The verdict in three sentences
A Toronto distribution group with 4 subsidiaries and 3 different ERPs that gets its operations and sales figures 15 days late is steering by the rear-view mirror. Two routes exist in 2026: Power BI Pro at about CAD 19.60 per user per month plus integration of CAD 50,000 to 95,000, or a custom web dashboard at CAD 80,000 to 145,000, both built on a consolidated data warehouse refreshed daily. The project ships in 3 months and the choice depends mainly on user count and field usage.
Where the 15-day delay comes from
In a group combining a food processing plant, a packaging unit, an animal feed mill and a distribution company, each subsidiary runs its own system: Sage for one, NetSuite for another, spreadsheets and a weighbridge application for the third. Every month end, financial controllers export, convert units (tonnes, pallets, cases, 50 lb bags), fix product codes, then send a consolidated file to head office in Toronto.
Result: the CEO discovers a yield drop or slow-moving inventory when it is too late to act, while seasonal peaks only last a few months.
| Indicator | Current situation | After consolidation |
|---|---|---|
| Time to figures | 15 days after month end | D+1, daily refresh |
| Data sources | 3 ERPs, Excel, weighbridge software | Single data warehouse |
| Manual consolidation time | 6 to 8 person-days per month | Under 1 day of checks |
| Tracked indicators | Sales and revenue | Production, yield, inventory, margins, receivables |
| Mobile access | None | Dashboard on smartphone |
| Perceived reliability | Disputed in committee | Single shared source |
Power BI or custom dashboard: the numbers
In both cases, 60 to 70% of the effort goes into the same building block: connectors to the 3 ERPs and a data warehouse (PostgreSQL or Azure SQL) with a shared product and entity master. The difference lies in the presentation layer.
| Criterion | Power BI Pro + integration | Custom web dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up cost | CAD 50,000 to 95,000 | CAD 80,000 to 145,000 |
| Licences for 25 users | About CAD 19.60 per user per month, around CAD 5,900 per year | No licence |
| Hosting and maintenance | CAD 800 to 1,600 per month | CAD 1,600 to 3,200 per month |
| Offline and weak network use | Limited | Possible, lightweight pages |
| Field data entry (weights, yields) | Not built in | Integrated forms |
| Interface customisation | Constrained by the tool | Full, in group branding |
| Analyst autonomy | High, self-service reports | Depends on commissioned changes |
| Timeline | 10 to 12 weeks | 12 to 14 weeks |
Power BI fits a head office with a few trained analysts and stable connectivity. Custom wins when plant and warehouse managers must view and enter data on smartphones from the shop floor or the road.
The 3-month plan
Month 1: data inventory across the 4 subsidiaries, definition of about twenty key indicators (throughput, yield, conversion rate, margin per product, days sales outstanding), building the shared master data. Month 2: connectors to Sage, NetSuite and the weighbridge software, daily warehouse loads. Month 3: dashboards, per-subsidiary access rights, acceptance testing with controllers and executive committee training.
Mini case study
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David, CEO of a distribution group headquartered in Toronto, gathers 4 controllers every month for 7 days of consolidation, i.e. 28 person-days. At CAD 480 per loaded day, that is CAD 13,440 a month, about CAD 161,000 per year. With a custom dashboard at CAD 120,000 and CAD 2,400 of monthly maintenance, consolidation drops to 3 person-days. Net savings come to roughly CAD 9,600 a month, a payback of around 13 months, not counting decisions taken 2 weeks earlier.
FAQ
Do we need to replace the subsidiaries' ERPs?
No, the warehouse reads each system as it is. A future single ERP can plug into the same warehouse without rebuilding the dashboards.
What does Power BI cost in Canada?
Power BI Pro is billed around CAD 19.60 per user per month in 2026, with Premium Per User at roughly double. Annual commitments through a Microsoft partner can lower the price slightly.
Do subsidiary data stay segregated?
Yes, each subsidiary manager only sees their scope, while head office has the consolidated view. Rights are managed by role and entity.
What happens if a plant loses connectivity?
Extractions replay automatically when the connection returns. A D+1 dashboard easily tolerates an outage of a few hours.
Can we start small?
Yes, a first phase covering 2 subsidiaries and 10 indicators costs in the order of CAD 50,000 to 65,000 and ships in 6 to 8 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your subsidiaries, ERPs and user count: we will price both options, Power BI or custom, with a 3-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.
