The verdict in three sentences
For a 9-practice dental group in London where each site runs its own practice management system, a custom reporting layer costs GBP 35,000 to 70,000 in 2026, without replacing existing software. It consolidates revenue per clinician, treatment plan acceptance rate and chair utilisation in a single dashboard. Hosting must meet NHS DSPT and UK GDPR expectations for health data (GBP 250 to 800 a month) and the project takes 4 to 6 months, with most of the risk in data extraction.
Why not switch practice software
Moving 9 practices onto a single system (such as Dentally, SOE Exact or Pearl) is often the first idea. It is expensive in training, disrupts each site for several days and risks losing history. A reporting layer reads the data where it already lives.
| Option | Indicative 2026 cost | Timeline | Disruption to practices | Consolidation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual monthly Excel exports | Half-time analyst, GBP 22,000/year | Immediate | Low | Monthly, error-prone |
| Migration to a single system | GBP 50,000 to 130,000 + training | 9 to 18 months | High | Native |
| Standard BI (Power BI) without connectors | GBP 13,000 to 26,000 | 2 to 3 months | Low | Partial, re-keying |
| Custom reporting layer | GBP 35,000 to 70,000 | 4 to 6 months | Low | Daily, automated |
Custom makes sense when software differs between sites (common after acquisitions) and when management wants group-specific KPIs, including the NHS and private mix.
What the reporting layer contains and what it costs
| Building block | Content | Indicative budget |
|---|---|---|
| Practice software connectors | Daily extraction via API, scheduled export or database | GBP 10,500 to 22,000 |
| Normalised data warehouse | Common model for treatments, clinicians, plans, appointments | GBP 7,000 to 13,000 |
| Management dashboards | Revenue by site and clinician, NHS UDA vs private, trends | GBP 6,000 to 12,000 |
| Treatment plan tracking | Acceptance rate, time to sign, follow-ups | GBP 4,500 to 9,000 |
| Utilisation and diary | Chair utilisation, failed appointments | GBP 3,500 to 7,000 |
| Security and access rights | Board, practice manager, clinician profiles, audit logging | GBP 3,500 to 7,000 |
| Total | GBP 35,000 to 70,000 | |
| Health-grade hosting (monthly) | UK region, Cyber Essentials Plus, backups, monitoring | GBP 250 to 800/month |
Health data requires a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) under UK GDPR and alignment with the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit for NHS-contracted practices. Pseudonymising patients in the warehouse sharply reduces risk, since management KPIs do not need identities.
The KPIs that change decisions
| KPI | Typical untracked value | Target after rollout |
|---|---|---|
| Private treatment plan acceptance (crowns, implants) | 45 to 55 % | 60 to 65 % |
| Chair utilisation | 70 to 75 % | 82 to 85 % |
| Failed appointments | 6 to 9 % | 3 to 4 % |
| Time from plan to signature | 20 to 30 days | 10 to 14 days |
| Revenue gap between comparable clinicians | Not measured | Measured and explained |
Mini case study
James, operations director of a 9-practice dental group in London (GBP 12 million revenue), launches a GBP 54,000 project plus GBP 500 a month of hosting. Private treatment plans issued total GBP 4.8 million a year. If structured follow-ups lift acceptance from 50 to 55 %, extra revenue reaches GBP 240,000. At a cautious 25 % contribution margin, the gain is GBP 60,000 a year, paying back the project and first-year hosting in just over 12 months.
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FAQ
Can our practice management systems export data?
Most offer an API, scheduled exports or database access, sometimes via a paid add-on at GBP 40 to 170 per month per site. A 3 to 5 day audit at kickoff confirms it.
Is health-grade hosting really needed for a dashboard?
As soon as the warehouse holds identifiable patient data, yes. With strict pseudonymisation the requirement is lighter, but most groups choose a compliant UK setup anyway for GBP 250 to 800 a month.
Will clinicians see their colleagues' figures?
Access is set by profile: each clinician sees their own KPIs, practice managers their site, the board everything. This is included in the security block.
How soon will we see the first dashboards?
A pilot practice is usually connected in 8 to 10 weeks, then 1 to 2 practices a week depending on software. The full project takes 4 to 6 months.
What does maintenance cost?
Allow 15 to 20 % of the initial budget per year, GBP 5,000 to 14,000, to keep up with practice software updates and evolve KPIs.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of practices, the systems in use and your priority KPIs: we will price a reporting layer between GBP 35,000 and 70,000 with compliant hosting and a 4 to 6 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.
