The verdict in three sentences
A custom wholesale management solution costs EUR 55,000 to 130,000 in 2026 and ships in 6 to 9 months. The decisive lever is the B2B ordering portal: it cuts sales-admin workload by 30 to 50 % and secures the customer-specific price grids that standard solutions handle poorly. ERP integration and EDI with large accounts should be planned at discovery to avoid double entry.
What a wholesale solution costs in 2026
A Dublin wholesaler chooses between a standard distribution ERP (fast, but rigid on complex pricing) and custom (aligned, differentiating portal). Order of magnitude for 2026:
| Item | Distribution ERP | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 25,000 - 70,000 | EUR 55,000 - 130,000 |
| Recurring cost | 12 - 30 % license/yr | Hosting EUR 150 - 400/mo |
| Implementation time | 4 - 8 months | 6 - 9 months |
| Complex price grids | Limited | Unlimited, per customer |
| B2B portal | Optional, generic | Custom, tailored |
| Maintenance | Included | 12 - 18 %/yr |
Price grids (volume discounts, negotiated rates, category promotions) are the Achilles' heel of standard ERPs: that's often what triggers the move to custom.
B2B portal: less sales admin, more orders
Shifting order entry to a self-service portal changes sales-admin economics. Typical 2026 impact:
| Item | Without portal | With B2B portal |
|---|---|---|
| Order entry time | 6 - 12 min | 0 (customer enters) |
| Price/reference errors | 3 - 6 % | < 1 % |
| Sales-admin load (FTE per 100 customers) | 2.5 - 3.5 | 1.3 - 2.0 |
| Orders outside business hours | ~0 % | 20 - 35 % |
| Order processing delay | 2 - 24 h | Immediate |
| Average basket (recommendations) | Baseline | +8 to 15 % |
The portal doesn't replace sales reps: it frees them from data entry to focus on development and negotiation.
Mini case study
Nadia runs an industrial-supplies wholesaler in Dublin: 420 active customers, 6 sales-admin staff, EUR 9M turnover. Her negotiated prices lived in Excel files, a source of errors and disputes. She invests EUR 98,000 in a custom solution with B2B portal and EDI (delivered in 8 months) plus EUR 15,000/yr maintenance. Cutting sales-admin load from 6 to 3.5 FTE (saving ~EUR 90,000/yr loaded cost) and gaining +10 % average basket via the portal, payback lands in about 10 months.
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FAQ
Standard ERP or custom for a wholesaler?
If your pricing is simple, a distribution ERP (EUR 25,000-70,000) suffices. Once you manage negotiated per-customer grids, multi-tier discounts or a differentiating B2B portal, custom (EUR 55,000-130,000) is justified.
Does the B2B portal replace my sales reps?
No. It absorbs recurring reorder volume and frees reps for prospecting and negotiation. Average basket often rises 8 to 15 %.
Do I need EDI?
Yes if you work with large retail or big accounts that require it. EDI (orders, dispatch notices, invoices) avoids re-keying and smooths the relationship.
How is customer-specific pricing handled?
The pricing engine automatically applies the right grid (customer, volume, promotion, contract) at order time, on the portal and internally. Billing errors disappear.
What annual maintenance budget?
Maintenance of 12 to 18 % of dev cost, roughly EUR 7,000 to 24,000/yr. It covers evolutions, ERP/EDI connectors and sales-admin support.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your customer count, pricing complexity and ERP/EDI needs, and we'll define scope, an indicative budget and a timeline. 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.
