The verdict in three sentences
A 20-person architecture practice in Dublin that does not know which stages are profitable can get custom software for time tracking by stage, fee invoicing and forecasting for 18,000 to 45,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026. An off-the-shelf SaaS costs 30 to 50 EUR per user per month, or 7,200 to 12,000 EUR a year for 20 people, without always matching the practice's stage structure (RIAI work stages, or the French ESQ, APS, APD, PRO, DET breakdown) or its billing rules. The decision depends on the horizon: beyond 3 to 4 years, or with specific needs, custom becomes cheaper.
The problem: fixed fees, untracked hours
In architectural services, the practice bills a fixed fee, often a percentage of construction cost (8 to 12% for a standard building commission), split by stage. But actual hours are not measured stage by stage. The classic result: concept and technical design overrun by 30 to 60%, construction stage absorbs unplanned site meetings, and the practice finds out at project close that a job shown as profitable actually lost money.
| Stage (RIAI / French MOP equivalent) | Typical share of fees | Common hour overrun (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Concept sketch (ESQ) | 5 - 8% | 10 - 30%, competitions and iterations |
| Preliminary design (APS) | 10 - 12% | 20 - 40% |
| Developed design (APD) | 14 - 16% | 15 - 35% |
| Technical design (PRO) | 18 - 22% | 30 - 60%, engineer coordination |
| Tender assistance (ACT) | 5 - 7% | 10 - 20% |
| Shop drawing review (VISA) | 4 - 6% | 10 - 25% |
| Construction stage (DET) | 20 - 25% | 25 - 50%, site meetings |
| Handover and snagging (AOR) | 4 - 6% | 20 - 40% |
Custom or SaaS: the costed comparison
| Criterion | Custom software | Off-the-shelf SaaS (Ooti, Deltek, Monograph...) |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 18,000 - 45,000 EUR | 0 - 3,000 EUR setup |
| Annual cost for 20 users | 2,500 - 5,000 EUR (maintenance, hosting) | 7,200 - 12,000 EUR |
| 5-year cumulative cost | 30,500 - 70,000 EUR | 36,000 - 63,000 EUR |
| Stage structure | Free: RIAI stages, private commissions, competitions | Vendor model, sometimes rigid |
| Fee invoices | In the practice's and clients' format | Standard formats |
| Accounting link | Dedicated connector (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks) | Depends on vendor |
| Data ownership | Practice | Vendor, export to check |
For a 20-person practice with standard workflows, a SaaS is often the right starting point. Custom is justified if the practice mixes public, private and project management work, shares fees with consultants in joint commissions, or runs several entities.
Modules and timeline
| Module | 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Projects, stages and hour budgets | 4,000 - 9,000 | Budget per stage from the fixed fee |
| Time entry (web and mobile) | 3,000 - 7,000 | 2 minutes per day per person |
| Fee invoicing | 4,000 - 10,000 | Progress by stage, joint commissions, indexation |
| Workload and cash forecast | 3,000 - 8,000 | 6-month workload, expected receipts |
| Profitability dashboard | 2,500 - 6,000 | Margin by project, stage, project lead |
| Accounting connector and history import | 1,500 - 5,000 | Invoice export, 3 years of projects imported |
Timeline: 3 to 5 months, including one month of scoping to define stage structure and hourly rates, two to three months of development, then one month of parallel time entry.
Mini case study
Julian, managing partner of a 20-person architecture practice in Dublin, earns 1.8 million EUR in fees a year. He estimates that 15% of hours are absorbed by overruns that are never re-billed, mainly in technical design and construction stage.
- Annual productive hours: 16 people x 1,500 h = 24,000 hours.
- Overrun: 15%, i.e. 3,600 hours, at a loaded hourly cost of 65 EUR = 234,000 EUR.
- Target with stage tracking: recover a third through fee variations and better estimating, i.e. 78,000 EUR a year.
- Investment: 32,000 EUR + 3,500 EUR a year of maintenance.
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FAQ
Will staff accept entering their time?
Yes, if entry takes under 2 minutes a day and serves project control rather than surveillance. A weekly entry guided by stage works well in practices of 10 to 50 people.
Can we handle fees shared with engineering consultants?
Yes, the invoicing module splits fees by consultant and by stage. This is one of the areas where standard SaaS tools are most limited.
How much does importing history cost?
Allow 1,500 to 5,000 EUR to import 3 years of projects, invoices and hours from spreadsheets or a legacy tool. Without history, the first reliable ratios arrive after 6 to 12 months.
Does the software calculate fee indexation?
Yes, it applies the index set in the contract to fee invoices. On a 200,000 EUR fixed fee, a forgotten indexation can be worth 4,000 to 8,000 EUR.
Isn't a 30 EUR a month SaaS enough?
For a small practice with standard workflows, often yes. At 20 people and beyond, with varied commissions, 7,200 to 12,000 EUR a year in licences makes custom competitive over 4 to 5 years.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, commission types and current tools, and we will price stage-based tracking software and a 3 to 5 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.
