The verdict in three sentences
A tier-1 aerospace subcontractor managing 450 suppliers and 900 RFQs a year by email loses most of its time on two tasks: chasing onboarding documents and copying quotes into a spreadsheet. A SaaS procurement suite at EUR 25,000 to 60,000 a year solves this if your processes fit its boxes, while a custom supplier portal makes more sense when AS9100 requirements, first article inspections and bid comparison rules are specific to your programmes. The realistic timeline is 4 to 6 months, a third of it spent on the supplier master data and migration.
Where buyers' time goes today
Before comparing tools, measure. Across the aerospace supply chain firms we meet, the pattern is very similar: one buyer handles 60 to 90 suppliers, launches 8 to 12 RFQs a month and spends a surprising amount of time chasing paperwork.
| Task | Annual volume | Unit time by email | Unit time with a portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collecting social-security compliance certificates (every 6 months) | 900 reminders | 15 min | 2 min (automatic reminder) |
| Tracking AS9100 and ISO 9001 certificates | 450 files | 20 min | 3 min (expiry alert) |
| Sending one RFQ to 4 suppliers | 900 RFQs | 30 min | 10 min |
| Consolidating and comparing quotes | 900 sheets | 60 min | 15 min |
| Questions and answers during the RFQ | 2,700 exchanges | 10 min | 5 min (central thread) |
| Archiving for customer or regulator audits | 900 files | 15 min | 0 min (built-in archive) |
On these assumptions, the team spends about 2,400 hours a year on these tasks by email, against about 650 hours with a portal. The gap, about 1,750 hours, is more than one full-time buyer.
SaaS procurement suite or custom portal: 2026 figures
Source-to-pay suites are feature-rich, but pricing follows the number of modules and active suppliers. For 450 suppliers and 6 buyers, the 2026 ballpark is EUR 25,000 to 60,000 a year, ERP integration extra.
| Criterion | SaaS procurement suite | Kolonell custom portal |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | EUR 15,000 to 50,000 integration | 2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 22,870+) depending on complexity |
| Annual cost | EUR 25,000 to 60,000 | Maintenance 35,000 / 75,000 / 120,000 FCFA a month (EUR 53 / 114 / 183), hosting on quotation |
| AS9100, FAI, conflict minerals onboarding | Generic forms to adapt | Questionnaire and required documents per spend category |
| Bid comparison | Standard price and lead-time grid | Your own rules: total cost, on-time rate, quality score |
| ERP integration (SAP, Sage X3, others) | Connectors often paid extras | Connector built on your actual data flow |
| Timeline | 3 to 9 months depending on modules | 4 to 6 months |
| Ownership | Subscription | Code and data are yours |
A custom build is not meant to replace an ERP or a full procurement suite. It covers the supplier-facing portal precisely: onboarding, document upload, RFQ responses, Q&A and history, then pushes the useful data to the ERP.
The minimum scope that saves time from month one
We recommend two phases. Phase 1 (8 to 10 weeks) covers onboarding: supplier profile, questionnaire per spend category, upload of compliance certificates, company registration, AS9100 certificates and insurance, expiry dates and automatic reminders at D-30 and D-7. Phase 2 (8 to 12 weeks) covers RFQs: creation from a template, selection of qualified suppliers, structured quote submission, Q&A visible to all bidders, comparison table and award.
Aerospace-specific watch points: export control on regulated drawings (access restricted per supplier and per document), drawing download log, long-term record retention and strong authentication for supplier accounts. These are detailed in workshops and priced in the quote.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Thomas is procurement director at a tier-1 subcontractor near Toulouse, leading 6 buyers. The 1,750 hours saved in the table above, valued at EUR 55 per loaded hour, amount to about EUR 96,000 a year of time recovered and redirected to negotiation and supplier development.
SaaS suite: EUR 30,000 integration then EUR 40,000 a year, so EUR 150,000 over three years. High-complexity custom portal with ERP connector and drawing access rights: 7,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870), plus Premium maintenance at 120,000 FCFA a month (EUR 183), about EUR 6,600 over three years. Total in the range of EUR 17,300 to 29,500 excluding hosting. Even if only half the projected hours are recovered, the investment is covered within the first year.
FAQ
Will suppliers actually use the portal?
Yes, if it saves them time: one account, clear reminders and a visible Q&A thread. In practice 80 to 90% of active suppliers are registered within 3 months when RFQs by email stop on an announced date.
How do we protect drawing confidentiality?
Each document is attached to an RFQ and visible only to invited suppliers, with a download log and a named watermark. Export control requirements are listed in workshops and handled in the specification.
Can the portal connect to SAP or Sage X3?
Yes, through an API or scheduled file exchange. The connector usually covers 3 or 4 flows: suppliers, items, purchase requisitions and awarded orders.
Do we have to build everything at once?
No. Onboarding alone, delivered in 8 to 10 weeks, already removes the 900 annual compliance reminders. RFQs come in a second phase.
Who hosts the data?
Your choice: your own cloud, a European host or a Kolonell-managed option priced on quotation. Daily backups and 10-year record retention are designed in from the start.
Let's scope your project. Send us your supplier count, spend categories and ERP, and we will propose a two-phase plan over 4 to 6 months with a reasoned comparison against market procurement suites. 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.
