The verdict in three sentences
A Dublin records storage firm holding 40 linear km of paper and launching a digital service needs two distinct building blocks: a compliant electronic records management system aligned with ISO 14641 and ISO 15489 (30,000 to 100,000 EUR) and a client portal that turns that vault into a sellable service (50,000 to 150,000 EUR from Irish agencies). Evidential value rests on the records system and on procedures, while the portal brings in revenue: retrieval requests, scan on demand, transfers and destruction. The right order is to choose the certified records system first, then build the portal around your pricing and your clients.
ISO 14641, eIDAS, GDPR: what evidential value really requires
ISO 14641 (the international counterpart of the French NF Z42-013 standard) sets requirements for an electronic archiving system that guarantees integrity, durability and traceability. The eIDAS regulation governs the qualified signatures, seals and timestamps that strengthen evidence. GDPR adds retention and erasure duties, enforced in Ireland by the Data Protection Commission.
| Requirement | What it imposes | Component | Indicative 2026 cost (market estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document integrity | hash, sealing, audit trail | records system | included in licence |
| Qualified eIDAS timestamp | token from a qualified provider | records system or third party | 0.01 to 0.05 EUR per token |
| Event log | trace of every action | records system and portal | included, must be exposed to portal |
| Reversibility | full export with metadata | records system | require it in the contract |
| Operator certification (ISO 27001 or similar) | audit of procedures | organisation | 15,000 to 40,000 EUR in year one |
| Hosting | EU-based, redundant, two sites | infrastructure | 0.02 to 0.10 EUR per GB per month |
A poorly designed portal can weaken the chain of evidence: every view, download or destruction request must be recorded in the records system's log. That is the first point to check in any specification.
Off-the-shelf records system and custom portal: costs to compare
| Component | Standard option | Custom option | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified records system (market estimate) | 30,000 to 100,000 EUR, licence or SaaS | not recommended | certifying an in-house system costs too much |
| Client portal, Irish agency (market estimate) | 50,000 to 150,000 EUR | fits your pricing | 4 to 6 months |
| Client portal, Kolonell (medium app) | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) | connected to records system via API | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Scan on demand | 0.08 to 0.20 EUR per page billed | workflow built into portal | key margin |
| Portal maintenance | 8,000 to 18,000 EUR/yr with an agency | 75,000 FCFA/month with Kolonell (about 1,370 EUR/yr) | fixes and updates |
| Client DMS integration | 5,000 to 20,000 EUR per connector | documented API | depends on client tool |
For a firm already running physical storage, the portal is the sales tool: it should show box locations, retention periods, a 'scan and deliver within 24 h' button and per-action billing.
Portal features that sell
- Unified inventory: physical boxes and digital records in one view, by client department.
- Retrieval on request: scanning a physical file and depositing it in the records system, with a guaranteed turnaround shown.
- Transfers and destruction: online transfer lists, client approval, timestamped certificate of destruction.
- Per-action billing: every action creates an invoice line, exported to accounting.
- Access rights: profiles per entity, dual approval for destruction, SSO login.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Ciarán, managing director of a records storage firm in west Dublin, 40 linear km, 180 clients. He targets 40 clients on the digital service in year one at an average of 450 EUR a month (digital storage, retrievals, scan on demand), so 216,000 EUR of annual revenue.
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Year-one investment: records system in SaaS at 60,000 EUR, certification audit at 25,000 EUR, Kolonell portal at 7,000,000 FCFA (10,670 EUR) and maintenance at 1,370 EUR, about 97,000 EUR in total. With a 60 % gross margin on the digital service, the investment is covered in roughly 9 months, and year two carries only the licence and maintenance.
FAQ
Can a custom portal itself be certified?
Certification covers the archiving system and its procedures, not a front-end alone. The right architecture is to back the portal with an already certified records system and log every action in its trail, which avoids a full audit costing 30,000 EUR or more.
How much does a certified records system cost in 2026?
Depending on volume and deployment, expect 30,000 to 100,000 EUR, as a perpetual licence or annual subscription. Hosting comes on top, around 0.02 to 0.10 EUR per GB per month.
What is the link between ISO 14641 and NF Z42-013?
ISO 14641 is the international standard derived from the French NF Z42-013 and covers the same technical requirements for electronic archiving. Irish and UK buyers usually reference ISO 14641 and ISO 15489, while French clients ask for NF Z42-013.
Can we offer scan on demand from the portal?
Yes, it is often the most profitable feature: a 200-page file billed at 0.15 EUR a page brings 30 EUR, delivered within 24 h. The portal creates the work order, tracks the deadline and deposits the file in the records system.
How long until a working portal?
For a medium-complexity application connected to an existing records system, allow 8 to 12 weeks, including 2 to 3 weeks of traceability testing with the records system vendor.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your chosen records system, volumes and price list: we price a custom client portal at 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), delivered in 8 to 12 weeks. 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.
