The verdict in three sentences
For a Brussels records management company handling 180,000 boxes and 400 clients, a custom document consultation and request portal costs in the order of 45,000 to 85,000 EUR excl. VAT on the 2026 market, with a delivery time of about 5 months. The investment pays off once email requests exceed 300 per month and on-demand scanning becomes a revenue line billed automatically. The non-negotiable point is traceability: barcode inventory, exact location, legal retention periods and an event log compatible with NF Z42-013 / ISO 14641.
What the software must cover, module by module
Records storage software is not just a document management system. It manages physical objects (boxes, files, pallets) stored in aisles, bays and levels, and it must answer the client's question in seconds: where is my file, when can I have it, how much will it cost.
| Module | Key function | Share of budget | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory and locations | Box and file barcodes, aisle, bay, level | 20 % | 9,000 to 17,000 |
| Client portal | Search, retrieval request, return, destruction | 25 % | 11,000 to 21,000 |
| Retention schedules | Rules per document type, expiry alerts | 10 % | 4,500 to 8,500 |
| Scan on demand | Order, scan, PDF delivery, per-page billing | 15 % | 7,000 to 12,500 |
| Logistics and routes | Pickup slips, deliveries, mobile signature | 15 % | 7,000 to 12,500 |
| Billing and evidential log | Monthly storage, billed actions, timestamped hashes | 15 % | 6,500 to 13,500 |
The low end assumes a portal built on an already clean inventory. The high end includes data migration from a legacy tool, a mobile app for drivers and a connection to the accounting software. Brussels budgets run slightly higher than Paris because of bilingual FR/NL interfaces.
What the email status quo really costs
The real competitor of the project is not a vendor, it is the shared mailbox. Every request means back-and-forth messages, re-entry into the inventory spreadsheet and a risk of location error.
| Indicator | Current email process | With custom portal |
|---|---|---|
| Requests handled per month | 450 | 450 |
| Average time per request | 18 min | 5 min |
| Back-office hours per month | 135 h | 38 h |
| Location errors per year | 60 to 90 | under 10 |
| Time to availability | 48 h | 24 h, or 4 h as a scan |
| Scanned pages billed per month | 900 pages, often forgotten | 2,500 pages tracked |
At a loaded hourly cost of 35 EUR for a records clerk in Brussels, the 97 hours saved represent about 3,400 EUR per month, or more than 40,000 EUR per year. Systematic billing of scanning, at around 0.25 EUR per page, adds about 400 EUR of monthly margin.
Compliance and hosting: what moves the quote
NF Z42-013 and its international counterpart ISO 14641 govern electronic archiving with evidential value. For a company that scans and keeps copies, the software must timestamp, compute hashes and keep a tamper-proof log. You also need EU hosting, GDPR records of processing, and a certified destruction plan at the end of the legal period (7 years for most Belgian accounting records, longer for some HR and social documents).
Mini case study
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Hélène, managing director of a records storage company near Brussels, manages 180,000 boxes for 400 clients. Her team of 4 clerks spends 135 hours a month on email requests. She approves a 70,000 EUR scope: client portal, barcode inventory, billed scanning and evidential log. Back-office savings: 3,400 EUR per month. Extra scanning margin: 400 EUR per month. Estimated maintenance: 700 EUR per month. Net gain: 3,100 EUR per month, a payback in about 23 months, before counting the clients won by showing the portal in tenders.
FAQ
Custom software or a specialised vendor?
Sector vendors often charge 800 to 2,000 EUR per month with modules that are hard to adapt. Beyond 100,000 boxes and with specific billing processes, custom software pays off within 2 to 3 years and you own the code.
Does the portal need NF Z42-013 certification?
Certification applies to the whole electronic archiving system, not just the software. Development must still meet its requirements (timestamping, hashes, log), which represents roughly 10 to 15 % of the budget.
How long does migrating the existing inventory take?
For 180,000 boxes already listed in a spreadsheet, plan 3 to 5 weeks of cleaning and import. If barcode labelling must be redone, budget 0.30 to 0.60 EUR per box.
Can clients order destruction online?
Yes, with two-level approval and automatic generation of the destruction certificate. This service is usually billed 2 to 4 EUR per box and becomes traceable end to end.
How long before go-live?
Roughly 5 months: 4 weeks of scoping, 12 weeks of development, 4 weeks of acceptance testing and data migration.
Let's scope your project. Send us your box volume, request types and current tool: we will price a realistic scope, phase by phase, with an indicative budget and schedule. 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.
