The verdict in three sentences
A brokerage tracking 6,000 policies with 4 partner insurers on spreadsheets misses renewal dates, and with them recurring commission. A custom broker management system budgeted at 250,000 to 500,000 MAD excl. VAT in 2026 (Casablanca example) centralises portfolio, claims, commissions and reminders with a full audit trail. With a gain of 5 to 10 points of renewal rate, payback usually falls between 12 and 24 months.
What spreadsheets cost a 6,000-policy brokerage
The pattern is familiar to any broker principal: one file per insurer, another for claims, commission statements reconciled by hand at month end. Renewals are spotted late, often after the client has received a competing quote. Gaps between the insurer's statement and the internal calculation only surface at quarter end.
| Area | On spreadsheets | With a dedicated system (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal reminders | Manual, 30 to 40% sent late | Automatic at D-60, D-30 and D-7 by email, SMS or WhatsApp |
| Renewal rate | 78 to 82% | 85 to 90% |
| Commission reconciliation | 3 to 5 days a month | Under one day, gaps flagged automatically |
| Claims tracking | Status known by phone | Time-stamped file, attachments, deadlines per insurer |
| Management reporting | Consolidated by hand | Dashboard by product, insurer and account handler |
| Regulatory audit trail | Scattered | Client exchanges and advice history stored per policy |
On a 6,000-policy book with an estimated average commission of 900 MAD per policy per year, each renewal point is about 60 policies, or 54,000 MAD of annual commission.
2026 cost of a custom broker management system
Budget depends mainly on the number of insurers to integrate and the depth of the claims module. Figures below are estimates excl. VAT for a build by an experienced team, hosting excluded, using the Casablanca example.
| Module | Scope | Estimated budget (MAD excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Client and policy portfolio | Client records, policies, endorsements, documents | 60,000 to 110,000 |
| Commissions | Rates per insurer and product, statement reconciliation | 45,000 to 90,000 |
| Claims | Notification, tracking, documents, deadlines, insurer chasers | 50,000 to 100,000 |
| Renewal reminders | Calendar, message templates, response tracking | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| Legacy data import | Cleaning and migrating spreadsheets | 20,000 to 45,000 |
| Compliance and security | Role-based access, audit log, backups | 25,000 to 50,000 |
| Management dashboard | KPIs by product, insurer, handler | 20,000 to 45,000 |
| Total | 6,000 policies, 4 insurers | 250,000 to 500,000 |
Add hosting and maintenance at roughly 15 to 20% of the initial budget per year. A realistic timeline is 4 to 6 months including data migration.
Compliance, and the UK comparison
In Morocco, the ACAPS supervises intermediaries and law 09-08 (CNDP) governs personal data: the system needs role-based profiles, a change log, encrypted backups and documented hosting. UK brokers face the same build-or-buy question with established platforms such as Acturis, which bring insurer connectivity and FCA-oriented workflows on a per-user subscription. A custom layer makes sense for UK firms when they need specific commission splits, niche products or a client portal the platform does not cover, usually connected to the core platform rather than replacing it.
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Youssef runs a brokerage in Casablanca with 6,000 policies, 4 insurers and an 80% renewal rate. He invests 380,000 MAD excl. VAT in a custom system, plus 65,000 MAD a year for maintenance. After one year his renewal rate reaches 87%, which means 420 more policies retained. At an average 900 MAD commission, that is 378,000 MAD of extra annual commission, plus 3 days a month saved on statement reconciliation. Payback comes around month fourteen.
FAQ
How much does a custom broker management system cost in 2026?
For a 6,000-policy brokerage with 4 insurers in Casablanca, expect 250,000 to 500,000 MAD excl. VAT depending on modules. Annual maintenance is 15 to 20% of that amount.
Should we buy an off-the-shelf platform instead?
A packaged platform deploys faster, often in 2 to 3 months, but charges per-user licences every year and handles specific commission rules poorly. Custom tends to pay off above 3,000 to 4,000 policies.
Can we connect insurer extranets?
When the insurer offers an export or API, integration takes 2 to 4 weeks per insurer. Otherwise a structured import of monthly statements covers about 90% of the need.
How long does spreadsheet migration take?
For 6,000 policies, allow 3 to 5 weeks of cleaning and import. Duplicates and missing renewal dates often affect 5 to 10% of rows.
Can reminders go out on WhatsApp?
Yes, through the WhatsApp Business API, at a cost of a few cents per message. Response rates often beat email in markets such as Morocco.
Let's scope your project. Send us your policy count, insurers and priority modules, and we will scope the build, indicative budget and go-live timeline. 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.
