The verdict in three sentences
When 45 instruments (confocal microscopes, flow cytometers, sequencers, a cleanroom) are shared between 60 research groups and industry clients, a shared calendar and a billing spreadsheet cost dearly in lost staff time and unbilled machine hours. A custom booking platform links slots, per-instrument training permissions, tiered rates from 20 to 250 EUR an hour and funder reporting. Plan for 3 to 5 months and a Kolonell budget of 2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (3,810 to 22,870+ EUR) depending on complexity, with anything else priced in the quote.
The real problem: lost machine hours
The typical core facility manager runs a team of 6 engineers. Bookings go through a shared calendar, training records sit in a file, and quarterly billing ties up one engineer for a week.
| Issue | Typical observed level | Estimated yearly impact |
|---|---|---|
| Booked slots not used | 8 to 12% of hours | 1,500 to 2,500 machine hours lost |
| Undeclared usage | 3 to 5% of real hours | 15,000 to 30,000 EUR unbilled |
| Untrained user on an instrument | A few cases a year | Damage of 5,000 to 40,000 EUR |
| Manual quarterly billing | 5 to 8 days per quarter | 20 to 32 engineer days a year |
| Funder activity report | 10 days a year | Incomplete data, funding at risk |
| Wrong rate applied | 2 to 4% of lines | Disputes, credit notes |
The most requested instruments are saturated while others run at 30%. Without reliable data, it is impossible to justify a second cytometer in a grant application.
Key features and rate card
The core of the platform is the booking rule: who can book what, when and at what price. Tiered pricing is the trickiest part.
| User profile | Hourly rate, 2026 ballpark | Booking rule |
|---|---|---|
| In-house group | 20 to 45 EUR | Book up to 4 weeks ahead |
| Academic lab on campus | 35 to 70 EUR | Book up to 3 weeks ahead |
| External academic lab | 50 to 110 EUR | Approval by the instrument lead |
| Industry, self-service | 120 to 180 EUR | Signed contract, purchase order |
| Industry, assisted by staff | 180 to 250 EUR | Slot locked with an engineer |
| Training and sign-off | Flat 150 to 400 EUR | Unlocks access to the instrument |
Around that rate card, the expected modules:
- Per-instrument calendar with minimum and maximum durations, night slots, blocked maintenance.
- Training permissions: users only see the book button once trained on that instrument, with an expiry date.
- Actual usage capture: badge, QR code on the instrument or a link to the acquisition software to measure real use.
- Billing: monthly export to the university finance system for internal users, invoices and purchase orders for external clients, including e-invoicing where required.
- Reporting: hours per instrument, per group, per funder type, saturation rates, for annual reports and facility accreditation.
- Authentication through the academic identity federation (eduGAIN or national equivalent), guest accounts for industry.
Budget and options compared
| Option | Indicative cost | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Shared calendar and spreadsheet | No licence cost | No permissions, manual billing |
| Off-the-shelf booking software | 3,000 to 12,000 EUR a year, 2026 ballpark | Rates and finance exports hard to adapt |
| Kolonell, simple | 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) | Calendar, permissions, exports |
| Kolonell, medium | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) | Full rate card, billing, reporting |
| Kolonell, complex | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) | Instrument usage capture, SSO, finance integrations |
| Maintenance | 35,000 / 75,000 / 120,000 FCFA per month (53 / 114 / 183 EUR) | By service level |
For a 45-instrument facility, the medium profile is often enough for the first batch; automatic usage capture and the finance system integration come in batch two. Hosting, badge readers and specific integrations are priced in the quote.
Mini case study
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Dr Hoffmann, head of an imaging and cytometry core facility in Strasbourg, runs 45 instruments for 60 groups and 12 industry clients, about 21,000 booked hours a year.
The main batch is priced at around 6,500,000 FCFA (9,910 EUR), delivered in 4 months, with Standard maintenance at 75,000 FCFA a month (114 EUR, so 1,368 EUR a year).
Estimated gains: recovering 4% of undeclared hours on 21,000 hours at an average 45 EUR, worth 37,800 EUR; freeing 20 engineer billing days at 300 EUR loaded per day, worth 6,000 EUR; reallocating 1,000 late-cancelled hours, about 20,000 EUR of capacity. Total: over 60,000 EUR a year against a first-year cost of about 11,300 EUR. Payback: roughly 2 to 3 months after go-live.
FAQ
How do we handle late cancellations?
A simple rule works well: free cancellation up to 48 hours before, 50% charged after that, and automatic release of the slot if the user has not checked in within 30 minutes. This often halves lost slots within a quarter.
Can industry clients book without a university account?
Yes, with a guest account approved by the facility, plus a recorded contract and purchase order. Their rates, from 120 to 250 EUR an hour, apply automatically.
Can we measure real usage without touching the instruments?
A QR code scanned at the start and end of a session is enough to begin. Connecting to the acquisition workstation is more reliable and usually adds 5 to 10 development days per instrument family.
Is the reporting usable for grant applications?
Yes: hours per instrument, per group, per funding source and saturation rates export in one click. Annual reports that took 10 days take half a day.
What happens to users' personal data?
It is limited to identity, group, permissions and booking history, kept in line with accounting rules, often 10 years for billing records, and inactive accounts are purged after 3 years.
Let's scope your project. Send us your instrument list, rate profiles and billing workflow, and we will propose a first batch deliverable in 3 to 5 months plus a plan for automatic usage capture. 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.
