The verdict in three sentences
For a quick-service restaurant brand in Dubai with 34 outlets including 22 franchisees, a central purchasing ordering portal costs AED 90,000 to 180,000 (about USD 24,500 to 49,000, or 14 to 28 million FCFA for comparison) and ships in 4 to 6 months. It replaces WhatsApp and Excel orders with suggestions based on POS sales, a delivery calendar by zone and automatic royalty invoicing. The quantified goal is to reduce stock losses that currently reach 6 to 9% of purchases of ingredients and packaging.
The problem with WhatsApp orders
Every evening, outlet managers in Deira, Al Barsha, JLT or Business Bay send their order to the central kitchen by voice note or photo of a notebook. The central team re-keys it, misses a line, over-delivers bread on Monday and under-delivers chicken on Saturday. On the franchisee side, the royalty of 5 to 7% of sales is calculated by hand, with disputes every month end.
The portal connects each outlet's POS (Foodics, Lightspeed, Oracle Simphony or a local system) to the central catalogue. It suggests a standard order from the last 4 weeks of sales, applies minimum and maximum quantities per item and blocks abnormal variances.
| Module | Function | 2026 range (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Central catalogue and franchisee pricing | Items, pack sizes, negotiated prices | 11,500 to 22,500 |
| Suggested orders from POS sales | Per recipe and day-of-week calculation | 19,500 to 38,500 |
| Quantity control and approval | Thresholds, alerts, double approval on variance | 9,500 to 18,000 |
| Delivery calendar by zone | Routes for Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi | 13,000 to 24,500 |
| Invoicing and automatic royalties | Invoices, statements, royalty on sales, 5% VAT | 16,000 to 32,000 |
| Online payments and reminders | Card and bank transfer collection, overdue status | 7,500 to 18,500 |
| Operations dashboard | Losses, stock-outs, margin per outlet | 13,000 to 26,000 |
| Total | 90,000 to 180,000 |
Timeline, operations and recurring costs
| Phase | Duration | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Flow and recipe audit | 3 to 4 weeks | Recipe cards and consumption ratios |
| Wireframes and franchisee sign-off | 2 to 3 weeks | 3 pilot franchisees involved |
| Core and ordering build | 8 to 10 weeks | Catalogue, orders, deliveries |
| POS and invoicing connectors | 4 to 6 weeks | Tests on 5 outlets |
| Pilot and rollout | 3 to 5 weeks | All 34 outlets live |
| Total | 4 to 6 months |
The app runs on tablets and phones, with an offline mode for back-of-house areas with poor signal: orders sync as soon as the connection returns.
| Recurring cost | Monthly amount (AED) | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Essential support | 2,300 | Hosting, backups, fixes |
| Evolving support | 4,800 | + enhancements, weekend support |
| SMS and WhatsApp notifications | 250 to 800 | Confirmations, delivery delays |
| Payment gateway fees | 2 to 2.9% of card payments | Franchisee settlements |
Mini case study
Omar, operations director of the brand, buys about AED 1.35 million of ingredients and packaging per month for the 34 outlets. With 7.5% losses (expiry, over-ordering, unexplained variances), that is AED 101,000 per month. If the portal brings losses down to 4.5%, savings reach AED 40,500 per month. The project is priced at AED 135,000, plus AED 3,500 of monthly support. The investment is covered in under 4 months of net savings. Add undisputed royalties: across 22 franchisees each making AED 115,000 of monthly sales at a 6% royalty, every 2% calculation error weighed AED 2,300 per outlet.
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FAQ
Do outlets need new POS systems?
No, the portal connects to existing POS systems through an API or daily export. For a POS without an API, a file import adds about AED 5,000 to 9,500.
How do franchisees pay?
Central invoices are settled by card, bank transfer or direct debit. In West African deployments the same module supports Wave and Orange Money, with fees around 1% of the amount.
What happens if the internet drops?
Offline mode keeps the order on the tablet. It is sent as soon as the network returns, with a configurable cut-off, for example 10 pm for next-day delivery.
Can the portal extend to other GCC countries?
Yes, multi-country support (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar) with separate currencies and VAT rules adds AED 13,000 to 26,000.
How long before we see real loss figures?
Reliable figures arrive after a 6 to 8 week pilot on 5 outlets, the time needed to compare theoretical consumption with actual purchases.
Let's scope your project. Send us your outlet count, POS systems and purchasing volumes: we will price a portal between AED 90,000 and 180,000 delivered in 4 to 6 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.
