The verdict in three sentences
For an Amsterdam wholesaler with 5,000 SKUs across 3 warehouses, a rented vertical ERP starts fast but hits a wall once your per-customer price lists and B2B ordering portal leave the standard mould. A custom platform costs 55,000 to 120,000 EUR but removes per-user licences and absorbs your real business rules. The tipping point sits around 12-15 users and a strong need for an EDI/accounting connector.
Rented ERP vs custom platform: the real 3-year cost
The licence trap is cost-per-user times the months. At 25 users, a vertical at 70 EUR/month already exceeds 63,000 EUR over 3 years, before integration.
| Line item (2026 estimate) | Rented vertical ERP | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|
| Licence 25 users, 36 months | 63,000 EUR | 0 EUR |
| Integration & setup | 18,000 EUR | included in build |
| Initial build | — | 55,000-120,000 EUR |
| EDI/accounting connector | 8,000 EUR | included |
| Annual maintenance | 12,000 EUR/yr | 15% of build/yr |
| Total 3-year cost (avg) | ~119,000 EUR | ~110,000-160,000 EUR |
What the custom build must cover
A wholesaler is not a shop: value lives in logistics and pricing. The minimum scope to frame.
| Module | Key function | Quantified impact |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-warehouse | Real-time stock across 3 sites, reservation | -20 to -30% stockouts |
| Per-customer pricing | Grids, volume discounts, contracts | +2-4 pts margin held |
| B2B portal | 24/7 ordering, history, reorder | 7 hrs/week entry saved |
| EDI connector | GS1 orders, e-invoices | -1.5 days processing |
| Accounting/GDPR | Exact/Sage export, records register | compliance assured |
| Maintenance 15%/yr | Fixes, evolutions, hosting | service continuity |
Mini case study
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Sarah, COO of an industrial wholesaler in Amsterdam (28 staff, 4.2M EUR revenue), has 3 assistants spending 7 hours/week each re-keying orders received by email and fax. With the B2B portal she reclaims 21 hours/week, or at ~28 EUR/hr loaded roughly 30,500 EUR/year. Cutting stockouts by 25% recovers ~55,000 EUR/year of lost sales. Against an 85,000 EUR build, payback lands in under 14 months.
FAQ
Won't an Odoo or standard ERP do? Early on, yes. Once per-customer pricing and EDI become structural, add-on layers cost 15,000 to 40,000 EUR and stay fragile at every upgrade.
How long to deploy? Budget 14 to 22 weeks for a multi-warehouse platform with a B2B portal, delivered in 3 batches: stock, pricing, customer portal.
Can we keep our current accounting? Yes. An Exact or Sage connector syncs invoices and entries, avoiding double entry and securing VAT.
What maintenance budget should we plan? Maintenance at 15%/yr of the build, roughly 12,000 to 18,000 EUR for an 85,000 EUR platform, covers fixes, evolutions and hosting.
Is custom riskier than an editor? Risk is controlled through short batches and acceptance at each step; you own the code with no per-user licence dependency.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your warehouses, SKU count and pricing rules, and we frame the scope and an indicative budget between 55,000 and 120,000 EUR. 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.
