The verdict in three sentences
When an SMB runs its scheduling, quotes and production in about fifteen shared Excel workbooks, it loses on average 6 to 12 hours per week per team to re-keying, hunting for the right version and fixing errors. A custom internal web app costs EUR 15,000 to 45,000 excl. VAT in Rotterdam in 2026 for an 8 to 14 week project, and often pays for itself within a year. No-code tools like Airtable or Notion (EUR 20 to 45 per user per month) are a good intermediate step, but hit their limits beyond 25 users or complex business rules.
What Excel really costs a Rotterdam SMB
The operations director of a manufacturing or services SMB in Rotterdam, Schiedam or Barendrecht knows the pattern: one schedule file per workshop, a quote template copied for each job, production tracking updated on Fridays. The costs are invisible because they are spread across everyone's time.
| Symptom | Observed frequency | Estimated cost (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Re-keying an accepted quote into the schedule | 15 to 40 times a month | 2 to 4 h per week |
| Searching for the latest file version | daily | 1 to 3 h per week per team |
| Formula or cross-workbook link error | 2 to 5 a month | EUR 500 to 3,000 per billed error |
| Manual consolidation of monthly reporting | once a month | 1 to 2 days of controlling |
| Locked or corrupted file on the server | 1 to 2 times a quarter | half a day lost |
| Departure of the employee who knew the macros | once every 2 to 3 years | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 to recover |
Custom app, Airtable or Notion: the numbers
| Criterion | Shared Excel | Airtable / Notion | Custom web app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 0 | EUR 2,000 to 8,000 setup | EUR 15,000 to 45,000 |
| Recurring cost (30 users) | existing Microsoft 365 licences | EUR 7,200 to 16,200 per year | EUR 3,000 to 7,000 per year (hosting, maintenance) |
| Time to deploy | immediate | 2 to 6 weeks | 8 to 14 weeks |
| Complex business rules (calculations, workflows) | fragile macros | limited, paid scripting | unlimited |
| Role-based permissions | weak | decent | granular, per field if needed |
| ERP or accounting integration | manual export | Zapier or Make connectors (EUR 20 to 100 per month) | direct API |
| Data hosting | internal server or OneDrive | United States by default | Netherlands or EU, GDPR compliant |
No-code fits if you have fewer than 15 users and simple processes. Custom wins when the quote must automatically feed the schedule, when pricing depends on 10 parameters or when you need to connect Exact Online, AFAS or your production ERP.
How an 8 to 14 week project runs
The method that works for SMBs has four stages. First a workbook audit workshop (1 to 2 weeks, EUR 2,000 to 4,000) to map the 15 workbooks, their formulas and their users. Then a clickable prototype validated by team leads. Then development in batches: quotes, then scheduling, then production tracking, each released separately. Finally migration of historical data and a 2-hour training per team.
The key principle: do not replace everything at once. Start with the flow that generates the most errors, often the handover from quote to schedule, and keep Excel for exports and ad hoc analysis.
Mini case study
Daan, operations director of a 45-person metalwork SMB in Rotterdam, has 3 teams (engineering, workshop, site) sharing 15 workbooks. After the audit, each team loses about 9 hours per week, or 27 hours. At a loaded cost of EUR 45 per hour over 46 weeks, that is EUR 55,890 per year.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
The custom app (quotes, scheduling, production tracking, Exact Online export) costs EUR 32,000, plus EUR 5,000 per year of maintenance. Airtable would have cost about EUR 16,200 per year for 30 users on the Business plan, without the custom pricing logic. Capturing 80% of the gain, or EUR 44,700 per year, the app pays back in about 9 months.
FAQ
What is the minimum budget to replace Excel with a web app?
A first targeted module, for example quote tracking, starts around EUR 15,000 for 8 weeks. It is often the best entry point.
Can we keep Excel running in parallel?
Yes, the app can export to XLSX at any time. We recommend 2 to 4 weeks of dual running, then switching the files to read-only.
Should we go through Airtable before custom?
It makes sense to clarify processes for 6 to 12 months with fewer than 15 users. Beyond that, licences exceed EUR 7,000 per year and limits appear.
Where is the data hosted?
With a host in the Netherlands or the EU (OVHcloud, Scaleway, Hetzner), with daily backups and GDPR compliance, for EUR 50 to 200 per month depending on volume.
How long does team training take?
Budget 2 hours per team plus a user guide. An app designed with its users is usually adopted within 2 to 3 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Send us the list of your critical Excel files and number of users for an audit, an indicative budget and an 8 to 14 week 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.
