The verdict in three sentences
An insolvency practice running 1,100 open cases and receiving 45,000 proofs of debt a year cannot keep relying on an ageing case system, dividend spreadsheets and a phone line that never stops ringing. The real choice is between specialist case management software licensed per user, roughly £350 to £800 a year, and bespoke development focused on the creditor portal, claims adjudication and statutory reporting. For a 32-person firm in London, the most profitable route is usually hybrid: the specialist system stays the record of truth, and a bespoke layer absorbs the repetitive work that eats thousands of hours.
What the practice actually handles each year
Before comparing vendors, measure the flows. The figures below describe a typical London practice handling administrations, CVLs, compulsory liquidations and CVAs under the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016. Unit times are 2026 orders of magnitude from process audits.
| Annual flow | 2026 volume | Manual unit time | Estimated annual load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proofs of debt received | 45,000 | 6 min to key and check | 4,500 h |
| Disputed or partially admitted claims | 1,350 (about 3%) | 45 min | 1,010 h |
| Progress reports, SIP 16 and closing reports | 2,400 | 1 h 30 | 3,600 h |
| Dividend payments | 9,000 | 4 min to prepare | 600 h |
| Creditor chasers and status queries | 12,000 | 5 min | 1,000 h |
| Employee claims forms for the Redundancy Payments Service | 260 | 2 h | 520 h |
In total, more than 11,000 hours a year go into low-value tasks, the equivalent of seven full-time staff. The framework is well known: Gazette notices, annual progress reports to creditors, decision procedures instead of physical meetings, bonding, and monitoring by your recognised professional body. Useful software must therefore trace every claim from receipt to dividend, with a tamper-proof audit log ready for an RPB inspection.
Specialist package, bespoke or hybrid: the comparison
Specialist vendors cover the regulatory core well: estate accounting, statutory forms, document templates. Their weakness sits at the edges: rigid creditor portals, little automation when importing emailed proofs, thin dashboards for partners. That is where targeted development creates the most value.
| Criterion | Specialist package only | Fully bespoke | Hybrid (package + bespoke layer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual or upfront cost | £350 to £800 per user per year, so £11,200 to £25,600 for 32 users (2026 order of magnitude) | 2.5 to 15M+ FCFA (3,810 to 22,870+ EUR) depending on complexity | Licences kept + module from 3,810 to 10,670 EUR |
| Time to go live | 3 to 4 months with migration | 4 to 6 months | 2 to 4 months |
| Creditor portal | Standard, limited customisation | Built around your flows | Built around your flows, synced with the record |
| Regulatory updates | Handled by the vendor | Covered under maintenance | Vendor for the core, Kolonell for the layer |
| Maintenance | Included in the licence | 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) | Same, for the bespoke layer only |
| Ownership of code and data | Licence agreement | Code and data owned by the firm | Bespoke layer owned by the firm |
To gauge complexity, here is how the Kolonell bespoke application grid maps onto an insolvency practice.
| Level | Kolonell budget | Example scope for the practice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple application | 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) | Read-only creditor portal: claim status, documents, next dividend dates |
| Medium application | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) | Portal + online proof submission, automatic amount extraction, reconciliation with the case system |
| Complex application | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) | Full platform: adjudication, dividends, report generation, partner dashboards |
| Hosting, languages, specific integrations | Quoted | UK hosting, connectors to your package, e-signature |
Security is non-negotiable: employee, director and creditor data fall under UK GDPR. We plan strong authentication, encryption, logging and UK or EU hosting; see our cybersecurity offer.
Mini case study
Helen Carter, partner at a 32-person insolvency practice in London, wants to cut data entry and creditor calls without replacing her case system. She chooses a medium-level application: creditor portal with online proofs, automatic reading of amounts and attachments, daily sync with the record.
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Conservative assumptions: keying drops from 6 to 3 minutes per proof, so 45,000 × 3 min = 2,250 hours saved, and the portal absorbs 50% of the 12,000 queries, another 500 hours. Total: 2,750 hours. At a loaded cost of £45 an hour, the theoretical gain is £123,750 a year. Keeping only one third to allow for ramp-up gives about £41,250. Against a medium project of 6,100 to 10,670 EUR plus Standard maintenance at 114 EUR a month (1,368 EUR a year), payback comes in under four months.
FAQ
Do we have to drop our current case management system?
No. In about 80% of the firms we meet, the specialist package remains the official record. The bespoke layer connects through exports or an API and handles the portal, imports and dashboards.
How long does a creditor portal take to launch?
Allow 2 to 4 months for a simple or medium portal, testing included. A full adjudication and dividend platform takes closer to 4 to 6 months.
How do we cope with the spike after a large appointment?
A retail administration can bring 3,000 proofs in two months. The portal validates documents at entry and sorts claims by type, so the two or three staff on the case are not swamped.
Is the data UK GDPR compliant?
Yes: UK or EU hosting, role-based access, access logs kept for 5 years and deletion aligned with your retention policy. A record of processing activities is delivered with the project.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
Kolonell maintenance costs 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month (53, 114 or 183 EUR). For a portal open to creditors, Standard or Premium is recommended.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your proofs, dividends and reporting flows and your current case system: we will scope a portal or complementary platform deliverable in three to six 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.
