The verdict in three sentences
A CFO who wants to stop consolidating reporting in Excel invests 12,000-40,000 EUR in 2026 to automate collection, consolidation and rendering. The budget depends mostly on the number of entities to consolidate and the connections (accounting, banking, ERP). The return is measured in close days recovered and in reliability: no more risky copy-paste and diverging file versions.
What makes up the quote
Price follows the number of connected sources and consolidated entities, plus the level of reporting expected.
| Line item | 2026 order of magnitude | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting software connection | 2,500 - 6,000 EUR | API or structured export |
| Bank connection (aggregation) | 2,000 - 5,000 EUR | Auto reconciliation |
| Consolidation per entity | 2,000 - 5,000 EUR/entity | Subsidiaries, BUs |
| Consolidated reporting engine | 4,000 - 10,000 EUR | P&L, cash, margin |
| Tables & rendering | 2,000 - 6,000 EUR | Board, banks |
| Maintenance & reliability | 200 - 500 EUR/month | Flow monitoring |
A single-entity scope starts around 12,000-18,000 EUR; 3-4 subsidiaries push toward 28,000-40,000 EUR.
Close days and ROI
Value reads in the closing calendar and the finance team's time.
| Indicator | Before automation | After automation |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly close time | 6 - 10 days | 2 - 4 days |
| Manual consolidation time | 3 - 5 d/month | ~0.5 d/month |
| Data-entry error risk | High | Low (auto) |
| Freshness of numbers | Monthly | Weekly / continuous |
| Cost per consolidated entity | Recurring labor | 2,000 - 5,000 EUR once |
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Sarah, CFO of an industrial SME in Amsterdam (120 employees, 3 subsidiaries), spends with her team 4 days per month consolidating reporting in Excel, at an average loaded cost of ~380 EUR/day, i.e. ~1,520 EUR/month = 18,240 EUR/year, errors corrected afterward excluded. She automates for 31,000 EUR + 350 EUR/month by connecting accounting, banking and subsidiaries. Manual consolidation drops to half a day: she recovers ~3.5 days/month (~16,000 EUR/year) and gains 4 close days. The project is paid back in ~24 months, and her numbers become weekly and reliable.
FAQ
Do we need to change accounting software? No in most cases: automation plugs in via API or structured export on the existing tool. Software without an API forces scheduled exports, slightly costlier to make reliable.
How much for an extra entity? Budget 2,000-5,000 EUR per entity to consolidate, once the foundation is in place. It is the main price lever on multi-subsidiary groups.
What close-time gain? As an order of magnitude, moving from 6-10 days to 2-4 days is realistic. The gain comes from automatic collection and reconciliation, not an accounting shortcut.
Is the bank connection safe? Yes, via PSD2-compliant aggregators. It enables automatic reconciliation and removes much of the manual entry, for 2,000-5,000 EUR of setup.
Can we keep Excel as output? Yes: many CFOs want an Excel/PDF export alongside online tables. Automation makes the source reliable; the rendering format stays your choice.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your accounting software, your number of subsidiaries and your current close time; we price the automation and the ROI in close days recovered. 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.
