The verdict in three sentences
A shipping agency handling 320 port calls a year, whether in Mombasa or Lomé, loses on average 25 days between vessel departure and the final disbursement account (FDA), because pilotage, towage and port dues are recalculated by hand in Excel. Custom port call management software, with proforma disbursement account, final FDA and owner portal, costs 27,000 to 46,000 EUR (18 to 30 million FCFA) and ships in 12 weeks. The return comes first from cash flow: invoicing in 5 days instead of 30 releases blocked owner balances and sharply reduces disputes.
What port call management in Excel really costs
A container ship call generates 15 to 25 disbursement lines: port dues, pilotage, towage, mooring, re-invoiced handling, bunkering and provisions, agency fees, customs and health formalities. Each line depends on vessel type, gross tonnage, draft, arrival time and billing currency. Under Kenya Ports Authority or Port of Lomé tariffs alike, one outdated grid in Excel is enough to create a variance the owner will dispute three weeks later.
| Indicator (320 calls a year) | Excel practice | With dedicated software |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing a proforma disbursement account (PDA) | 3 h | 25 min, tariffs preloaded |
| Time to send the final disbursement account | 30 days | 5 days |
| Calls with a variance disputed by the owner | 8 to 12 % | under 3 % |
| Double entry, operations and accounting | systematic | removed by accounting export |
| Tracking port call funds (advances) | separate sheet | real-time balance per call |
| Admin hours per year | about 1,600 h | about 450 h |
These are 2026 orders of magnitude observed at mid-sized agencies in African ports. The costliest item is delay: until the FDA is sent, the balance owed by the owner sits in a suspense account.
Functional scope and 2026 budget
The software splits into modules that can be delivered in stages. The tariff library is the foundation: without it, nothing is reliable.
| Module | Content | Indicative budget |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff library | port dues, pilotage, towage, mooring by vessel type and tonnage | 3,810 to 6,100 EUR |
| Proforma disbursement account (PDA) | automatic calculation, FCFA, EUR, USD or KES, internal approval | 4,575 to 7,620 EUR |
| Final disbursement account (FDA) | supplier invoice matching, attachments, justified variances | 5,335 to 9,150 EUR |
| Owner portal | PDA and FDA access, statement of facts, payment history | 6,100 to 9,910 EUR |
| Port call funds and treasury | advances received, balances, automatic reminders | 3,050 to 5,335 EUR |
| Integrations | accounting export, e-mail, national single window | 3,050 to 5,335 EUR |
| Testing, training, data migration | two supervised pilot calls | 1,525 to 2,285 EUR |
| Total | 27,440 to 45,735 EUR (18 to 30 million FCFA) |
Evolutive maintenance and hosting run at roughly 460 to 760 EUR per month (300,000 to 500,000 FCFA) depending on users and required availability.
Custom build or international package
Licensed port agency packages exist, but they are designed for large European and Asian ports. In Mombasa or Lomé, configuring local tariffs and local currency invoicing remains the agency's job.
| Criterion | International package (SaaS) | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 4,500 to 9,000 EUR setup | 27,440 to 45,735 EUR |
| Recurring cost | 80 to 150 EUR per user per month | 460 to 760 EUR per month |
| Local port tariffs | entered and maintained by you | built in and updated |
| Local currency and VAT invoicing | partial | native |
| Owner portal under your brand | rarely | included |
| Ownership of code and data | no | yes |
For 12 users, a package costs about 15,000 EUR a year over five years, a total cost comparable to custom software, without local adaptation.
The typical plan fits in 12 weeks: scoping and tariff collection in weeks 1 and 2, PDA and FDA in weeks 3 to 7, owner portal in weeks 8 to 10, pilot calls and training in weeks 11 and 12.
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Mini case study
Kodjo, operations director of a shipping agency in Lomé, handles 320 calls a year with an average balance of 2,500,000 FCFA (3,810 EUR) owed by the owner after each call. Moving from 30 to 5 days of invoicing delay cuts receivables by about 320 × 3,810 × 25 / 365, so roughly 83,500 EUR of cash released. The 1,150 admin hours saved, valued at 9 EUR per hour, are worth 10,350 EUR a year. Disputes fall from 9 % to 3 % of calls, 19 disputes avoided per year with an average unrecovered variance of 610 EUR, so 11,600 EUR. With a 36,600 EUR budget, the recurring gain of about 22,000 EUR a year pays back the project in under 20 months, before the cash effect. An agency in Mombasa with the same volume would see similar ratios.
FAQ
How much does port call management software cost in 2026?
Plan on 27,000 to 46,000 EUR (18 to 30 million FCFA) for a full scope with PDA, FDA and owner portal. A first version limited to the tariff library and PDA starts around 12,000 EUR.
How long until it is operational?
Twelve weeks for the full version, including two weeks of pilot calls. The automatic PDA can be used from week 6.
Does the software handle several currencies?
Yes, each call can be billed in FCFA, EUR, USD or KES with a rate locked at the PDA date. The fixed FCFA to euro parity (655.957) simplifies euro billed calls in West Africa.
What happens when the port changes its tariffs?
Grids are versioned with an effective date: an ongoing call keeps the old tariff, new calls use the new one. Updating a grid takes an administrator less than one hour.
Do owners actually use the portal?
In practice, 60 to 80 % of regular owners check their PDA and FDA online in the first year, which greatly reduces e-mail exchanges about variances.
Let's scope your project. Send us your call volume, tariff grids and current tools: we will price a scope between 27,000 and 46,000 EUR with a 12-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.