The verdict in three sentences
For a company delivering 40 programmes a year in Montreal, custom production management software costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, CAD 80,000 to 180,000, depending on modules and integrations with payroll and accounting. The main gain is not in scheduling but in linking budgets in funder formats, actual costs and union payroll, three data sets that today live in spreadsheets, a specialised payroll service and email. If your final cost reports take more than two months after delivery, the project pays back within a year.
Modules and their cost
A Quebec producer handles sector-specific obligations: budgets and final cost reports in the formats expected by the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm and broadcasters, union agreements with AQTIS 514 IATSE, UDA or ACTRA, and the documentation of eligible labour for the Quebec film and television production tax credit administered with SODEC and the federal Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, which reaches 25% of qualified labour expenditure.
| Module | Key function | Indicative 2026 cost (CAD, ex taxes) | Build time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budgets | Funder chart of accounts, versions, budget versus actual, final cost report | 16,000 to 34,000 | 5 to 7 weeks |
| Shooting schedules | Call sheets, crews, locations, equipment, conflicts | 13,000 to 27,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Crew and talent | Union deal memos, rates, hours, payroll export | 16,000 to 38,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Commitments and spend | Purchase orders, expenses, accounting reconciliation | 10,000 to 22,000 | 4 to 5 weeks |
| Rights and broadcasts | Author and broadcaster contracts, territories, terms, deadlines | 13,000 to 30,000 | 5 to 7 weeks |
| Deliveries | Delivery elements, subtitles, technical QC, returns | 6,000 to 15,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Management dashboard | Margin per programme, cash flow, tax credit files | 6,000 to 14,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
Total: CAD 80,000 to 180,000. Annual running costs (hosting, maintenance, updates for union rates or funder formats) represent 12 to 15% of the build.
The point not to underestimate is the payroll export. Recoding union payroll rarely makes sense: specialised payroll services already handle rates, fringes and remittances. The custom software prepares variable items, checks hours against deal memos, then sends them cleanly, removing most rekeying.
What you gain, item by item
Assumptions: 40 programmes a year, CAD 18 million in cumulative production budgets, a production team of 8.
| Item | Current situation | With the software | Estimated annual gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building a budget | 2 days | 0.5 day | 60 days freed, CAD 39,000 |
| Preparing payroll items | 40 h a month | 10 h a month | 360 h, CAD 23,400 |
| Unanticipated overruns | spotted at wrap | alerts at 80% of each line | 0.5% of budgets, CAD 90,000 |
| Unbilled rebroadcasts and sales | 1 to 2 a year | close to zero | CAD 22,000 |
| Final cost report | 8 to 10 weeks | 2 to 3 weeks | faster funder and credit payments |
| Tax credit files | manual reconstruction | eligible labour tagged at entry | lower audit risk |
Custom build or market software
Production budgeting and scheduling tools exist, priced at CAD 70 to 200 per user per month. They suit companies producing a few programmes a year. Beyond 20 to 30 programmes, the challenge becomes data flow between budgets, payroll, accounting and rights, and that is where custom software, or a custom integration layer between existing tools, pays off.
Mini case study
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Julie, head of production at a company in Mile End, Montreal, delivers 40 programmes a year, documentaries and lifestyle series. She approves a CAD 130,000 scope with CAD 18,000 a year in running costs. Gains retained: CAD 39,000 on budgets, CAD 23,400 on payroll, CAD 90,000 of overruns avoided and CAD 22,000 of broadcasts billed, CAD 174,400 in total. Net of running costs: CAD 156,400. The build is covered in 130,000 / 156,400 x 12 = about 10 months, and earlier final cost reports speed up funder and tax credit payments.
FAQ
Can the software produce budgets in funder formats?
Yes, the chart of accounts is configured and exports follow the expected structure. Moving from budget to final cost report requires no rekeying, saving 5 to 7 weeks at close.
Do we need to replace our union payroll service?
No, the software prepares variable items and sends them by export or API. Your payroll coordinator keeps the existing service and saves about 30 hours a month.
How are rights tracked over several years?
Each contract is recorded with territories, platforms, terms and minimum guarantees. An alert 90 days ahead flags every rights or rebroadcast deadline.
How long until we are operational?
Plan 4 to 6 months for the full scope. The budgets module can be delivered in 6 to 7 weeks, before your next funding application round.
Is crew data protected?
Quebec's Law 25 applies: social insurance numbers encrypted, role-based access and logged consultations. Hosting in Canada simplifies your privacy impact assessment.
Let's scope your project. Send us your programme volume, current tools and priorities, and we will price a phased scope with an indicative budget in CAD and a go-live calendar. 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.
