The verdict in three sentences
A business tool on MS Access or Excel VBA that depends on a single person is an operational risk, not a saving: corrupted files, no remote access, no audit trail. Migrating to a web application with a PostgreSQL database and role-based access costs 5 to 15 million FCFA excl. VAT (about 7,600 to 22,900 EUR) depending on data model size (10 to 60 tables) and ships in 8 to 14 weeks, data migration included. An off-the-shelf ERP only makes sense if your processes are standard and you accept adapting them to the software.
Three options for a critical tool
The CFO or operations director of an SME, whether in Dakar, Europe or North America, weighs three scenarios. 2026 orders of magnitude, priced here for Senegal.
| Criterion | Keep Access or VBA | Migrate to a web application | Off-the-shelf ERP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 FCFA | 5 to 15 million FCFA excl. VAT | 8 to 40 million FCFA (licences, integration) |
| Annual cost | Key person's time, ad hoc fixes | 900,000 to 2,400,000 FCFA (hosting, maintenance) | 15 to 25% of upfront cost in licences and support |
| Remote and mobile access | No, or fragile remote desktop | Yes, browser and smartphone | Yes |
| Concurrent users | 5 to 10 before slowdowns and corruption | 50 to 500 without difficulty | Depends on licences bought |
| Role-based access and history | Weak or none | Yes, full change log | Yes |
| Fit with current processes | Total | Total, with improvements | Partial, processes must adapt |
| Timeline | Immediate | 8 to 14 weeks | 4 to 12 months |
The real cost of staying put shows up the day the key person leaves or falls ill, or when a power cut corrupts the file in the middle of month-end closing. One day without invoicing for a company billing 40 million FCFA a month means nearly 2 million FCFA of delayed revenue and customer follow-ups.
Migration cost by tool size
Budget depends mainly on the number of tables, forms and printed reports, and on the quality of the data to migrate.
| Tool size | Example | 2026 budget (FCFA excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 to 15 tables, 10 forms | Client case tracking, small inventory | 5,000,000 to 7,000,000 | 8 weeks |
| 15 to 30 tables, 20 forms | Invoicing with customers, items, payments | 7,000,000 to 10,000,000 | 10 weeks |
| 30 to 45 tables, 30 forms and reports | Multi-warehouse inventory, purchasing, sales | 10,000,000 to 13,000,000 | 12 weeks |
| 45 to 60 tables, complex VBA macros | Freight forwarding, customs files, invoicing | 13,000,000 to 15,000,000 | 14 weeks |
| Option: field mobile app | Stock counts, deliveries, photos | + 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 | + 3 weeks |
| Option: accounting interface (Sage, FEC or SYSCOHADA export) | Automatic journal entries | + 800,000 to 2,000,000 | + 2 weeks |
Data migration often accounts for 15 to 20% of the budget: deduplicating customers, fixing dates, reconciling balances. It runs in two passes, a dry run for verification, then the final cutover over a weekend.
How the project runs
The project follows four steps. First a 1 to 2 week audit of the existing file: tables, queries, macros, reports, and an interview with the person who maintains the tool. Then development in 2 week iterations, with a user demo at the end of each. Then data migration and acceptance testing in parallel with the old tool for 1 to 2 weeks. Finally training: 2 to 3 half-days per profile (data entry, approval, management), with a user guide.
Mini case study
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Mr Ndiaye is CFO of a freight forwarding company in Dakar handling 2,400 files a year on a 48-table Access database written twelve years ago. A single person maintains it, and two file corruptions in 2025 cost 6 days of re-entry for 4 agents, i.e. 24 days at 35,000 FCFA, 840,000 FCFA, plus 2.5 million FCFA of storage penalties caused by delays. The chosen migration costs 13.5 million FCFA excl. VAT with 1.8 million FCFA of annual maintenance. Agents now enter data from the port on their smartphones, saving 45 minutes per file, i.e. 1,800 hours a year valued at 4,375 FCFA per hour: 7.9 million FCFA. Estimated net annual gain: 7.9 + 3.34 − 1.8 = 9.4 million FCFA, payback in about 17 months.
FAQ
Can we keep Excel for analysis after migrating?
Yes, the app exports every list to Excel or CSV, and a connector can feed Power BI or Google Sheets. Allow 300,000 to 800,000 FCFA for automatic scheduled exports.
Does the app work during internet outages?
The app is hosted in a data centre, so it stays available even if your office loses its connection. Users switch to their smartphone's 4G; a page weighs under 200 KB on average.
What happens to our printed reports and invoices?
They are rebuilt identically or modernised, as PDFs with your branding, legal mentions, tax ID and continuous numbering. A complex report costs 150,000 to 350,000 FCFA on average.
Why PostgreSQL rather than SQL Server?
PostgreSQL is free, robust and widely known, which avoids 1 to 3 million FCFA of licences per server. If your IT department requires SQL Server, migration remains possible at the same development rate.
How is the project paid?
In FCFA or EUR, in three instalments (30% at kickoff, 40% at acceptance, 30% after cutover), by bank transfer or by Wave and Orange Money for deposits.
Let's scope your project. Send us your Access or Excel file (or a screenshot of its tables) and the number of users: we will price the migration between 5 and 15 million FCFA excl. VAT, delivered in 8 to 14 weeks. 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.
