The verdict in three sentences
A franchised travel network rests on two promises: franchisees sell more thanks to the brand, and head office pays them correctly and on time. With 28 agencies, 14,000 bookings a year and commissions of 6 to 12 % by product, spreadsheets and group chats can no longer guarantee either. A custom franchise extranet centralises bookings, calculates commissions and royalties, tracks ATOL obligations and acts as the document library and training platform for the whole network.
Why the network is outgrowing its tools
The network director in London oversees agencies across Greater London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Each agency logs bookings in its own system. Head office receives statements at month end, recalculates commissions, checks royalties and handles disputes. Peak periods, January sales and summer, concentrate both volume and errors. Every package sold must also carry the right ATOL certificate, issued under the network's licence or the franchisee's own.
| Flow | Annual volume | Calculation rule | Current problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Package holidays (ATOL protected) | 4,500 bookings | commission 6 to 8 % | ATOL certificates tracked manually |
| Tours and escorted trips | 3,800 bookings | commission 10 to 12 % | outdated supplier prices |
| Flights only | 4,200 bookings | fixed service fee per ticket | manual reconciliation |
| Hotels only | 1,100 bookings | commission 8 to 10 % | duplicates between agencies |
| Visas and insurance | 400 bookings | flat fee per file | scattered documents |
| Franchise royalty | 28 agencies | 3 to 5 % of turnover | late declarations |
Volumes and rates are 2026 orders of magnitude for a UK network of this size.
The modules of a franchise extranet
Central bookings. Every agency creates bookings in one tool: client, product, supplier, cost, selling price, deposits. Passenger documents are uploaded once and tracked to departure.
Commission and royalty engine. Rules by product, agency and period are configured once. Each franchisee's monthly statement is calculated automatically with booking-level detail, which removes most disputes.
ATOL tracking. Each package booking generates its certificate record, and head office sees at a glance which bookings are protected and which are missing paperwork, ahead of the annual ATOL renewal with the CAA.
Network catalogue. Tours negotiated by head office, with prices and availability, are visible to every agency in real time.
Document library and training. Brand guidelines, procedures, supplier contracts, video modules for new consultants and validation quizzes.
Dashboards. Revenue and margin by agency, product and month, network league tables, alerts on late declarations.
Licensed software or custom build
| Criterion | Licensed agency software | Kolonell custom extranet |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 150 to 300 GBP per agency per month, about 50,000 to 100,000 GBP a year for 28 agencies (order of magnitude 2026) | simple 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR), medium 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), complex 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) |
| Franchise logic | rarely native | royalties and commissions at the core |
| ATOL workflow | generic | built around your licence model |
| Network catalogue | shared by export | real time for all agencies |
| Built-in training | absent | modules and quizzes included |
| Data ownership | vendor | head office |
| Lead time | 4 to 8 weeks | 14 to 18 weeks |
An extranet with bookings, commission engine, catalogue and training usually falls in the complex band. Hosting, supplier connectors and options are set in the quote; maintenance is 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) depending on level.
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Mini case study
Richard runs the network from London. Two full-time staff recalculate commissions and royalties every month, at a loaded cost of about 6,500 GBP a month. Franchisee disputes average 1.5 % of commissions paid, around 27,000 GBP a year of discrepancies to arbitrate.
With the extranet the calculation is automatic: one person half-time reviews statements, saving 4,875 GBP a month and 58,500 GBP a year. Discrepancies fall below 0.3 %, recovering about 21,600 GBP a year. In total roughly 80,000 GBP a year, before counting extra sales from the shared catalogue. Against a one-off build in the complex band, payback is measured in months.
FAQ
Can franchisees see other agencies' bookings?
No, each agency sees only its own bookings and statements. Head office sees everything, with role-based rights for managers, consultants and accountants.
Can the extranet connect to GDS and suppliers?
Connections to main suppliers are possible by API or file import. The exact scope, often 2 to 5 connectors, is set in the quote.
How are seasonal commission rates handled?
The engine supports dated rules, for example 8 % on summer packages and 6 % the rest of the year. Statements apply the right rule by booking date automatically.
How long to roll out across 28 agencies?
The build takes 14 to 18 weeks, then rollout runs in waves of 5 to 7 agencies over a month, using the built-in training modules.
Is customer data protected under UK GDPR?
The extranet encrypts traffic, logs access and supports UK GDPR requirements. Passport data is stored with restricted access and defined retention.
Let's scope your project. We map your booking flows, commission and royalty rules, and a 14 to 18 week rollout 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.
