The verdict in three sentences
Automating the quote - invoice - dunning (quote-to-cash) workflow is an investment of 8,000 to 30,000 EUR excl. VAT in 2026, depending on the number of steps and integrations. Delivered in 4 to 8 weeks, it cuts DSO by 30 % and overdue payments by 50 % through automated reminders. For an owner, it is a cash chain that runs itself, from the customer's click to collection.
Cost by automation level in 2026
The budget depends on the number of automated steps, integrations (CRM, accounting, bank) and the granularity of dunning scenarios. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for the French market.
| Level | Automated steps | Cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline | Subscription/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Quote + invoice | 8,000 - 12,000 | 4 weeks | 100 - 200 |
| Standard | + multi-level dunning | 12,000 - 20,000 | 5 - 6 weeks | 200 - 400 |
| Full | + collection + reconciliation | 20,000 - 30,000 | 7 - 8 weeks | 400 - 800 |
| Bespoke | Full chain + BI | 30,000 + | 8 weeks + | On quote |
Measured impact step by step
Each automated step generates a measurable gain in time or cash. Here is the typical impact for a 30-employee SME.
| Automated step | Before | After | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote issuance | 30 min | 5 min | -83 % time |
| Quote-to-invoice conversion | Manual | Automatic | No re-keying |
| Overdue dunning | Ad hoc | D+7/D+15/D+30 | Overdue -50 % |
| Average DSO | 55 days | 38 days | -30 % |
| Bank reconciliation | 12 h/month | 3 h/month | -75 % |
For a 16,000 EUR project, the return materialises in 5 to 7 months, mainly through freed cash.
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Mini case study
Karim, owner of a B2B services SME in Marseille (28 staff, 3.2 M EUR revenue), suffered a 56-day DSO and 4 % overdue payments. After a 15,000 EUR excl. VAT project delivered in 6 weeks, DSO fell to 39 days, freeing around 150,000 EUR of one-off cash. Overdue payments dropped from 128,000 to 64,000 EUR/year, i.e. 64,000 EUR recovered. ROI reached in under 4 months on the overdue line alone.
FAQ
What is DSO and why reduce it? DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) measures the average collection delay. Cutting it by 30 % immediately frees cash without external financing, often the most profitable effect of the project.
Does automated dunning harm the customer relationship? No, quite the opposite. Regular, courteous, personalised reminders are better received than late, uneven ones. We calibrate tone and frequency per customer segment.
Can online collection be integrated? Yes. A payment link in the invoice (card, transfer) further cuts collection delay by several days and simplifies bank reconciliation.
Does it work with our CRM and accounting? Yes, via API. We connect existing tools (CRM, Sage, Cegid, Pennylane, bank) to avoid any double entry across the full chain.
How long to deploy? From 4 to 8 weeks depending on scope. We often start with the quote-invoice pair, then add dunning and collection in iterations.
Let's scope your project. Share your current DSO, tools and budget: we will define the quote-to-cash chain to automate first. 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.
