The verdict in three sentences
With 3,200 service contracts managed in spreadsheets, an HVAC contractor loses around 6% of recurring revenue to missed auto-renewals and unscheduled visits. A contract management app that generates annual visits, captures signed reports on tablets and tracks F-Gas obligations recovers that margin in the first year. Against market software billed at 60 to 110 EUR per technician per month, a Kolonell custom build sits between 2,500,000 and 15,000,000+ FCFA (3,810 to 22,870+ EUR) depending on complexity, delivered in 4 to 5 months, with the rest priced in the quote.
What spreadsheets cost on 3,200 contracts
The contractor employs 45 technicians servicing gas boilers, heat pumps, air conditioning units and air handling units for homeowners, property managers and commercial sites. Contracts live in a multi-tab workbook, visits in the office manager's calendar, reports on carbon paper. Three leaks show up every year.
The first is auto-renewal. Without alerts, contracts reach their term without a service invoice, or the client moves to a competitor before anyone calls. The second is scheduling: annual visits pile up in autumn, exactly when breakdown calls peak. The third is compliance: boiler service records, periodic heat pump maintenance and leak checks on equipment containing refrigerants must be logged and retrievable. In the UK, gas work also sits under Gas Safe record keeping, and F-Gas leak check frequency depends on the charge in tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
| Leak | On spreadsheets | With the app | Estimated impact (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewals | No alert, invoices forgotten | Alert 60 days before term, invoice generated | 6% of recurring revenue recovered |
| Annual visits | Planned by hand, autumn peak | Automatic spread over 12 months by area | 15 to 20% fewer miles |
| Service reports | Paper, re-keyed at the office | Tablet form, client signature, photo | 20 office minutes saved per visit |
| Service certificates | Written afterwards | PDF generated when the visit closes | Zero sending delay |
| F-Gas tracking | Paper log per unit | Asset record with charge, refrigerant, check history | Audit-ready traceability |
| Parts and consumables | Van stock unknown | Parts fitted logged, restocking | Fewer return visits |
Market software or custom app
Field service tools for HVAC cover the standard well: calendar, job sheets, mobile app. Their limit shows on the contracts themselves: price grids per equipment type, annual indexation, multi-site property manager contracts, different renewal rules for consumers and businesses. Custom makes sense when those rules carry most of the value and the technician count makes per-seat pricing heavy.
| Criterion | Market software | Kolonell custom app |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | Setup 2,000 to 8,000 EUR (2026 order of magnitude) | 2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (3,810 to 22,870+ EUR) depending on complexity |
| Recurring cost for 45 technicians | 60 to 110 EUR per technician per month, 32,400 to 59,400 EUR a year | Maintenance 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month (53, 114 or 183 EUR), hosting in the quote |
| Contract and renewal rules | Limited to the vendor's model | Modelled on your real contracts |
| Multi-site property contracts | Often handled with duplicated records | Master contract with linked sites |
| Data ownership | Export at the vendor's discretion | Your own database |
| Time to go live | 1 to 3 months | 4 to 5 months |
| Roadmap | Vendor-driven | Your priorities, quoted separately |
On the Kolonell grid, a simple app (contract base, renewal alerts, scheduling) sits between 2,500,000 and 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR). A medium one, with an offline tablet app, signed reports and PDF certificates, between 4,000,000 and 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR). The full scope with route optimisation, F-Gas register, parts management and an accounting link is complex: 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR).
Offline mode is essential: plant rooms and basements often have no signal. The app stores the report locally and syncs once the connection is back.
Mini case study
Tom runs the contractor and bills an average of 220 EUR per contract per year. His 3,200 contracts bring 704,000 EUR of recurring revenue; a 6% leak is 42,240 EUR a year.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Market option: 45 technicians at 85 EUR a month, 45,900 EUR a year and 137,700 EUR over three years. Custom option: top of the complex range, 22,870 EUR, plus 183 EUR a month of maintenance, 29,458 EUR over three years, hosting extra per the quote. The gap exceeds 100,000 EUR over three years, and recovered renewal margin pays for the build in under 7 months.
FAQ
Does the app work without signal?
Yes, the tablet version works offline and syncs when the network returns. A technician can complete 5 to 6 basement visits without losing a report.
Can we import the 3,200 contracts from the spreadsheet?
Yes, after a clean-up pass. Allow 2 to 3 weeks to make assets, addresses and term dates reliable.
Is the F-Gas register covered?
Each asset holds its refrigerant, charge and leak check history. An export per client or period takes seconds when an inspector asks.
How long does training 45 technicians take?
Half a day per group of 10 is usually enough. The report screen has 4 to 5 mandatory fields plus the signature.
Who owns the code and the data?
You do. The database and delivered code are yours, and monthly maintenance at 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA remains optional.
Let's scope your project. Show us a sample contract, your spreadsheet and your technician count, and we will scope an app deliverable in 4 to 5 months. 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.
