The verdict in three sentences
An online technical catalog for a manufacturer with 2,000 SKUs costs between EUR 20,000 and 60,000 excluding VAT in 2026 (about USD 22,000 to 65,000), depending on how deep the PIM or ERP integration goes. What moves the budget is not design but product data quality and the number of technical filters to index. Properly scoped, the project ships in 12 to 20 weeks and cuts sales team calls for datasheets or drawings by about 30%.
What the budget actually buys
An industrial catalog is not a brochure site with a product list. It relies on a structured database (attributes, units, variants, compatibilities) that feeds web pages, faceted search and PDF datasheet generation at the same time. The grid below gives 2026 ballpark figures for a European manufacturer.
| Level | Scope | Budget excl. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple catalog | One-off CSV import, 5 to 10 filters, manual PDFs | EUR 20,000 to 28,000 | 10 to 12 weeks |
| Connected catalog | Daily PIM sync, 10 to 20 filters, generated PDFs | EUR 30,000 to 42,000 | 12 to 16 weeks |
| Advanced catalog | ERP + PIM sync, 20 to 30 filters, simple configurator | EUR 45,000 to 60,000 | 16 to 20 weeks |
| Multilingual option | FR + EN + DE, attribute translation | + EUR 4,000 to 9,000 | + 2 weeks |
| Distributor portal option | Account-based pricing, restricted documents | + EUR 6,000 to 12,000 | + 3 weeks |
| Hosting and maintenance | Dedicated server, backups, updates | EUR 250 to 600 per month | Ongoing |
The main trap is underestimating data migration. If 40% of your records have incomplete attributes or inconsistent units (mm and cm mixed, for example), allow 10 to 20 days of cleanup before any development.
Recommended architecture: PIM, ERP and website
The rule is simple: one source of truth per data type. The ERP handles item codes, stock and prices; the PIM handles descriptions, technical attributes and media; the website consumes both through an API and stores nothing it cannot rebuild.
| Component | Role | Common 2026 tools | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERP | Codes, prices, stock | Sage X3, SAP Business One, Divalto | Existing |
| PIM | Attributes, media, translations | Akeneo, Pimcore, Plytix | EUR 0 to 1,500 per month |
| Connector | Scheduled sync | REST API, XML or CSV feeds | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 one-off |
| Search engine | Facets on 10 to 30 criteria | Meilisearch, Algolia, Elasticsearch | EUR 0 to 400 per month |
| PDF generator | On-the-fly datasheets | Puppeteer, HTML template | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 one-off |
| Front end | Product pages, SEO, performance | Next.js, incremental static rendering | Included in the project |
The PDF generator deserves special attention: with 2,000 SKUs, producing datasheets by hand takes 300 to 500 hours a year of updates. A datasheet generated from the PIM is always current, which also removes the risk of sending a customer an outdated dimension.
On the SEO side, each SKU becomes an indexable page with Product structured data, capturing very precise searches ("pneumatic cylinder 50 mm stroke 200") that less equipped competitors do not cover.
Typical 16-week plan
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Data audit and scoping | 2 weeks | Attribute dictionary, filter list |
| PIM cleanup and structuring | 3 weeks | 2,000 compliant records |
| UX and mockups | 3 weeks | Search, product page, comparison flows |
| Development and connectors | 5 weeks | Connected site, generated PDFs |
| QA and go-live | 3 weeks | Tests on 100% of families, redirects |
Mini case study
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Claire, marketing director at a hydraulic components manufacturer near Lyon, manages 2,000 SKUs. Her 6-person sales team receives about 400 calls a month for a datasheet or drawing, at 8 minutes per call on average, or 53 hours a month. With a connected catalog at EUR 38,000 excluding VAT, the 30% reduction frees 16 hours a month. At a loaded hourly cost of EUR 45, that is EUR 720 a month, plus the 350 annual hours of manual PDF updates eliminated (about EUR 15,700). The annual gain reaches nearly EUR 24,000, a payback of roughly 19 months, before counting extra leads from SEO.
FAQ
Do we really need a PIM for 2,000 SKUs?
Not necessarily, but beyond 1,000 SKUs with more than 10 attributes, a PIM pays for itself. An open source PIM such as Akeneo Community has no license cost; plan EUR 5,000 to 10,000 for configuration.
How many technical filters should we plan?
Between 10 and 30 depending on product families. Beyond 8 filters shown at once, users get lost, so relevant filters are displayed per family, with search results in under 200 ms.
Can the site show prices and stock?
Yes, through the ERP, usually restricted to logged-in distributor accounts. Syncing stock every 15 to 60 minutes adds EUR 3,000 to 6,000 to the connector.
What happens to our old site and its rankings?
A 301 redirect plan covers 100% of old product URLs. Done well, it keeps traffic loss under 10% for 4 to 8 weeks.
Who updates the catalog after delivery?
Your teams, in the PIM only. The site updates automatically at each sync with no technical intervention, which keeps maintenance at EUR 250 to 600 a month.
Let's scope your project. Send us your SKU count, ERP or PIM tools and deadline: we price a connected catalog between EUR 20,000 and 60,000 excluding VAT with a 12 to 20 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.
