The verdict in three sentences
A project and O&M software for a solar installer costs between 8 and 25 million FCFA (about USD 13,000 to 41,000, EUR 12,200 to 38,100) in 2026 when built with an offshore-friendly team, depending on the number of systems tracked (200 to 2,000) and whether customer installment payments are included; the same scope built by a Miami agency typically runs USD 40,000 to 120,000. It brings together sizing and quoting, the build phase, warranty tracking for panels, inverters and batteries, and technicians' service tickets in one tool. The realistic timeline is 3 to 5 months, and payback comes mostly from recovered manufacturer warranties and avoided defaults.
Why spreadsheets and WhatsApp are no longer enough
Whether in Ouagadougou, where load shedding fuelled the market, or in Florida, where hurricane resilience drives battery sales, installers now handle home kits from 300 Wp to 3 kWp, commercial systems for shops, clinics and schools, and mini-grids. A company that has installed 800 systems must know, for each one, which battery was fitted, when, under which warranty, and whether the customer paid installments. Without a single database, manufacturer warranties expire unclaimed and technicians repeat diagnoses already done.
| Module | 2026 budget (FCFA) | What it delivers |
|---|---|---|
| Sizing and quoting (load, irradiation, autonomy) | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 | Quote in 15 min instead of 1 h 30 |
| Project and site tracking (steps, photos, handover) | 1,500,000 to 4,500,000 | Visibility on every ongoing job |
| Installed base and warranties (serial numbers, dates) | 1,200,000 to 3,500,000 | Alerts 60 days before expiry |
| Service tickets and offline technician app | 1,800,000 to 5,000,000 | Traced visit, parts used |
| Installment payments (mobile money, cards, ACH) | 1,500,000 to 5,000,000 | Schedule and automatic SMS reminders |
| Management dashboard | 500,000 to 3,000,000 | Margin per project, failure rate |
| Total | 8,000,000 to 25,000,000 | About USD 13,000 to 41,000 |
Hosting and maintenance run, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between 150,000 and 450,000 FCFA a month (USD 250 to 750). The technician app must work offline: in rural areas, sync happens back in coverage.
Installments and O&M: where margin is won or lost
Many installers sell kits on 6 to 24 month installments. Without a tool, collection relies on manual calls and default rates often exceed 15%. The software generates the schedule, sends an SMS reminder 3 days before each due date, records mobile money or card payments and can flag customers for the technician to visit.
| Indicator | Without software | With software (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to prepare a quote | 1 h 30 | 15 to 20 min |
| Default rate on installment sales | 15 to 25% | 6 to 10% |
| Manufacturer warranties claimed | 30 to 40% of eligible cases | 85 to 95% |
| Average service resolution time | 7 to 10 days | 3 to 4 days |
| Wasted service visits (wrong diagnosis) | 1 in 4 | 1 in 10 |
| Monthly reporting time | 2 days | 1 hour |
For mini-grids, the module can be extended with prepaid meter data, at an extra 3 to 6 million FCFA depending on the manufacturer.
Mini case study
Issouf, managing director of a solar installation company in Ouagadougou, tracks 1,100 systems. Each year, about 90 batteries and inverters fail under warranty, with an average value of 350,000 FCFA. Today he gets only 35% replaced by the manufacturer: he loses about 20 million FCFA (USD 33,000) a year in replacements at his own cost. Moving to 90% of warranties claimed, he recovers nearly 17 million FCFA a year. Add the drop in defaults from 18% to 8% on 60 million FCFA of installment sales, or 6 million FCFA recovered. With software at 16 million FCFA and 3.6 million annual maintenance, payback arrives in under 10 months.
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FAQ
Can the software work on a weak connection?
Yes, the technician app is built offline-first: it stores tickets, photos and signatures, then syncs as soon as 3G or 4G returns. A full sync uses under 5 MB a day.
Which mobile payment methods are integrated?
In Burkina Faso, Orange Money and Moov Money come first, Wave as a complement; in the US, Stripe cards and ACH. Integrating an aggregator costs 1.5 to 5 million FCFA, with transaction fees of 1 to 2% depending on the operator.
Can we import our spreadsheet history?
Yes, as long as you have at least the customer, date and installed equipment. Migrating 1,000 rows with cleanup takes 1 to 2 weeks and costs 400,000 to 1,000,000 FCFA.
Do we need a customer-facing version?
Not at the start. A customer portal (schedule, tickets) can be added in phase 2 for 2 to 4 million FCFA, useful beyond 1,500 customers on installments.
How long until we are operational?
Allow 3 months for a first scope covering quotes, warranties and service, then 1 to 2 months for installments and the dashboard.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many systems you track, your technician headcount and your payment methods, and we will price a scope between 8 and 25 million FCFA delivered in 3 to 5 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.
