The verdict in three sentences
For a hardware wholesaler with 4 depots and 8,000 SKUs around London, losses rarely come from dramatic theft but from stockouts on fast movers, inventory variances between depots and poorly tracked trade credit accounts. A medium complexity Kolonell application, between 6,100 and 10,670 EUR (4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA), covers multi-depot stock, credit sales and reorder alerts, delivered in 3 to 4 months. With maintenance at 110 EUR a month, it usually pays back within a year through recovered sales, and compares well with Unleashed or Odoo subscriptions over five years.
The three leaks of a multi-depot wholesaler
In London, a hardware wholesaler serves independent shops, building contractors and trade customers at the counter. SKUs range from cement bags and rebar to screws, taps and electrical cable. With 4 depots (for example Park Royal, Croydon, Barking and Enfield), real stock quickly drifts from what the system shows.
First leak: stockouts on the 500 to 800 SKUs that make 80% of sales, when the trade customer goes to the merchant down the road. Second leak: inter-depot transfers never recorded, creating variances at every stock count. Third leak: trade credit tracked loosely, with limits exceeded and reminders forgotten.
| Metric | Typical situation without a tool | Target with the application | Lever |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales lost to stockouts | 2 to 4% of revenue | Under 1% | Threshold alerts |
| Annual inventory variance | 2 to 4% of stock value | Under 1% | Tracked transfers |
| Overdue trade accounts | 10 to 20% of receivables | Under 6% | Limits and reminders |
| Full stock count duration | 2 to 4 days per depot | 1 day with cycle counts | Cycle counting by zone |
| Dead stock | 15 to 20% of value | Under 10% | Turnover report |
| Month end close | 3 to 5 days | 1 day | Accounting export |
*2026 orders of magnitude seen at builders merchants and distributors, to check against your figures.*
What the application contains and what it costs
The typical scope fits in six modules. It stays in the medium complexity range as long as you do not require real time sync with a foreign ERP or a B2B marketplace.
| Module | Content | Indicative share of budget | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog and units | 8,000 SKUs, multiple units (each, box, tonne), barcodes | 15% | ||
| Multi-depot stock | Receipts, issues, transfers, cycle counts | 25% | ||
| Sales and counter | Quotes, invoices, 20% VAT, card and bank transfer | 20% | ||
| Trade credit | Limits, due dates, email reminders, statements | 15% | ||
| Replenishment | Thresholds, purchase orders, suggestions | 15% | ||
| Dashboards | Turnover, margin per family, dead stock | 10% | ||
| Option | 2026 cost | Timeline | Multi-depot and credit | Limits |
| Spreadsheets | Near zero | Immediate | No | No control |
| Unleashed | Monthly plan rising with users and warehouses, market estimate | 1 to 2 months | Yes | No counter sales, add-ons needed |
| Odoo | Per user per month plus integrator setup, market estimate | 2 to 4 months | Yes | Heavy configuration, partner fees |
| Kolonell medium application | 6,100 to 10,670 EUR (4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA) | 3 to 4 months | Yes, on your rules | Project to steer |
| Kolonell Standard application maintenance | 110 EUR per month (75,000 FCFA) | Ongoing | Yes | Plan from day one |
The 3 to 4 month timeline includes 2 to 3 weeks of scoping (sales flows, credit rules, SKU coding), two months of development and a one month pilot in one depot before opening the other three.
Mini case study
Tom, owner of a hardware wholesaler in London (4 depots, 8,000 SKUs), turns over 12,000,000 GBP a year at an average gross margin of 25%. He estimates losing 3% of sales to stockouts, or 360,000 GBP of revenue and 90,000 GBP of margin a year.
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By cutting stockouts to 1%, he recovers 240,000 GBP of sales and 60,000 GBP of margin. Add the variance reduction on a 2,500,000 GBP stock, from 3% to 1%, or 50,000 GBP a year. For an application at about 8,500 EUR plus 1,320 EUR of yearly maintenance, a total gain around 110,000 GBP a year pays back the project within the first months of operation, even if the real gains are half the estimate.
FAQ
Does the application keep working during internet outages?
Counter terminals can run in degraded mode and sync when the connection returns. A 4G backup router per depot covers most cases.
Can it connect to Xero or Sage?
Yes, invoices and payments are exported or pushed through API to your accounting package. This connector usually represents 10 to 15% of the budget.
How do we load 8,000 SKUs without rekeying?
The catalog is imported from your Excel files, then enriched with barcodes. Allow 1 to 2 weeks of cleaning for 8,000 lines.
Can sales reps check stock on their phones?
Yes, mobile access shows stock per depot and each account's balance before a credit sale. That prevents exceeding agreed limits.
What does the 110 EUR monthly maintenance include?
Fixes, security updates, hosting monitoring and small improvements. Significant new modules are quoted separately.
Let's scope your project. Share your depot count, SKU count and trade credit rules, and we will price an application between 6,100 and 10,670 EUR delivered in 3 to 4 months. 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.
