The verdict in three sentences
A shipping agency handling 15 to 60 port calls a month with Excel proformas and disbursements tracked by email ties up cash, answers owners slowly and forgets lines to recharge. A port call management application with an automatic proforma disbursement account (PDA), reconciliation with the final account (FDA), ship document tracking and USD billing falls into Kolonell's complex category: 7 to 15 M FCFA (10,670 to 22,870 EUR), over a 4 to 6 month project. Off-the-shelf ship agency software rents for 500 to 2,000 USD a month, but rarely fits the Port of Conakry tariffs and local practice.
Where an agency loses time and money today
Every port call triggers a chain of disbursements: port dues, pilotage, towage, mooring, berth fees, levies, agency fees. In Excel, each nomination means a file copied from the last one. 2026 orders of magnitude for an agency handling 30 calls a month:
| Step | Excel and email practice | 2026 order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing the PDA | Duplicated file, tariffs re-typed by hand | 3 to 4 hours per call |
| Funding request to the owner | Manual sending, email reminders | Funds received 5 to 10 days after request |
| Call tracking (ETA, berthing, departure) | WhatsApp messages and shared spreadsheet | Information spread across 3 to 5 people |
| Collecting supplier invoices | Scattered paper and PDFs | 20 to 40 documents per call |
| Closing the FDA | Line-by-line reconciliation | 30 to 60 days after the vessel sails |
| Unbilled variances | Lines forgotten between PDA and FDA | 0.5 to 1% of disbursements |
FDA closing time is the metric owners check first. An agency that closes in 15 days instead of 45 recovers its balance sooner and wins nominations.
The modules of port call software and their cost
| Module | Function | Indicative share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Port tariff repository | Port, pilotage and towage scales by vessel type and tonnage | 10 to 15% |
| Automatic PDA | Proforma computed in minutes from the vessel and call details | 15 to 20% |
| Call tracking | ETA, NOR, berthing, operations, departure, time-stamped and shared | 15% |
| Ship documents | Manifest, crew lists, certificates, declarations, stored per call | 10% |
| Disbursements and FDA | Supplier invoice entry, PDA/FDA variance computed, attachments | 20% |
| USD billing to owners | Invoices, funding requests, balances, multi-currency USD, EUR, GNF | 15% |
| Owner portal and dashboard | Client access to calls, statistics by line and vessel | 10 to 15% |
A scope centred on the PDA, tracking and the FDA sits around 7 to 9 M FCFA. With the owner portal, multi-currency billing, several ports (Conakry and Kamsar) and an accounting interface, it rises toward 12 to 15 M FCFA.
Renting software or building a custom application
| Option | Upfront cost | 2026 recurring cost | Watch points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel and email | 0 | Time and unbilled variances | Depends on 1 or 2 key people |
| International ship agency software | Setup 2,000 to 10,000 USD | 500 to 2,000 USD per month | Local port tariffs to enter yourself, English-only support |
| Kolonell application, complex scope | 7 to 15 M FCFA (10,670 to 22,870 EUR) | Maintenance 120,000 FCFA per month, hosting 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA per month | You own the code, built around Conakry tariffs and practice |
Over 3 years, software rented at 1,200 USD a month costs about 43,000 USD. A 10 M FCFA application plus 3 years of maintenance at 120,000 FCFA a month comes to 14.3 M FCFA, about 21,800 EUR. The real difference is less the price than the fit with local tariffs and documents.
The 4 to 6 month path: 3 weeks of scoping with operations and accounting, 10 to 14 weeks of development in batches (PDA first), 3 to 4 weeks of acceptance testing on real calls, then switchover.
Mini case study
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Mamadou, director of a shipping agency in Conakry (illustrative case), handles 35 calls a month with average disbursements of 30,000 USD per call. Preparing a PDA takes him 3 hours, i.e. 105 hours a month; with the software, 30 minutes is enough, freeing 87 hours. His unbilled variances amount to about 0.5% of disbursements: 35 x 30,000 x 0.5% = 5,250 USD a month. Recovering even half of that, 2,600 USD a month, pays back a 10 M FCFA (15,240 EUR) application in 6 to 7 months, before counting faster FDA closing.
FAQ
Why a 4 to 6 month project rather than 6 weeks?
The tariff repository, PDA, FDA and multi-currency billing are 7 interdependent modules. Testing them on 10 to 15 real calls before switchover avoids sending a wrong proforma to an owner.
Can the software compute port dues automatically?
Yes, from gross tonnage, length and call duration, using the scales stored in the repository. When a scale changes, one update applies to all following calls instead of fixing 30 files.
Can we bill in USD and keep the books in GNF?
Yes. The application handles the billing currency (USD or EUR) and the daily rate for the GNF accounting export. This module is about 15% of the budget.
Can owners track their calls themselves?
The owner portal gives read access to statuses, documents and balances. It sharply reduces follow-up emails, which can exceed 20 per call.
What does it cost to run after delivery?
Allow Kolonell maintenance at 120,000 FCFA a month for a complex project and hosting at 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA a month. Backups run daily and the application is reachable from the port as well as head office.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your call volume, ports and PDA templates, and we will price a scope between 7 and 15 M FCFA with a 4 to 6 month 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.
