The verdict in three sentences
For an industrial spare parts importer in Dubai, the real hidden cost is the price request on a vague part number: a customer sends a photo or an old OEM number, and your team spends 20 to 30 minutes finding the item. A B2B online catalogue with cross-reference and compatibility search costs 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA with Kolonell, i.e. EUR 6,100 to 10,670 (about AED 25,000 to 45,000), delivered in 10 to 14 weeks. The key scoping issue is a clean import of your part numbers and equivalences, before any design work.
Why price requests cost you so much
Maintenance workshops, plants in Jebel Ali and Dubai Industrial City, contractors and marine operators buy bearings, seals, filters, belts and hydraulic parts. They rarely know your item code: they have the OEM reference, a competitor's number or the dimensions. Without a matching engine, every request arrives by phone, WhatsApp or email.
| Current situation | Typical volume | Average time | Estimated 2026 hidden cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price request by phone or WhatsApp | 20 to 40 per day | 20 to 30 min | 1 to 2 full-time sales staff |
| OEM number to convert | 60 % of requests | 10 to 15 min of searching | Wrong part rate 3 to 5 % |
| Stock check by calling the warehouse | 50 % of requests | 5 to 10 min | Answer the next day |
| Quote written in Excel | 15 to 30 per day | 10 min | Untracked quotes |
| Quote follow-up | Rare | Not measured | 30 to 50 % of quotes unanswered |
The features that make a B2B catalogue
Budget depends on SKU count, the quality of equivalence tables and the number of price lists. Amounts follow the 2026 Kolonell grid for medium complexity custom applications (4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA).
| Feature | What the customer sees | Effort | Included in 4 to 7 M FCFA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part number import | 5,000 to 50,000 items, families, brands | Data cleanup, 2 to 4 weeks | Yes |
| Cross-reference search | Enter an OEM or competitor number, get the equivalent | Equivalence table | Yes |
| Compatibility search | Machine, brand, model, dimensions | Technical attributes | Yes, on priority families |
| Customer pricing | Negotiated price after login | Price lists per account | Yes |
| Online quote | Cart turned into a PDF quote request | Sales workflow | Yes |
| Indicative stock | In stock, within 48 h, on order | Sync with sales software | Yes |
| Online payment | Card, bank transfer | Local payment gateway | Optional depending on scope |
As an order of magnitude, a 10,000 SKU catalogue with equivalences on 3 to 5 families sits at the low end; 30,000 SKUs, several warehouses and automatic stock sync push it to the high end.
Timeline and recurring costs
| Item | 2026 amount or duration |
|---|---|
| Scoping and data audit | 2 weeks |
| Import, cleanup, equivalences | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Front end and customer portal | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Acceptance with 10 pilot customers | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Kolonell maintenance | 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA per month (EUR 50 to 180) |
| Optional monthly SEO | Kolonell plans Essentiel 100,000, Growth 200,000, Premium 350,000 FCFA per month |
SEO matters for part numbers: a buyer typing an OEM reference into Google should land on your product page. Plans are detailed on our SEO page.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Rashid, managing director of a bearings and hydraulic parts importer in Al Quoz, receives 30 price requests a day at 25 minutes each: 12.5 hours a day, about 2,750 hours a year. If the catalogue cuts that time by 3, the saving reaches about 1,830 hours a year. At a loaded cost of AED 60 per hour, that is about AED 110,000 a year. With a project at 5,500,000 FCFA (about EUR 8,380, or AED 35,000) and maintenance at 75,000 FCFA per month, payback is, as an order of magnitude, around 4 months, before counting quotes won through same-day answers.
FAQ
How much does a spare parts B2B catalogue cost in Dubai?
With Kolonell, plan 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA, i.e. EUR 6,100 to 10,670, depending on SKU count and equivalences. Timeline is 10 to 14 weeks.
How does cross-reference search work?
A table links each item to its OEM and competitor numbers. The customer enters any of them and sees your equivalent item, with price and stock.
Can different customers see different prices?
Yes, each trade account sees its negotiated price list after login. Anonymous visitors see a list price or a quote request button.
Should all 30,000 part numbers go live at launch?
No, it pays more to start with the 3 to 5 families that drive 70 to 80 % of requests. The rest are added in batches after launch.
Does the catalogue connect to my sales software?
Yes, stock and prices can sync several times a day if your software exposes a database or API. A 2 week audit confirms feasibility.
Let's scope your project. Give us your SKU count, priority families and sales software: we will price the B2B catalogue, the indicative budget and a 10 to 14 week timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h via our quote form. 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.