The verdict in three sentences
For a manufacturer serving 300 resellers with PDF price lists and orders by fax or email, a reseller extranet connected to the ERP removes 20 to 40 % of manual order entry for the sales administration team. The market budget sits between 30,000 and 90,000 EUR excl. VAT for the extranet, plus 8,000 to 25,000 EUR for the ERP connector, with a 4 to 7 month timeline. The project pays back mainly through fewer pricing errors and orders placed outside office hours.
What the current PDF, fax and email process costs
Every price update means resending 300 PDFs, some of which stay in use after the effective date. Orders arrive in ten different formats, get re-keyed into the ERP and cause disputes when the discount applied does not match the reseller's price grid.
| Item | Current situation (2026 order of magnitude) | With a connected extranet |
|---|---|---|
| Order entry time per order | 8 to 15 min | 1 to 3 min (check only) |
| Price or reference error rate | 3 to 6 % of lines | Under 0.5 % |
| Time to roll out a new price list | 1 to 3 weeks | Immediate on effective date |
| "Where is my order?" calls | 15 to 25 % of sales admin calls | Cut by 2 to 3 times (online tracking) |
| Orders placed after hours | Impossible | 25 to 35 % of volume |
| Access to available stock | By phone | Real time or D-1 |
The scope of a reseller extranet in 2026
| Module | Indicative cost (order of magnitude, excl. VAT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-user login per reseller | 3,000 to 8,000 EUR | Buyer, manager, accountant roles |
| Catalogue and client-specific price grids | 8,000 to 20,000 EUR | Discounts, net prices, quantity breaks |
| B2B cart, quick order by SKU, CSV import | 6,000 to 15,000 EUR | Essential for key accounts |
| Order, invoice and credit note tracking | 5,000 to 12,000 EUR | Fewer calls to sales admin |
| Document area (data sheets, POS material) | 3,000 to 10,000 EUR | Single, up-to-date version |
| ERP connector (Sage X3, Divalto, SAP B1, Cegid) | 8,000 to 25,000 EUR | The riskiest item in the project |
| Sales dashboard per reseller | 5,000 to 15,000 EUR | Tracking annual targets |
Kolonell builds this kind of extranet on its 2026 grid for complex applications: 7,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA and more (10,670 to 22,870 EUR and more), ERP connector included depending on the quality of the available API. Maintenance runs from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA a month (50 to 180 EUR).
Stages and pitfalls
| Phase | Duration | Common pitfall |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping with sales admin and sales reps | 3 to 4 weeks | Forgetting special discount cases |
| ERP and product data audit | 2 to 3 weeks | Incomplete product records |
| Development in releases | 8 to 16 weeks | Trying to ship everything at once |
| Pilot with 15 to 20 resellers | 3 to 4 weeks | Pilot limited to friendly resellers |
| Roll-out to 300 resellers | 4 to 6 weeks | No support for sales reps |
The main pitfall remains data quality: an extranet does not fix a poorly maintained product database. Set aside 10 to 15 % of the budget for cleaning product records and pricing conditions.
Mini case study
Illustrative scenario: Sophie, sales director of an equipment manufacturer in Lyon, handles 9,000 orders a year for 300 resellers, at 12 minutes of entry on average, or 1,800 hours of sales admin. The extranet cuts this time by 35 %, saving 630 hours. At 38 EUR per loaded hour, the gain is about 24,000 EUR a year, plus avoided pricing disputes estimated at 15,000 EUR a year. For a 70,000 EUR excl. VAT project from a French agency, connector included, payback is about 21 months, and about 6 months on a budget close to 20,000 EUR.
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FAQ
How much does a reseller extranet cost for a manufacturer in 2026?
From a French agency, 30,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT for the extranet, plus 8,000 to 25,000 EUR for the ERP connector. Kolonell's grid for a complex application starts at 7,000,000 FCFA (10,670 EUR).
Do we need to replace the ERP?
No, the extranet plugs into the existing ERP via API or scheduled file exchanges. A sync every 15 minutes is enough for 90 % of manufacturers.
Will resellers really order online?
With support from sales reps, 50 to 70 % of orders move online after 6 months. Quick order by SKU is the number one adoption driver.
Can each reseller see a different price?
Yes, that is the core feature: client grids, discounts by product family, quantity breaks and negotiated net prices, pulled from the ERP.
How long until a first release is in production?
4 months for a first release covering catalogue, pricing and ordering, then 1 to 3 months for document tracking and dashboards.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your ERP, your number of resellers and your discount rules, and we will price an extranet delivered in releases over 4 to 7 months. 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.
