The verdict in three sentences
In Douala in 2026, a management dashboard consolidating sales, stock and cash in real time costs between 2,000,000 and 7,000,000 FCFA, over 6 to 10 weeks. The trade-off is between Power BI (subscription BI tool) and a custom build integrated into your processes. By removing 2 to 3 days/month of manual reporting, the project usually pays back in under a year.
What the project covers
The core work is connecting the sources (POS software, stock management, bank, Wave/Orange Money), modeling the indicators and automating refresh. Cost depends on the number of sources and update frequency.
| Scope | Connected sources | 2026 price (FCFA) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales dashboard | 1-2 | 2,000,000 - 3,000,000 | 6 weeks |
| Sales + stock | 2-3 | 3,500,000 - 5,000,000 | 8 weeks |
| Sales + stock + cash | 3-4 | 5,500,000 - 7,000,000 | 8-10 weeks |
| Additional source | +1 | 500,000 - 1,000,000 | +1-2 weeks |
| Real-time refresh | — | 800,000 - 1,500,000 | +2 weeks |
Power BI vs custom
Power BI deploys fast and costs little per user, but depends on standard connectors and a per-seat license. Custom integrates your local sources perfectly (POS, mobile money) with no per-user fee.
| Criterion | Power BI | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 1,000,000 - 2,500,000 FCFA | 2,000,000 - 7,000,000 FCFA |
| License | ~8-10 EUR/month/user | None |
| Local source connection | Connector-dependent | Native (POS, Wave/OM) |
| Visual customization | Standard frame | Total |
| Vendor lock-in | High | Low |
| 3-year TCO, 10 users (order of magnitude) | 4,000,000 - 9,000,000 FCFA | 4,000,000 - 12,000,000 FCFA |
Mini case study
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Emmanuel, head of a distribution SMB in Douala, spends 2.5 days each month manually consolidating sales, stock and cash in spreadsheets, also tying up an assistant. Estimated loaded cost: 250,000 FCFA/month, i.e. 3,000,000 FCFA/year, with figures often outdated by the time they are ready. He invests 4,500,000 FCFA in a real-time custom dashboard, with 120,000 FCFA/month maintenance. Manual reporting disappears: ~230,000 FCFA/month saved, about 2,760,000 FCFA/year, and above all decisions made on fresh data (stock-outs anticipated, cash strain caught in time). Year-1 total cost: 4,500,000 + 1,440,000 = 5,940,000 FCFA; from year 2 only maintenance remains against ~2.76M FCFA of annual gains. Breakeven on productivity alone lands around month 20, earlier once better-informed decisions are counted.
FAQ
How many sources can be connected? Typically 1 to 4 for an SMB (POS, stock, bank, mobile money). Each extra source adds 500,000 to 1,000,000 FCFA and 1 to 2 weeks.
Power BI or custom to start? Power BI fits if your sources have standard connectors and few users. Custom prevails to integrate local POS, Wave/OM or to avoid per-user licensing at scale.
Is the refresh really real-time? It depends on the sources: some sync continuously, others in batches (hourly). We align frequency with your real decision need to control cost.
What concrete time saving? Removing 2 to 3 days/month of manual consolidation, i.e. 24 to 36 days/year, plus the end of copy errors. That is the main ROI driver.
Do teams need training? Yes, half a day to a day is enough for a well-designed dashboard. Reading the indicators must be immediate, without technical expertise.
Let's scope your project. List your sources (POS, stock, bank, Wave/OM) and key indicators for a dashboard priced between 2,000,000 and 7,000,000 FCFA. 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.
