Custom software ROI
Custom software ROI: real cases from Spanish companies
Published: February 19, 2026
Return on investment from custom software isn't a promise: it's something that can be calculated before starting and measured after delivery. These three real cases show how mid-sized Spanish companies achieved positive ROI in under 18 months on projects between €50,000 and €200,000.
If you're evaluating a custom software project and need to justify the investment to leadership or investors, these real cases from Spanish companies give you the ROI benchmarks you need. Dockia works with mid-sized companies to define the right scope, estimate return, and deliver on predictable timelines.
Case 1 — Operational automation: logistics distributor
- Problem: 6 operators manually entering supplier orders into ERP. 4h/person/day, 8% error rate.
- Solution: integration API between supplier order portal and proprietary ERP. Development: 3 months, €65,000.
- Result: elimination of 4h/person/day × 6 people = 24h/day recovered. Error reduction to 0.3%.
- ROI: annual savings of €180,000 in hours + €40,000 in rework. Payback in 4.3 months.
Case 2 — B2B portal for distributors: industrial manufacturer
- Problem: distributors ordering by phone and email. Sales team spent 60% of time on manual order entry.
- Solution: B2B portal with per-distributor custom catalog, order management, history, and real-time status. Development: 4 months, €90,000.
- Result: 78% of orders via portal by month 3. Sales team recovered 3 days/week for new business development.
- ROI: 23% revenue increase in 12 months from higher commercial capacity. Payback in 6 months.
Case 3 — ERP-ecommerce integration: multichannel retailer
- Problem: stock out of sync between ERP and 3 ecommerce channels (own site, Amazon, Miravia). Overselling returns: €8,000/month.
- Solution: real-time stock synchronization middleware between ERP and channels. Development: 5 months, €120,000.
- Result: overselling returns reduced to 0.2%. Catalog update time: from 4 hours to 12 minutes.
- ROI: €96,000/year saved in returns alone + €35,000 in hours. Payback in 9 months.
How to calculate ROI before starting your project
- Step 1: quantify the current problem. Lost hours × hourly cost + errors × economic impact + missed opportunities.
- Step 2: estimate solution cost. Development + annual maintenance (10-15% of development) + training.
- Step 3: calculate payback. Total cost / annual savings or incremental revenue = months to positive ROI.
- Practical rule: if estimated payback exceeds 24 months, revise scope or solution — not the entire project.
Want to calculate estimated ROI for your custom software project?