The verdict in three sentences
A group of 7 subsidiaries running 3 different ERPs that consolidates its figures in Excel on day 15 can bring its monthly close down to day 5 with a finance dashboard. The Power BI route costs EUR 8,000 to 25,000 excl. VAT of modelling (about USD 9,000 to 28,000), plus about USD 14 per user per month and a lightweight data warehouse at EUR 100 to 400 a month. A custom web dashboard, at EUR 20,000 to 45,000, makes sense when the cockpit must be opened to subsidiary heads, banks or shareholders with fine-grained access rules.
Why Excel consolidation is so expensive
In a mid-sized group, each subsidiary exports its trial balance, revenue and cash from its own ERP. The group controller remaps charts of accounts, eliminates intercompany flows and rebuilds KPIs by hand. The work takes 6 to 10 days a month and management steers with two-week-old numbers. The finance dashboard automates three steps: extraction from the 3 ERPs, the account mapping table and KPI calculation.
| Option | Initial cost (excl. VAT) | 2026 recurring cost | Timeline | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improved Excel with Power Query | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 | EUR 0 | 3 to 4 weeks | Group of 2 or 3 entities, one ERP |
| Power BI on scheduled exports | EUR 8,000 to 15,000 | USD 14 per user per month | 6 to 8 weeks | Finance and leadership, 10 to 20 viewers |
| Power BI with lightweight data warehouse | EUR 15,000 to 25,000 | USD 14 per user + EUR 100 to 400 per month | 8 to 12 weeks | 7 entities, 3 ERPs, 3 years of history |
| Custom web dashboard | EUR 20,000 to 45,000 | EUR 300 to 800 per month hosting and maintenance | 10 to 16 weeks | Subsidiary, bank, shareholder access |
| Statutory consolidation software | EUR 30,000 to 80,000 | EUR 15,000 to 40,000 per year | 4 to 6 months | Audited consolidated accounts, IFRS |
The finance dashboard does not replace the auditor-facing statutory consolidation: it serves monthly and daily steering.
The 15 KPIs to refresh every day
A good cockpit sticks to about fifteen KPIs, refreshed every night, with a group view and a per-entity view.
| Family | KPIs | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Activity | Daily and cumulative revenue, order backlog, average basket | Sales ERPs |
| Margin | Gross margin per entity, margin per product family | ERP and cost accounting |
| Cash | Consolidated bank position, 13-week forecast | Bank statements and ERP |
| Collections | DSO, aged receivables, debts over 90 days | Receivables ledger |
| Suppliers | DPO, payments due this week | Payables ledger |
| Costs | Payroll, overheads vs budget | Payroll and accounting |
| Intercompany | Flows to eliminate, mismatched reciprocal balances | The 3 ERPs |
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Mini case study
Catherine, CFO of an industrial and services group of 7 subsidiaries (EUR 52 million in revenue), currently closes on day 15 with two controllers spending 8 days each per month on it. She chooses Power BI with a lightweight data warehouse: EUR 21,000 excl. VAT of project, 18 users at USD 14 a month (about EUR 2,800 a year) and EUR 250 a month of warehouse (EUR 3,000 a year). The close moves to day 5 and the controllers' time drops to 3 days each, freeing 10 days a month. At EUR 450 per loaded day, the gain reaches EUR 54,000 a year, and the project pays back in 5 months.
FAQ
Is Power BI enough for a group of 7 subsidiaries? Yes for steering, provided you add a data warehouse that harmonises the 3 charts of accounts. Without that layer, reports become fragile whenever a subsidiary changes its setup, with 2 to 3 days of fixing per incident.
How much does Power BI cost per user in 2026? The Pro licence costs about USD 14 per user per month, Premium Per User about USD 24. For 18 Pro users, the annual budget is around USD 3,000.
Can we really go from day 15 to day 5? It is a realistic target when subsidiaries close their books by day 3 and the account mapping table is stable. Groups that get there automate 80 to 90% of adjustments.
When should we choose a custom dashboard? When more than 30 external or subsidiary users need access, or when you want to enter forecasts and comments in the tool. The EUR 20,000 to 45,000 cost then avoids a licence for every viewer.
Does the data stay in our region? Yes, the warehouse and Power BI can be hosted in a European or Canadian region. The extra cost is zero or under 10% depending on the host.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of subsidiaries, your ERPs and your current close timeline: we will price a Power BI or custom scenario between EUR 8,000 and 45,000 excl. VAT, with a 6 to 16-week 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.
