The verdict in three sentences
For a 25-consultant consulting/HR firm in Montreal, a SaaS PSA (Gryzzly, Boondmanager) starts at 15 to 35 EUR/user/month and covers staffing, time and billing in standard fashion. A custom build (30,000 to 70,000 EUR, 10 to 16 weeks) models your fixed-price and time-and-materials engagements, day rates and rebilling rules exactly. The real gain isn't the licence: it's utilisation rising from 68% to 78%, tens of thousands of euros of margin per consultant.
SaaS PSA vs custom
At 25 users, the PSA licence already weighs heavily each year. Custom flips the logic: fixed upfront cost, then near-nothing per added consultant.
| Criterion | SaaS PSA | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 15 to 35 EUR/user/month | 30,000 to 70,000 EUR |
| 25 users over 3 years | 13,500 to 31,500 EUR | 30,000 to 70,000 EUR |
| Staffing / capacity plan | Standard | Tailored |
| Fixed-price + T&M billing | Configurable | Fully modelled |
| Day-rate and margin tracking | Generic | Your metrics |
| Ownership | No | Yes |
| Timeline | 3 to 6 weeks | 10 to 16 weeks |
Impact on utilisation and billing
The heart of ROI is utilisation steering and cutting admin hours.
| Metric | Before | After (2026 ballpark) |
|---|---|---|
| Utilisation rate | 68% | 78% |
| Average day rate | 650 to 900 EUR | unchanged |
| Admin hours (time + billing) | ~35 h/month lost | automated |
| Invoicing delay | 15 to 20 days | 3 to 5 days |
| Unbilled time leakage | 5 to 8% | < 2% |
| Custom ROI | — | 15 to 20 months |
Mini case study
Eric is a partner in a 25-consultant firm in Montreal, average day rate 750 EUR. On SaaS at 30 EUR/user/month, he pays 9,000 EUR/year in licences. More importantly, utilisation caps at 68% for lack of a reliable capacity plan.
A custom PSA at 56,000 EUR unifies staffing, timesheets and billing. Moving from 68% to 78% utilisation across 25 consultants (~210 billable days/year at 750 EUR), each point is worth ~39,000 EUR of revenue. Gaining 10 points is ~390,000 EUR of additional revenue; at 30% margin, 117,000 EUR/year. Custom pays back in under 8 months of gains, and he owns the tool.
FAQ
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What's the difference between a PSA and simple time tracking?
A PSA links staffing, time, day rates and billing in one chain: you steer profitability engagement by engagement, not just logged hours.
What does payroll and accounting integration cost?
Expect 5,000 to 12,000 EUR to connect timesheets, billing and exports to your payroll and accounting.
How do you gain 10 utilisation points?
With a real-time capacity plan and bench alerts, you anticipate staffing and cut idle days: +8 to +12 points is realistic within a year.
Does custom handle fixed-price and T&M together?
Yes: each engagement carries its billing mode, fixed-price milestones or T&M statements, with automatic expense rebilling.
How long to go live?
A staffing + time + billing scope ships in 10 to 14 weeks, often starting with a time-entry module.
Let's scope your project. Give us your headcount, average day rate and billing modes, and we'll price a custom PSA and its ROI on your utilisation. 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.
