The verdict in three sentences
A holding company that consolidates 9 Excel files in 6 days every month makes its decisions on figures that are already three weeks old. A custom consolidated reporting app, between 350,000 and 800,000 MAD excl. VAT (about 32,000 to 74,000 EUR, or 35,000 to 80,000 USD), connects directly to the subsidiaries' 3 ERPs, computes group KPIs and alerts management as soon as a threshold is crossed. After a 4 to 6 month project, the monthly close drops, as a 2026 order of magnitude, from 6 days to 2 days, and the CFO gets time back for analysis. Our benchmark case is a Casablanca holding; a group headquartered in Dubai will find the same scope with EUR and USD equivalents.
The real cost of consolidating in Excel
In a typical diversified holding (distribution, real estate, industry, services), each subsidiary sends its own file with its own structure, account labels and manual adjustments. The head office finance team spends the first week of the month copying, adjusting, checking intercompany flows and fixing formula errors.
| Item | Current Excel situation | With the app | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly close duration | 6 working days | 2 working days | -4 days |
| Head office staff involved | 3 controllers | 1 to 2 controllers | -1 to 2 FTE over the period |
| Files to reconcile | 9 per month | 0, automatic extraction | -9 |
| Dashboard availability | Day 21 | Day 5 | -16 days |
| Intercompany eliminations | Manual | Configured rules | Fewer errors |
| History and audit trail | Scattered file versions | Log of every adjustment | Full traceability |
With a team of 3 controllers at roughly 25,000 MAD (about 2,300 EUR) fully loaded monthly cost each, 4 days saved per month represent about 13,600 MAD a month, or about 163,000 MAD (15,100 EUR) a year, before counting the value of decisions made two weeks earlier.
2026 scopes and prices
The core includes a group chart of accounts with a mapping table per subsidiary, ERP connectors (for example Sage, Odoo and an older SQL-based ERP), a consolidation engine with intercompany eliminations and a dashboard per subsidiary and for the group.
| Scope | Content | 2026 budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Trial balance import, group chart of accounts, dashboards | 350,000 to 450,000 MAD (32,400 to 41,700 EUR) | 4 months |
| Standard | Essential + direct connectors to the 3 ERPs, intercompany eliminations | 450,000 to 600,000 MAD (41,700 to 55,600 EUR) | 4 to 5 months |
| Steering | Standard + budget and forecasts, KPI alerts | 600,000 to 700,000 MAD (55,600 to 64,800 EUR) | 5 months |
| Full group | Steering + validation workflow per subsidiary, board reports | 700,000 to 800,000 MAD (64,800 to 74,100 EUR) | 5 to 6 months |
| Additional subsidiary | Mapping and tests on an ERP already covered | On quote | 1 to 2 weeks |
The factor that moves the price most is source data quality. A subsidiary with a clean chart of accounts connects in a few days; one that books entries to suspense accounts needs a clean-up first.
The KPIs and alerts that change management
| KPI | Frequency | Example alert |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue per subsidiary | Weekly | Variance of more than 10% vs budget |
| Consolidated gross margin | Monthly | Drop of more than 2 points over 3 months |
| Working capital requirement | Monthly | Customer payment terms beyond 90 days |
| Group cash | Daily | A subsidiary's balance below a set threshold |
| Unreconciled intercompany flows | Monthly | Gap above 50,000 MAD (about 4,600 EUR) |
| Debt per subsidiary | Quarterly | Debt / EBITDA ratio above 3 |
Alerts are sent by email or in the app to the CFO and the subsidiary directors concerned. They replace discovering a problem at the quarterly review.
Mini case study
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Nadia, CFO of a 9-subsidiary holding in Casablanca (distribution, construction, real estate), chooses the Steering scope at 650,000 MAD excl. VAT (about 60,200 EUR). Her 3 controllers save 4 days a month, about 163,000 MAD a year of freed time. She also avoids hiring a controller planned to absorb two new subsidiaries, about 300,000 MAD of annual loaded cost. Estimated gain: 463,000 MAD (about 42,900 EUR) a year, payback in roughly 17 months, before even pricing the effect of alerts on working capital.
FAQ
Do subsidiaries' ERPs need to be harmonised first?
No, the app connects to the ERPs as they are, with one mapping table per subsidiary. Harmonising 3 ERPs would cost several times the 350,000 to 800,000 MAD (32,000 to 74,000 EUR) reporting budget.
Does the consolidation follow local accounting standards?
The app applies the rules defined with your CFO and statutory auditor: scope, consolidation method, eliminations. It produces management reports; the regulatory consolidated statements remain validated by your experts.
How long does it take to connect an ERP?
Allow 2 to 4 weeks per ERP for the connector, mapping and reconciliation tests. An extra subsidiary on an ERP already covered takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Who sees what in the app?
Rights are role-based: a subsidiary director only sees their subsidiary, the CFO and executive management see the group. Every adjustment is logged with its author and date.
Can we keep Excel for some analyses?
Yes, every view exports to Excel. The difference is that the source is single and validated, instead of 9 files adjusted by hand.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of subsidiaries, the ERPs in use and your priority KPIs: we will price a scope between 350,000 and 800,000 MAD excl. VAT (32,000 to 74,000 EUR) with 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.
