The verdict in three sentences
For a 200-employee food manufacturer in Dublin, a constraint-based scheduling engine connected to the ERP and MES costs between EUR 40,000 and 90,000 excluding VAT and takes about 4 months to deploy. The payoff sits on two measurable levers: +6 to +12 OEE points and 20% fewer changeovers thanks to sequencing that respects allergens, cleaning and shelf life. The project pays back within the first year if the plant currently loses more than 3 hours per line per day to poorly ordered changeovers.
Why the morning Excel schedule costs more than it looks
In a plant with 4 lines and 350 SKUs, the scheduler typically spends 2 to 3 hours every morning rebuilding the plan: overnight retailer orders, material shortages, absences, mandatory cleaning between a gluten recipe and a gluten-free one. Excel cannot see cross-constraints. The result: runs that are too short, wet cleans in the middle of the afternoon and products made too early that burn their shelf life in stock.
An optimisation engine does not replace the scheduler. It offers 2 or 3 costed scenarios within minutes (expected OEE, number of changeovers, service level), and the scheduler decides.
| Constraint | Current Excel handling | With an AI scheduling engine |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens (gluten, milk, nuts) | Rules of thumb, occasional errors | Automatic sequencing matrix, from least to most allergenic |
| Cleaning (dry, wet, CIP) | Placed as it comes | Grouped and placed at end of shift |
| Customer shelf-life requirements | Manual stock checks | Latest production date compatible with required shelf life |
| Capacity of the 4 lines | Theoretical average | Actual rates pulled from the MES |
| Urgent retailer orders | Full replanning, 1 to 2 h | Insertion simulated in under 5 min |
| Staff per shift | Separate spreadsheet | Skills and headcount built into the calculation |
Detailed 2026 budget: EUR 40,000 to 90,000 excluding VAT
The range depends mostly on data quality (routings, rates, changeover times) and the number of systems to connect. The figures below are 2026 orders of magnitude for the European market.
| Item | Targeted version (2 pilot lines) | Full version (4 lines) |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, constraint modelling | EUR 6,000 | EUR 10,000 |
| Optimisation engine and business rules | EUR 15,000 | EUR 32,000 |
| ERP connection (orders, stock, bills of materials) | EUR 7,000 | EUR 14,000 |
| MES connection (rates, stoppages, OEE) | EUR 5,000 | EUR 12,000 |
| Scheduler interface and scenario simulation | EUR 5,000 | EUR 14,000 |
| Acceptance testing, training, go-live support | EUR 2,000 | EUR 8,000 |
| Total | EUR 40,000 | EUR 90,000 |
Hosting and ongoing improvements come on top, priced according to compute volume and the service level you need. On funding, Enterprise Ireland digitalisation grants and the R&D tax credit may reduce the net cost: check case by case with your accountant.
Typical 4-month timeline
| Month | Step | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Data audit, constraint mapping | Allergen matrix, measured changeover times |
| Month 2 | Optimisation engine on 2 lines | First plans compared with the Excel schedule |
| Month 3 | ERP and MES connections, extension to 4 lines | Daily plan generated automatically |
| Month 4 | Parallel run, tuning, training | Cutover, OEE and changeover dashboard |
Month 1 is the critical one: without changeover times measured on the shop floor, no algorithm will deliver.
Mini case study
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Claire, plant manager of a ready-meals SME near Dublin, runs 4 lines on 2 shifts. Each line loses about 3 h 30 per day to changeovers. With optimised sequencing she targets 20% fewer changeovers, which means 42 minutes recovered per line per day, about 2 h 50 across the plant. Valued at EUR 450 per production hour (contribution margin), that is around EUR 1,260 per day, close to EUR 280,000 over 220 working days. Even counting only half of that gain, a EUR 90,000 project pays back in under 8 months, before counting the scheduler's 2 daily hours redirected to variance analysis.
FAQ
Do we need to change ERP to automate scheduling?
No, in 9 cases out of 10 the engine connects to the existing ERP through an API or scheduled file exchange. The connection budget sits between EUR 7,000 and 14,000 depending on the age of the system.
What OEE gain can we reasonably expect?
The 2026 order of magnitude observed is +6 to +12 OEE points, provided changeover times are measured properly. Plants starting below 55% OEE usually see the biggest gains.
Does the AI really handle allergens?
Yes, through a sequencing matrix that enforces production order and the type of cleaning between two recipes. The rule is validated by your quality manager and can be set as blocking, with no override possible by the algorithm.
How long before the first usable plan?
Allow 6 to 8 weeks for a first plan on 2 pilot lines, and 4 months for the full plant with ERP and MES connections.
What happens when a retailer sends an urgent order?
The scheduler simulates the insertion in under 5 minutes and sees the impact on OEE and other deliveries before confirming. It is often the most valued day-to-day benefit.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of lines, SKUs and the systems in place (ERP, MES) and we will return a scope, an indicative budget and a deployment 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.
