The verdict in three sentences
Custom inventory software for a distributor costs between FCFA 4,000,000 and 12,000,000 (EUR 6,100-18,300) in Dakar in 2026, with a 3 to 5 month timeline. The decisive blocks: multi-warehouse, threshold and expiry alerts, and barcodes to make stock movements reliable. Return on investment comes from fewer stockouts (lost sales) and clearing dead stock that ties up cash.
Budget by scope
Price depends on the number of warehouses, SKU volume and the level of automation. 2026 orders of magnitude for a Senegalese distributor.
| Scope | Key features | Price 2026 (FCFA) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 1 warehouse + in/out + alerts | 4,000,000 - 6,000,000 | 3 months |
| Multi-warehouse | + transfers + barcodes + stocktake | 6,500,000 - 9,000,000 | 4 months |
| Complete | + expiry/batches + auto reorder + stats | 9,500,000 - 12,000,000 | 5 months |
| Mobile scan app | handheld/smartphone scan | +1,500,000 - 3,000,000 | +3-5 wks |
| Annual maintenance | hosting, fixes, enhancements | 15-18% of project/yr | ongoing |
Batch and expiry-date management is essential for food and pharma: it avoids dead losses on expired products.
Custom vs generic solution
Generic ERPs (Odoo, Sage) are powerful but heavy to configure and charged per user; custom fits the distributor's processes.
| Criterion | Generic ERP | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 2,000,000 - 5,000,000 FCFA | 4,000,000 - 12,000,000 FCFA |
| Monthly cost (10 users) | 150,000 - 400,000 FCFA | hosting ~60,000 FCFA |
| Process fit | medium | full |
| Wave/OM payment | third-party module | native possible |
| Data ownership | vendor-dependent | yours |
| Scalability | dependent | free |
For a distributor with specific processes (rounds, relay depots, customer credit), custom avoids bending the organisation to fit a rigid tool.
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Mini case study
Mamadou, manager of a food products distributor across 3 warehouses in Dakar, was losing about 8% of revenue to stockouts and regularly discarding expired batches. His annual revenue: FCFA 480,000,000. After custom software at FCFA 8,500,000 with alerts, barcodes and batch management, stockouts fall from 8% to 2.5%, i.e. about +FCFA 26,000,000 recovered sales/year, and dead stock drops by FCFA 18,000,000. The investment pays back in under 5 months, freed cash included.
FAQ
How much is the starter version? An essential tool for one warehouse with in/out and alerts costs between FCFA 4,000,000 and 6,000,000, deliverable in 3 months. It is a solid base before adding multi-warehouse.
Can we manage several warehouses and transfers? Yes, the multi-warehouse tier handles inter-site transfers, cycle counts and consolidated visibility. Budget from FCFA 6,500,000.
Are barcodes really useful? Yes: they make stock movements reliable and speed up stocktakes. A smartphone scan app is often enough, for FCFA 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 more.
How do we actually reduce stockouts? With alert thresholds and automatic reordering based on sales history. Equipped distributors often see their stockout rate halved or cut to a third.
Can we integrate Wave or Orange Money? Yes, if you collect payments from customers directly in the tool. Wave/OM integration plugs into orders and settlements without a rebuild.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of warehouses, your SKU volume and your needs (batches, barcodes, reordering), and we will frame scope and 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.
