keyed at the office the next day.
Every manual step has a cost: wasted kilometres, missed visits to high-potential accounts, order entry errors and a CRM that is never up to date. A dedicated app links planning, visit and order in a single flow on tablet or smartphone, even without signal in the patchy coverage areas of Brandenburg.
| Module | Function | Indicative 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Planning and route optimisation | Weekly routes, time windows, account priorities | 5,000 - 9,000 |
| Field account record | History, open balance, recent orders, contacts | 2,500 - 4,500 |
| Offline order taking | Catalogue, customer pricing, discounts, sync when back online | 5,000 - 9,500 |
| Visit report | Quick form, photos, voice dictation, geolocation | 2,500 - 4,000 |
| CRM and ERP sync | Accounts, orders, reports to Salesforce, HubSpot, SAP Business One or DATEV | 3,000 - 7,000 |
| Manager dashboard | Kilometres, visit rate, revenue by territory | 2,000 - 4,000 |
The lower envelope (EUR 20,000) assumes a standard CRM sync and a simple catalogue. The upper envelope (EUR 38,000) includes an ERP integration, complex customer-specific pricing and an installable app (PWA) with full offline mode.
Custom build or off-the-shelf: the 3-year comparison
Field sales SaaS tools charge EUR 30 to 70 per user per month. They fit when the process is standard, less so when order taking depends on negotiated prices stored in the ERP.
| Criterion | Field sales SaaS | CRM module + add-ons | Custom app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 2,000 - 6,000 (setup) | EUR 5,000 - 12,000 | EUR 20,000 - 38,000 excl. VAT |
| Annual cost for 25 users | EUR 9,000 - 21,000 | EUR 6,000 - 12,000 | EUR 3,000 - 5,000 (hosting, maintenance) |
| 3-year total | EUR 29,000 - 69,000 | EUR 23,000 - 48,000 | EUR 29,000 - 53,000 |
| Offline orders with customer pricing | Varies | Rarely | Yes |
| Mid-market ERP integration | Paid connector | Partial | Native |
| Route optimisation | Often an add-on | No | Yes |
| Code and data ownership | No | Partial | Yes |
Over three years the costs converge. The difference is fit: a tool that matches the order process actually gets adopted by reps, and everything else depends on that.
12-week plan
| Phase | Weeks | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Field immersion and scoping | 1 - 2 | Two days on the road, flow mapping |
| Mobile mockups | 3 - 4 | Prototype tested by 3 reps |
| Build planning and account records | 5 - 7 | Test version |
| Offline orders and CRM/ERP sync | 8 - 10 | Full version |
| Pilot on one territory | 11 | 5 reps, fixes |
| Roll-out to all 25 reps | 12 | Half-day training |
The single-territory pilot (for example inner Berlin) is essential: it surfaces real signal-loss cases and special discounts before the general roll-out.
Mini case study
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Julian, sales director of an industrial supplies distributor in Berlin, manages 25 reps who each drive 40,000 km a year. At EUR 0.45 per km (fuel, servicing, depreciation), the fleet costs EUR 450,000 a year.
The app, billed EUR 32,000 excl. VAT, cuts kilometres by 12%: EUR 54,000 saved per year. Add 45 minutes per rep per week saved on order re-entry, about 850 hours a year reinvested in visits. Counting kilometres alone, the project pays back in just over 7 months.
FAQ
How much does a field sales route app cost in Berlin in 2026?
Order of magnitude: EUR 20,000 to 38,000 excl. VAT for 25 reps, depending on integrations. Maintenance and hosting then run EUR 3,000 to 5,000 a year.
Does the app work without signal?
Yes, the catalogue, customer pricing and account records are stored on the device. Orders and reports sync automatically when the connection returns, with no data loss.
What kilometre savings can we expect?
On manually planned routes, optimisation typically delivers 10 to 15% fewer kilometres. We use 12% as a cautious assumption in ROI calculations.
Can you connect our SAP Business One or DATEV setup?
Yes, through an API or scheduled file exchange. This integration accounts for EUR 3,000 to 7,000 of the budget depending on API quality.
Do reps need new tablets?
No, the app runs on existing Android or iOS smartphones and tablets. A device under 5 years old is enough in 95% of cases.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of reps, your CRM and your ERP for a quote between EUR 20,000 and 38,000 excl. VAT and a 12-week plan with a field pilot. 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.
