The verdict in three sentences
Beyond 50,000 boxes and 100 clients, an Access or Excel database becomes a commercial risk: one lost box for a law firm or hospital client costs more than a year of licences. Specialised packages cover physical storage but handle scan-on-demand and the client portal poorly, even though these are a records storage company's most profitable services in 2026. Custom software at EUR 30,000 to 75,000 pays for itself in 18 to 30 months if the company bills for retrievals, scanning and certified destruction.
Off-the-shelf package, generic DMS or custom: the costed options
Records storage combines two worlds: the physical warehouse (locations, movements, transport) and electronic archiving with legal evidential value. Few tools cover both properly.
| Option | Upfront cost | 2026 recurring cost | Physical storage | Evidential e-archiving | Client portal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Access or Excel database | EUR 0 | lost time, error risk | partial, no scanning | no | no |
| Physical records management package (specialist vendor) | EUR 8,000 to 20,000 | EUR 6,000 to 18,000 a year | yes | rarely | basic |
| Generic DMS (M-Files, DocuWare type) | EUR 10,000 to 30,000 | EUR 150 to 400 per user per year | no | yes with archiving module | partial |
| Certified electronic archiving system alone | EUR 15,000 to 40,000 | EUR 10,000 to 30,000 a year | no | yes, NF Z42-013 | yes |
| Custom software + certified archive as a building block | EUR 30,000 to 75,000 | EUR 800 to 2,000 a month | yes, fitted to your process | yes via connector | full, white-labelled |
The right architecture for most companies with 10 to 40 staff: custom software for physical operations, billing and the portal, connected to an electronic vault already certified NF Z42-013 (or an equivalent standard such as ISO 14641) rather than certifying your own development, which costs EUR 25,000 to 60,000 and 9 to 12 months of audit.
Scope of records storage software in 2026
| Module | Features | Indicative budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locations and tracking | Box and file barcodes, aisles, bays, shelves, mobile scanning of movements | EUR 7,000 to 15,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Requests and logistics | Retrieval, return, shuttle, delivery rounds, proof of delivery | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 | 3 weeks |
| Scan-on-demand | Work queue, OCR, quality control, secure delivery within 4 business hours | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Client portal | Search, online ordering, per-department rights, history, export | EUR 6,000 to 14,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Retention schedules and destruction | Legal calendar, alerts, client approval, destruction certificate | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | 2 weeks |
| Billing | Storage per linear metre or per box, unit services, accounting export | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 | 2 weeks |
| Certified archive connector | Ingest, hash, timestamp, lifecycle log | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
Typical records storage rates in 2026, as an order of magnitude: EUR 0.15 to 0.40 per box per month, EUR 8 to 20 per physical retrieval with shuttle, EUR 0.08 to 0.25 per scanned page, EUR 2 to 4 per box destroyed with certificate. The client portal mainly exists to grow these billable services.
Migrating from Access: the most underestimated step
Migrating 120,000 boxes is more than an export. You need to deduplicate references, physically check a sample of locations (2 to 5% of boxes), and reconcile client contracts and retention periods. Allow EUR 5,000 to 10,000 for migration and 2 to 3 weeks of parallel running, ideally in a quiet period.
Mini case study
Philippe runs a records storage company near Rouen: 120,000 boxes, 300 clients, 14 staff. He handles 900 retrieval requests a month, each costing 8 minutes of searching and data entry in Access. With mobile scanning and the portal, this drops to 2 minutes: 900 x 6 minutes = 90 hours saved per month, about EUR 2,700 in loaded payroll. Meanwhile, scan-on-demand grows from 20,000 to 60,000 pages a month thanks to the portal, at EUR 0.15 per page: +EUR 6,000 in monthly revenue. For software at EUR 62,000 and EUR 1,400 a month in maintenance, the net monthly gain reaches EUR 7,300, a payback of about 9 months.
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FAQ
Does the software itself need NF Z42-013 certification?
Not necessarily. It is faster and cheaper to rely on an already certified vault via API, for EUR 300 to 1,500 a month depending on volume. Certifying your own system costs EUR 25,000 to 60,000 plus an annual audit.
What barcode hardware is needed?
Rugged Zebra or Honeywell mobile terminals at EUR 900 to 1,600 each, plus a label printer at EUR 400 to 800. Three to five terminals are enough for a 120,000-box warehouse.
Do public sector and hospital clients have specific requirements?
Yes: health data hosting requires a certified health data host (HDS in France), and public records are subject to national archives oversight. Plan 1 to 2 extra weeks for compliance.
How long does the full project take?
12 to 18 weeks, data migration included. A first release (locations, requests, billing) can be in production within 8 weeks.
Can we offer the portal white-labelled to our clients?
Yes, with per-department rights and their own subdomain. It is a strong selling point in tenders, where the portal often weighs 15 to 20% of the technical score.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your box volume, billed services and current tool: we will price software between EUR 30,000 and 75,000 with a migration plan that avoids any service interruption. 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.
