The verdict in three sentences
A CFO of a New York SME who automates invoicing and dunning recovers on average 12 days of DSO and 30 hours per month of manual chasing. A collections SaaS (LeanPay, Dunforce) costs 90 to 250 EUR/month and deploys in days; a custom automation wired to the ERP costs 15,000 to 40,000 EUR but removes 100% of double entry. ROI lands between 8 and 14 months, driven by a recovery rate improved by 18%.
Dunning SaaS or custom automation: the 2026 comparison
SaaS fits standard volumes; custom becomes necessary as soon as your ERP, payment schedules and reconciliation are specific.
| Criterion | Dunning SaaS | Custom automation |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 1,500 EUR (setup) | 15,000 to 40,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost | 90 to 250 EUR/month | 60 to 150 EUR/month (hosting + maintenance) |
| Time to launch | 3 to 10 days | 6 to 10 weeks |
| ERP/accounting link | Standard connectors | Custom bidirectional |
| Automatic reconciliation | Partial | Full and tailored |
| Dunning scenarios | Preset templates | Unlimited, per client segment |
| Code ownership | No (subscription) | Yes |
What automation changes in your metrics
The gains are not theoretical: they show up in DSO, admin time and recovery rate.
| Metric | Before automation | After (2026 estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Average DSO | 52 days | 40 days |
| Manual dunning time | 30 h/month | 4 h/month |
| Recovery rate at 60 days | 71% | 89% |
| Reconciliation errors | 8% of entries | under 2% |
| Invoice issuance delay | 3 days | real time |
| Processing cost/invoice | 11 EUR | 3.50 EUR |
Mini case study
Claire, CFO of a 45-employee industrial SME in New York, issues 320 invoices per month with a 52-day DSO and an average receivable of 480,000 EUR. She invests 28,000 EUR in a custom automation wired to her ERP. Result: DSO cut to 40 days, meaning 12 days of receivables freed (around 92,000 EUR of cash recovered) and 26 h/month saved, valued at 1,100 EUR/month. With the recovery rate moving from 71% to 89%, bad debt drops by 14,000 EUR/year. The project pays back in 11 months.
FAQ
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How much does automated dunning software cost in 2026?
A collections SaaS ranges from 90 to 250 EUR/month depending on the number of invoices and customer accounts managed. Initial setup is often free or capped at 1,500 EUR.
What budget for a custom ERP-connected automation?
Expect 15,000 to 40,000 EUR for a project including a bidirectional connector, dunning engine and automatic reconciliation. Typical lead time is 6 to 10 weeks.
How much can DSO be reduced?
Completed projects cut DSO by 10 to 15 days, roughly 12 days on average. On a 480,000 EUR receivable base, that frees nearly 92,000 EUR of cash.
Is automatic reconciliation reliable?
With a well-configured connector, reconciliation error rate falls under 2%, versus 8% with manual entry. Ambiguous cases are flagged for human review.
How long until the project pays back?
Between 8 and 14 months depending on your invoice volume and receivables. The higher the starting DSO, the faster the return.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your invoice volume, your ERP and your current DSO: we'll price the right automation, from connector to dunning engine. 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.
