The verdict in three sentences
A records storage company holding 180,000 boxes for 70 bank and insurance clients does not sell shelf space, it sells retrieval time, and 2 days no longer satisfies auditors and central bank requirements in Tunis, Cairo or Casablanca. Custom management software at 120,000 to 260,000 TND excl. VAT (about 38,000 to 83,000 USD), delivered in 5 months, tracks every box by barcode, opens an online request portal to clients and automates retention schedules. Retrieval time drops to 4 hours, which lets you sell an express service and defend contracts in tenders.
The real cost of a lost file
In a warehouse in an industrial zone outside Tunis or Cairo, location tracking often relies on one Excel file per client and the memory of two warehouse staff. When a bank requests a loan file for litigation, someone must find the box, check it has not been moved, pull it, deliver it and log the movement. Out of 180,000 boxes, 1 to 2% are mislocated, that is 1,800 to 3,600 boxes that cost hours of searching every time.
The problem becomes commercial: banks and insurers now write a guaranteed retrieval time and a full audit trail into their specifications. Without software, the records company loses these tenders to competitors who show a portal and statistics.
Modules and their cost in 2026
| Module | Function | Indicative cost 2026 (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Master data and barcodes | Label per box, file and location (aisle, bay, level) | 25,000 to 50,000 TND (8,000 to 16,000 USD) |
| Movements and inventory | Scan in, out and on return, cycle counts | 20,000 to 40,000 TND (6,400 to 12,800 USD) |
| Client portal | Retrieval requests, delivery, scan on demand | 25,000 to 55,000 TND (8,000 to 17,600 USD) |
| Retention schedules | Rules per document type, destruction alerts, certificates | 15,000 to 35,000 TND (4,800 to 11,200 USD) |
| Billing | Monthly storage, handling, transport, express | 15,000 to 35,000 TND (4,800 to 11,200 USD) |
| Digitisation | Links to scanned files, access rights per client | 10,000 to 25,000 TND (3,200 to 8,000 USD) |
| Handheld apps | Android scanners for warehouse staff and drivers | 10,000 to 20,000 TND (3,200 to 6,400 USD) |
A core of master data, movements, portal and billing starts at about 120,000 TND excl. VAT. With detailed retention management, digitisation and handhelds, the upper range reaches 260,000 TND. Add 3 to 6 TND (1 to 2 USD) per box for initial relabelling, and annual maintenance of 15 to 18%.
Before and after: the metrics that matter
| Metric | Before (Excel and paper) | After (software and barcodes) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard retrieval time | 2 days | 4 hours |
| Mislocated boxes | 1 to 2% | under 0.1% |
| Search time per request | 45 to 90 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Full annual inventory | 6 weeks | cycle counts, no shutdown |
| Overdue destructions | not tracked | alerts at D-30 with certificate |
| Handling billing | estimated | every movement billed |
| Client audit report | 2 days to prepare | 1-click export |
The billing module alone often recovers 5 to 8% of handling revenue that was never invoiced for lack of records.
Foreign vendor or custom software
Specialised European vendors charge subscriptions in euros, often 1,500 to 4,000 EUR a month for this volume, with no adaptation to local tax rules or billing in local currency. Custom costs more in year one but becomes cheaper from year three, and it can stay hosted in the country, a strong argument for banking clients subject to central bank rules and local data protection law (Tunisia's 2004 organic law, Egypt's Law 151 of 2020).
Mini case study
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Sami, managing director of a records storage company in Tunis, handles 1,400 retrieval requests a month. Each search takes a warehouse worker 60 minutes on average, or 1,400 hours a month. With barcodes it drops to 5 minutes: 117 hours, so 1,283 hours saved, the equivalent of 7 staff moved to sorting and scanning. By launching an express service at 25 TND per request on 30% of retrievals, he bills an extra 10,500 TND a month. For software at 190,000 TND excl. VAT, recovered handling fees (about 6,000 TND a month) plus the express service pay back the investment in roughly 12 months.
FAQ
What budget for records storage software?
Budget 120,000 to 260,000 TND excl. VAT (38,000 to 83,000 USD) depending on modules, over 5 months. Add 3 to 6 TND per box for initial labelling of the 180,000 boxes.
Do we have to relabel all stock at once?
No, it is done aisle by aisle, starting with the most active clients. A team of 4 labels about 2,500 boxes a day, so 2 to 3 months for 180,000 boxes.
Is the client portal secure enough for banks?
Each client sees only its own boxes, with two-factor authentication and a full access log. Data stays hosted in-country, which most banks require.
How are retention schedules handled?
Each document type gets a rule, for example 10 years for accounting records. The software alerts 30 days before expiry and produces a destruction certificate signed off by the client.
Can we use RFID instead of barcodes?
Yes, but an RFID tag costs 0.6 to 1.5 TND against 0.05 TND for a barcode. For boxes that rarely move, barcodes remain the best balance of cost and reliability.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of boxes, clients and monthly requests and we will price the scope, the budget and a 5-month rollout 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.
