The verdict in three sentences
For a group with 1,100 workstations across 6 sites (a London head office and regional or overseas subsidiaries, including sites in Kinshasa or Lubumbashi), a custom IT asset management and helpdesk app costs between USD 25,000 and 45,000 in 2026. A well-configured open-source GLPI costs USD 8,000 to 15,000 and covers 70 to 80% of standard needs. Custom software is justified when the IT director needs a reliable low-bandwidth mode for remote sites, integrations with payroll or ERP, and SLAs that differ by subsidiary.
The hidden cost of spreadsheets
An IT director managing 1,100 workstations, 300 printers and network devices, 450 phones and licences in shared Excel files pays an invisible bill: lost hardware, duplicate licences, untracked incidents.
| Observed issue (2026 order of magnitude) | Estimated annual impact |
|---|---|
| Laptops not found at stocktake (3 to 5% of estate) | 33 to 55 devices, USD 26,000 to 44,000 |
| Software licences not reassigned after leavers | USD 6,000 to 12,000 |
| Technician time spent hunting incident history | 1,200 to 1,800 hours, USD 9,000 to 14,000 |
| Expired manufacturer warranties not used | USD 4,000 to 8,000 |
| Blocking incidents with no tracked resolution time | Unquantified lost output, business complaints |
| Internal or external audit with no inventory evidence | Possible qualification on fixed assets |
The total commonly exceeds USD 45,000 a year, the top of the custom app range.
Configured GLPI or custom application
| Criterion | Configured open-source GLPI | Custom application |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront budget | USD 8,000 to 15,000 | USD 25,000 to 45,000 |
| Time to go live | 4 to 8 weeks | 12 to 20 weeks |
| Automatic inventory (agent) | Yes, native GLPI agent | Yes, agent or import from Intune or OCS |
| Tickets with SLAs | Yes, standard configuration | Yes, per subsidiary, severity and site |
| Low-bandwidth and offline mode | Limited, heavy interface | Light interface, offline entry and sync |
| Payroll, ERP, directory integration | Plugins, sometimes unstable | Dedicated APIs, Active Directory, ERP |
| Annual maintenance | USD 2,000 to 4,000 | USD 4,000 to 7,000 |
| Business adaptability | Depends on plugins | Full, to your rules |
The sensible first step is a 2-week gap analysis (USD 2,000 to 3,000) listing where GLPI diverges from your processes. If under 20% of needs fall outside the standard, GLPI is enough.
Scope of a custom application
A typical USD 35,000 project includes inventory and assignments (who holds which device, with e-signature at handover), the hardware lifecycle (purchase, warranty, repair, disposal), the helpdesk with tickets, categories and SLAs (for example 4 hours for a blocking incident at head office, 24 hours at a remote site), a knowledge base, dashboards per site and per technician, and a mobile-friendly user portal.
Hosting is the second trade-off: an on-premise server (USD 300 to 700 a month) keeps data in-country but depends on power and redundancy; European cloud (USD 150 to 400 a month) offers better availability but adds 120 to 180 ms latency from distant sites. An optimised interface under 300 KB per page remains usable on a 512 kbit/s link.
Mini case study
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Mr Kabongo, IT director of a 1,100-workstation group, loses about 40 untraced devices (USD 32,000) and 1,500 technician hours (USD 11,000) every year. He chooses a custom app at USD 36,000, plus USD 5,500 maintenance and USD 4,800 hosting a year. Target: cut losses by 75% and wasted time by 60%. Annual gain: 24,000 + 6,600 = USD 30,600, minus USD 10,300 running costs, so USD 20,300 net a year. Payback: about 21 months, not counting the removal of the audit qualification on fixed assets.
FAQ
Isn't GLPI enough for 1,100 workstations?
Often yes, if your processes are standard: GLPI runs estates of 10,000 devices. Custom software is justified when 20% or more of your needs (low bandwidth, per-subsidiary SLAs, integrations) fall outside the standard.
How do you inventory remote sites on weak connections?
A lightweight agent collects inventory locally and sends it in packets under 50 KB when the link is up. Technicians can also scan QR asset tags offline.
Where should the app be hosted?
It depends on group policy and data rules (UK GDPR in London). On-premise hosting costs USD 300 to 700 a month and needs an off-site backup; cloud costs USD 150 to 400.
How many technicians need training?
For 1,100 workstations, a team of 6 to 9 technicians is typical. Training takes 1 to 2 days, plus half a day for each site's key users.
Can existing spreadsheet data be migrated?
Yes, a cleaned import is part of the project, usually 3 to 5 days of work, with a report on duplicates and missing serial numbers.
Let's scope your project. Send us your estate size, sites and current tools: we will compare configured GLPI and a custom app, between USD 8,000 and 45,000, with 4 to 20 weeks of delivery. 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.
