The verdict in three sentences
A group with 6 subsidiaries that takes 25 days to consolidate monthly figures makes cash and credit decisions a month late. A management dashboard fed every night from the group's 4 accounting systems shows revenue, margin, working capital and cash to the day, subsidiary by subsidiary. This is a medium to complex application, delivered in 2 to 4 months, and it often pays for itself through lower overdraft interest alone.
Why consolidation takes 25 days
Many mid-sized groups in emerging markets, from Nairobi to Lagos, Casablanca or Abidjan, grew through acquisitions: a distribution company, a manufacturing unit, a logistics arm, a services firm, sometimes subsidiaries in neighbouring countries. Each kept its accounting software, its own chart of accounts and its own closing habits.
The group CFO therefore receives six spreadsheets in different formats every month, often after chasing. The team restates accounts, eliminates intercompany transactions, recalculates margins and builds a board pack. The full cycle takes 25 days: March figures arrive at the end of April.
| Step | Current lead time | With an automated dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Local close in each subsidiary | 8 to 12 days | 8 to 12 days for statutory close, management data available daily |
| Sending trial balances to head office | 2 to 5 days, after chasing | automatic nightly extraction |
| Mapping charts of accounts | 4 days | mapping table set up once |
| Intercompany eliminations | 3 days | automatic intercompany matching |
| KPI calculation | 2 days | instant |
| Board report | 2 days | online dashboard, one-click PDF export |
| Total lead time for monthly figures | 25 days | 5 days for final consolidation, next day for steering |
The indicators that change decisions
A good group dashboard does not try to show everything. It highlights a handful of indicators refreshed daily:
- Revenue by subsidiary, business line and key customer, against budget and prior year.
- Gross margin by product line, to catch purchase price drift by week two.
- Working capital: receivables, inventory and payables, with DSO and stock turnover per subsidiary.
- Cash: actual balances of every account in every bank, overdrafts used, 13-week forecast.
Daily cash visibility is often the first win. It is common for one subsidiary to pay 12 to 18% on an overdraft while another leaves USD 1.5 million idle in a current account.
Power BI, a market tool or a custom build
| Option | Cost (2026 order of magnitude) | Fits when | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet consolidation | team time, 25 days a month | 1 to 2 subsidiaries | formula errors, no daily view |
| Power BI with connectors | licences at USD 10 to 20 per user per month, plus an integrator | recent accounting systems with accessible databases | local software without connectors, restatements to build |
| Market consolidation software | USD 16,000 to 65,000 a year | listed groups, IFRS reporting | heavy for management steering |
| Kolonell medium application | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) | 2 to 3 accounting sources, standard KPIs | deliberately limited scope |
| Kolonell complex application | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) | 4 different systems, intercompany, cash forecast | 3 to 4 months to deliver |
| Kolonell maintenance | 35,000 / 75,000 / 120,000 FCFA per month | KPI and connector updates |
It is not either-or. Kolonell can build the data warehouse and the connectors to the 4 accounting systems, then display KPIs in Power BI if the group already holds licences. Bank connections and hosting are quoted separately. See the custom web applications page for similar projects.
Mini case study
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Wanjiru, group CFO of a Nairobi-based company with 6 subsidiaries across East Africa and USD 45 million of revenue, finds that the distribution subsidiary runs an average overdraft of USD 900,000 at 14% while another subsidiary keeps USD 1.5 million on deposit. By seeing balances daily and setting up intercompany loans under a cash management agreement, she avoids about USD 126,000 of interest a year (900,000 x 14%). Working capital adds more: cutting consolidated DSO by 5 days releases 45 million / 365 x 5, or roughly USD 616,000 of cash. Against a complex application of 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) and Premium maintenance at 120,000 FCFA a month, the investment is covered within weeks.
FAQ
Do subsidiaries need to change their accounting software?
No. The dashboard connects to the 4 existing systems. Harmonisation can come later, but it often costs 3 to 5 times more and takes over a year.
Is the data really updated daily?
Yes for sales, receivables, inventory and bank balances, extracted nightly. Closing entries such as provisions remain monthly, with final consolidation at day 5.
How long does delivery take?
Allow 2 to 4 months. A first release covering 2 subsidiaries with revenue and cash KPIs can be delivered in 6 to 8 weeks.
Who can see the figures?
Access is role-based: group management sees all 6 subsidiaries, each subsidiary head sees only theirs, and every view is logged.
Does the dashboard work on mobile?
Yes. Executives check the 4 key indicators on a smartphone, with a lightweight version suited to 3G connections when travelling.
Let's scope your project. We map your 6 subsidiaries, their accounting systems and your priority KPIs for a first release delivered within weeks. 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.
