The verdict in three sentences
A custom franchise network management tool costs, in 2026, between 60,000 and 160,000 EUR, over a 6 to 10 month timeline. It consolidates multi-store sales, stock, royalty calculation and network reporting that spreadsheets and isolated tills cannot roll up. The return comes from reliable royalty billing and real-time visibility across 30 franchises instead of manual monthly reporting.
Budget by scope
A 30-franchise brand juggles as many stores, each with its till, stock and revenue. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude in Miami.
| Scope | Cost (EUR) | Timeline | Stores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales roll-up + dashboard | 60,000 - 85,000 | 6 months | up to 30 |
| + automated royalty calc | 85,000 - 115,000 | 7-8 months | up to 50 |
| + consolidated stock + reporting | 115,000 - 160,000 | 9-10 months | unlimited |
| Franchise mobile app | +20,000 - 35,000 | +2 months | per store |
| Annual maintenance | 15-18 % of build | recurring | network |
The break-even sits around 20-25 franchises: below that, a retail SaaS ERP may suffice; beyond, brand-specific royalty rules justify custom.
What the software automates
The core is royalties and consolidation. Here is the quantified impact on a 30-franchise network each doing 420,000 EUR of annual revenue.
| Task | Before (manual) | After (software) | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty calc/month | 3 days | automatic | 3 days back |
| Royalty billing errors | 4-6 %/year | < 0.5 % | revenue recovered |
| Consolidated reporting lag | monthly D+15 | real time | fast decisions |
| Sales roll-up | Excel files | automatic | reliability |
| Network stock view | none | consolidated | fewer stockouts |
On a network revenue of 12.6 M EUR (30 x 420,000) and a 5 % royalty, i.e. 630,000 EUR/year, cutting billing error from 5 % to 0.5 % recovers about 28,000 EUR/year.
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Mini case study
Karim runs a 30-franchise brand in Miami, network revenue 12.6 M EUR, contractual royalty 5 %, i.e. 630,000 EUR in annual fees. With manual spreadsheet calculation he loses about 5 % of royalties to errors and omissions, i.e. 31,500 EUR/year. The software brings that error below 0.5 %, recovering ~28,000 EUR/year, plus 3 days/month of admin returned. Against a 100,000 EUR build, payback lands in about 3 years on royalties alone, faster once stock and decision gains are counted.
FAQ
Isn't a standard retail ERP enough? Below 20 franchises, a retail SaaS ERP (150 to 400 EUR/store/month) often covers the need. Custom is justified by brand-specific royalty rules, tiers and reporting.
How are royalties calculated? The software applies your rules automatically: percentage of revenue, tiers, fixed fee, advertising fund. The monthly calc that took 3 days becomes instant and auditable.
Can we keep existing tills? Yes: the software connects to franchise tills via API or export to pull sales, without replacing in-store hardware.
How much is the franchise mobile app? Budget 20,000 to 35,000 EUR and two extra months for an app letting each franchise track its sales, stock and fees in real time.
What is the total timeline? From 6 months for a sales roll-up with dashboard to 10 months for a full royalties + stock + consolidated reporting system.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your franchise count, royalty rules and till systems for a quote between 60,000 and 160,000 EUR. 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.
