The verdict in three sentences
A WinDev or Delphi application with no dedicated developer is an operational risk, not just an IT topic: the day it breaks, the shop floor stops. The right path in 2026 starts with a reverse-documentation audit at EUR 6,000 to 12,000 excl. VAT, followed by a progressive web rewrite at EUR 60,000 to 160,000 over 6 to 12 months. Public schemes (in the Netherlands, programmes such as the MIT SME innovation scheme and the WBSO R&D tax credit) can ease the upstream study cost, provided you apply before signing.
Why your in-house software has become a risk
In a 120-employee manufacturer around Amsterdam, the internal tool often handles work orders, batch traceability, inventory and sometimes invoicing. It was written between 2005 and 2012 by a single developer, on WinDev 17 or Delphi 7, with an HFSQL or Paradox database. The code is undocumented and the Windows machines running it are ageing.
| Warning sign | What actually happens | 2026 risk level |
|---|---|---|
| Developer gone, no backup person | Nobody can compile or fix it | Critical |
| Local HFSQL or Paradox database | File corruption, no reliable backup | High |
| WinDev licence not renewed | Impossible to ship a new version | High |
| Windows 10 machines out of support | Unpatched vulnerabilities since October 2025 | High |
| On-site access only | No mobile or remote access | Medium |
| Daily manual Excel exports | 1 to 2 hours lost per day per department | Medium |
| No API to the ERP or carrier | Double entry, quantity errors | Medium |
The real cost is not the licence. It is one day of production downtime, which for a 120-person company often means EUR 25,000 to 60,000 in lost margin (2026 estimate, depending on margin and order book).
What a clean exit costs in 2026
The method that works is a module-by-module migration (the "strangler" approach): the new web app takes over one scope, the old tool keeps running for the rest, then you switch. Big-bang cutovers should be avoided in manufacturing.
| Step | Content | 2026 budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit and reverse documentation | Code reading, table mapping, implicit business rules | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Scoping and mock-ups | Workshops with production, quality, sales admin; screen flows | EUR 5,000 to 10,000 | 3 weeks |
| Module 1 (e.g. work orders) | Web rewrite, roles, shop-floor tablet | EUR 20,000 to 45,000 | 2 to 3 months |
| Next modules (inventory, traceability, quality) | Rewrite and integrations | EUR 30,000 to 90,000 | 3 to 6 months |
| Data migration (15 years) | Cleaning, de-duplication, consistency checks | EUR 6,000 to 15,000 | In parallel |
| Training and cutover support | Key users, parallel run | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Total web rewrite | EUR 60,000 to 160,000 | 6 to 12 months |
The range depends mainly on the number of screens actually used (often only 40% of the existing app) and on integrations: ERP, scales, label printers, barcode scanners.
Data migration and available support
Fifteen years of data means duplicate items, closed customers, bills of materials changed without history. Migration is prepared from the audit onwards: extraction to PostgreSQL, control scripts, then sample validation with the quality team.
| Scheme or lever | What it funds | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| WBSO (Dutch R&D tax credit) | Development hours with technical novelty | Wage-tax reduction, subject to eligibility |
| MIT SME innovation scheme | Feasibility and innovation projects | Calls with limited budgets, apply early |
| Regional development agencies | SME digitalisation support | Varies by current programme |
| Capitalising the development | Software booked as an asset | Depreciated over 3 to 5 years |
| Ending WinDev licences | Recurring saving | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 per year |
Check eligibility with your advisor before any commitment: most schemes require that the spending has not yet started.
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Mini case study
Mark, operations director of a 120-employee precision engineering firm near Amsterdam, depends on a 2009 Delphi production tool. Audit: EUR 9,000, revealing that only 38 of 110 screens are actually used. Rewrite in three modules: EUR 95,000 over 9 months, data migration included. Measured gains after cutover: 1.5 hours of Excel exports removed per day across 4 departments, about 1,300 hours a year, valued at EUR 45 loaded cost, so EUR 58,500 per year. Add EUR 2,400 of discontinued licences: the project pays back in under two years, not counting the downtime risk removed.
FAQ
Can we keep WinDev and just hire a developer?
It works short term, but senior WinDev profiles are scarce and charge EUR 450 to 600 a day in 2026. You stay dependent on one vendor and one person, which does not remove the risk.
How long do the old and new tools run side by side?
Plan for 2 to 4 weeks of parallel running per module. On a 9-month project, the old software therefore remains partly active until the last cutover.
What if the source code is lost?
The audit then starts from the database and from observing the screens. The audit budget moves to the top of the range, around EUR 10,000 to 12,000.
Will the web app work without internet on the shop floor?
Yes, a progressive web app can cache the day's work orders and sync later. This offline mode usually adds 10 to 15% to the budget of the module concerned.
Who owns the new code?
Require a contractual assignment of rights and code stored in your own Git repository. It is the best protection against recreating in 2036 the dependency you are leaving today.
Let's scope your project. Send us the list of modules in your current software and your target cutover date: we will price the audit, the module-by-module rewrite and the data migration. 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.
