The verdict in three sentences
For a workshop of 90 artisans producing under contract for European and US brands, from New York's Garment District to a partner atelier in Rabat, custom production order and leather stock software costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between MAD 200,000 and 450,000 excluding VAT (about USD 20,000 to 45,000), with a timeline of 3 to 5 months. Payback comes first from material: tracking hide consumption per model saves 5 to 8% of leather, the largest cost line in any workshop. The second gain is commercial: reliable lead times per order and traceable quality control, two things brands check during their audits.
What the software must run in a contract workshop
A contract workshop does not sell a catalogue: it executes production orders (POs) sent by brands, with their tech packs, bills of materials and tolerances. Spreadsheets and cutting notebooks stop working once the workshop has more than 30 open POs at the same time. The software connects four flows: receiving POs and tech packs, reserving and cutting hides, progress station by station (cutting, skiving, stitching, assembly, finishing), and quality control before shipping.
| Module | What it does | Indicative share of budget | 2026 range (MAD excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production orders | PO import, bills of materials, batch release | 25% | 50,000 to 112,000 |
| Leather stock | Hides by lot, tannery, colour, area in square feet | 20% | 40,000 to 90,000 |
| Consumption per model | Theoretical vs cut area, variances per cutter | 15% | 30,000 to 68,000 |
| Shop-floor progress | Tablet check-in per station, visible delays | 15% | 30,000 to 68,000 |
| Quality tracking | Defects by type, photos, blocked lots, client reports | 15% | 30,000 to 68,000 |
| Dashboards and exports | Lead time per order, material margin, client exports | 10% | 20,000 to 45,000 |
The low end fits a single-site workshop with one main client and simple bills of materials. The high end covers several brands with different PO formats, automated file exchange with their systems and photo-based quality tracking per piece.
Where the 5 to 8% of saved leather hides
Leather is rarely lost all at once. It leaks in small amounts: a partly used hide that never returns to stock, a cutter who over-consumes on a difficult model, a colour error spotted after cutting, a lining lot ordered twice. The software makes these losses visible by comparing, for each PO, the theoretical area in the bill of materials with the area actually issued from stock.
| Loss source | Without software | What the software changes | Estimated gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offcuts and partly used hides not returned | Wrong theoretical stock, needless repurchases | Mandatory return to stock with remaining area | 1.5 to 2.5% |
| Over-consumption per cutter | Invisible, averaged over the month | Variance per cutter and per model every week | 1 to 2% |
| Colour or lot errors | Detected at assembly | Hide lot check at PO release | 0.5 to 1% |
| Pieces rejected in QC | Recut without analysis | Defects traced by cause, corrective actions | 1 to 1.5% |
| Duplicate purchases | Ordering on estimates | Net requirement calculated from open POs | 1% |
| Realistic total | 5 to 8% |
These figures are estimates: they assume cutters actually record every hide issue. Without data-entry discipline, the software shows variances but does not reduce them. That is why the project includes one tablet per cutting station and an entry screen that takes under 20 seconds.
Project plan and watch points
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop scoping | 2 to 3 weeks | Map of POs, bills of materials, stations |
| Cutting and stock prototype | 4 to 5 weeks | Hide intake and issues on tablet |
| POs and progress | 4 to 6 weeks | Release, station check-in, delays |
| Quality and dashboards | 3 to 4 weeks | Defects, client reports, material margin |
| Pilot and roll-out | 2 to 3 weeks | One pilot client, then the whole workshop |
Three points to settle from day one: each brand's PO format (PDF, Excel or EDI), the hide unit of measure (square feet or square decimetres) and confidentiality between brands, since each brand must only see its own orders in exports.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Youssef runs a 90-artisan leather goods workshop that produces for three European brands and a New York accessories label. He buys about MAD 3,600,000 of leather a year (around USD 360,000). He chooses a full scope at MAD 320,000 excluding VAT (about USD 32,000), delivered in 4 months. With a cautious 5% leather saving, he recovers MAD 180,000 a year. The software pays for itself in just under 22 months on material alone. Adding avoided late-delivery penalties, about MAD 40,000 a year on his orders, payback drops to roughly 17 months.
FAQ
Doesn't a standard ERP do the same thing?
A generic ERP handles POs, but rarely treats the hide as a stock unit with remaining area, defects and tannery lot. Configuring one for leather goods often costs MAD 150,000 (about USD 15,000) or more, without covering consumption per cutter.
How long until it is operational?
Allow 3 to 5 months depending on the number of brands. A first cutting and stock module can run on a pilot client from week 9.
Does every artisan need a tablet?
No. One tablet per cutting station and one per stitching cell is usually enough, meaning 8 to 12 devices for 90 artisans.
Can the software produce the quality reports brands require?
Yes, it is a budgeted module representing about 15% of the total cost. Reports show defects by type, photos and blocked lots, in each client's required format.
What if a client changes its PO format?
Import is built per client, with an editable mapping template. A new format takes a few days of development, priced in the quote.
Let's scope your project. Send us a sample PO and your annual leather volume: we will price the scope between MAD 200,000 and 450,000 excluding VAT (about USD 20,000 to 45,000) with a 3 to 5 month plan. 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.
