The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, an internal business platform (workflows, approvals, dashboards, roles) starts at 25,000-45,000 EUR for an MVP delivered in 8 to 12 weeks, and reaches 60,000-140,000 EUR fully built. The ROI comes from hours saved: 2 to 4 FTEs freed from manual entry, i.e. 80,000 to 160,000 EUR/year. A saturated no-code becomes a debt: past a certain volume, it costs more to maintain than custom code.
Cost per module of a business platform
Budget is built brick by brick. Here are 2026 orders of magnitude at a French day rate of 450 to 650 EUR.
| Module | What it does | 2026 budget (EUR) | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core (auth, roles, UI) | Accounts, permissions, navigation | 8,000 - 15,000 | 15 - 25 d |
| Workflows & approvals | Multi-level approval circuits | 10,000 - 25,000 | 18 - 40 d |
| Dashboards | Real-time KPIs, exports | 6,000 - 18,000 | 10 - 30 d |
| Document management | Upload, versions, search | 5,000 - 14,000 | 9 - 22 d |
| Integrations (ERP, HRIS, API) | Data synchronization | 6,000 - 20,000 | 10 - 32 d |
| Notifications & reminders | Email, SMS, auto reminders | 3,000 - 9,000 | 5 - 14 d |
An MVP at 25,000-45,000 EUR typically covers the core, one key workflow and a dashboard. The full version adds integrations and document management.
ROI in hours saved
The real justification for an internal platform is the admin time removed. Each FTE freed from repetitive entry is worth about 40,000 EUR/year fully loaded.
| Scenario | FTEs freed | Value/year (40,000 EUR/FTE) | Payback on 80,000 EUR build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partial digitalization | 1.5 | 60,000 EUR | 16 months |
| Broad digitalization | 3 | 120,000 EUR | 8 months |
| Critical digitalization | 4 | 160,000 EUR | 6 months |
With 2 to 4 FTEs freed, an 80,000 EUR platform pays back in 6 to 16 months, after which the gain is net every year.
Saturated no-code vs custom code
A no-code tool (Airtable, Notion, Bubble) is excellent to start. But as volume, business rules or integrations grow, it gets slow, license-heavy and hard to evolve.
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| Criterion | Saturated no-code | Custom code |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 - 5,000 EUR | 25,000 - 45,000 EUR |
| Licenses (20 users) | 4,000 - 12,000 EUR/year | Hosting 60-250 EUR/month |
| Performance at high volume | Degraded | Controlled |
| Complex business rules | Fragile workarounds | Native |
| Maintenance | Vendor lock-in | 15 - 20 % of build/year |
The switch happens when no-code licenses exceed 8,000-12,000 EUR/year or workarounds become unmanageable.
Mini case study
Helene, operations director of an industrial-maintenance SME in Toulouse (140 staff), ran her field interventions on 7 shared Excel files, with re-entry and billing errors. Kolonell prices an MVP at 38,000 EUR (core, intervention workflow, scheduling dashboard) delivered in 10 weeks, then a V2 at 34,000 EUR. The platform frees 2.5 FTEs from entry and follow-ups, i.e. 100,000 EUR/year. On a total build of 72,000 EUR plus 12,000 EUR/year of maintenance, payback lands in about 10 months, and billing errors drop 30 %.
FAQ
What does a business-platform MVP cost in Toulouse? From 25,000 to 45,000 EUR, delivered in 8-12 weeks. It covers the core (auth, roles), one key workflow and a dashboard; integrations and document management come in V2.
How do I calculate ROI? By valuing the FTEs freed from manual entry: each FTE is worth about 40,000 EUR/year fully loaded. With 2 to 4 FTEs saved, an 80,000 EUR platform pays back in 6 to 16 months.
No-code or custom? No-code is perfect to start but becomes a debt when licenses exceed 8,000-12,000 EUR/year or volume degrades performance. Custom then takes over.
What maintenance budget? Maintenance of 15 to 20 % of the build per year, i.e. 12,000 to 14,000 EUR for a 72,000 EUR platform. It covers fixes, workflow evolutions and version upgrades.
Can it be delivered in stages? Yes, and it's recommended. Start with an MVP focused on a high-impact workflow, measure ROI, then add modules by sprints, spreading the investment.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your most time-consuming processes and current tools: we'll frame a Toulouse MVP between 25,000 and 45,000 EUR, extensible thereafter. 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.
