The verdict in three sentences
For a facility management firm covering 150 to 250 commercial sites across British Columbia with 60 to 120 technicians, a well configured off the shelf CMMS wins in most cases, provided its mobile app genuinely works offline and data portability is written into the contract. A custom build (up to CAD 270,000) only makes sense when client contracts demand KPIs, approval flows or union rule handling that no vendor delivers without heavy customisation. The 100 point scoring grid below lets you decide on evidence rather than on demo polish.
The context: service levels across 200 sites
The VP of operations at a Vancouver facility management firm runs integrated maintenance contracts with guaranteed response and fix times, planned maintenance, fire and life safety inspections required under the BC Fire Code and BC Building Code, and specialist subcontractors for elevators, HVAC and fire systems. Field reports often need to be issued in English and French for federal or national clients, and technicians work under collective agreements whose overtime and call out rules affect scheduling. Client and employee data falls under BC's Personal Information Protection Act.
| Parameter | 2026 ballpark | What it means for the software |
|---|---|---|
| Sites managed | 150 to 250 | Site, building, floor, asset hierarchy |
| Field technicians | 60 to 120 | Offline mobile app is essential |
| Work orders a month | 4,000 to 7,000 | Automatic scheduling and dispatch |
| Subcontractors | 20 to 50 | Restricted access to close work orders |
| Contract KPIs | 5 to 15 per client | Automatic calculation and client export |
| Market budget | CAD 60,000 to 270,000 | Configuration or custom development |
The 100 point scoring grid
Score every candidate, software vendor or development agency, on the same grid using your own data. The weight on mobile reflects reality: a technician in a parkade with no signal who cannot close the work order will do it from memory that evening, or not at all.
| Criterion | Points | What earns full marks |
|---|---|---|
| Offline mobile app | 20 | Full work order, photos and signature with no signal, reliable sync |
| Automatic contract KPIs | 15 | Response and fix times per client, export without rework |
| Planned, reactive and subcontractor work | 15 | Inspection schedules, subcontractor close out |
| Data portability and ownership | 10 | Documented full export included at no extra cost |
| Five year total cost | 10 | Licences, configuration, changes and support priced |
| Integrations (ERP, invoicing, client portal) | 10 | Existing connectors or documented API |
| Multi site facility management references | 10 | Three comparable clients you can visit |
| Security and hosting | 5 | Canadian hosting option, backups, access logs |
| Rollout and training | 5 | Site by site cutover plan, field training in English and French |
| Total | 100 | Recommended threshold: 70 points |
An illustrative scoring of different candidate types on the same scenario, with 2026 market ballpark costs:
| Candidate type | Illustrative score | 5 year cost (CAD) | Rollout time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist multi site CMMS, configured | 76 | 180,000 to 390,000 | 4 to 7 months |
| SMB general CMMS | 57 | 75,000 to 165,000 | 2 to 4 months |
| ERP maintenance module | 60 | 220,000 to 480,000 | 6 to 10 months |
| Custom build by a Canadian agency | 72 | 270,000 to 450,000 | 8 to 12 months |
| CMMS plus nearshore custom layer (KPIs, client portal) | 79 | 210,000 to 420,000 | 5 to 8 months |
The last row pairs a strong CMMS with a thin custom layer for client KPIs. Kolonell's prices for that kind of work are 6,100 to 10,670 EUR (4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA) for a medium complexity application, and 10,670 to 22,870 EUR and more (7,000,000 to 15,000,000 FCFA and more) for a complex client portal connected to the CMMS.
Red flags in vendor meetings
- The mobile demo runs on office Wi-Fi: ask them to switch the network off and close a work order with photos.
- Contract KPIs are "exportable to Excel", which means your coordinators keep calculating them.
- Data portability is left to a later negotiation or priced on request.
- Pricing is per technician with no cap while you plan to hire.
- No reference above 100 sites is available for a visit.
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Illustrative example: Daniel, VP of operations at a Vancouver firm with 200 sites and 80 technicians, handles 5,500 work orders a month. Two coordinators each spend 6 days a month compiling KPIs for 30 clients, 144 days a year, about CAD 57,600 at CAD 400 a loaded day. He scores three candidates: the specialist CMMS gets 76 points at CAD 280,000 over five years, the CMMS plus custom portal 79 points at CAD 315,000. The extra CAD 35,000 is recovered within a year if automatic KPIs remove 60% of compiling time.
FAQ
What budget does a multi site CMMS need in Vancouver?
The 2026 market ballpark is CAD 60,000 to 270,000 to implement, depending on configuration and custom work. Over five years with licences, plan CAD 180,000 to 450,000 for 150 to 250 sites.
Why give offline mobile 20 points out of 100?
Because 4,000 to 7,000 work orders a month are closed in the field, often in parkades and plant rooms with no signal. An app that needs a connection degrades your data and therefore your KPIs.
Off the shelf or custom?
Off the shelf wins if it scores at least 70 points without custom development. Custom work is justified mostly for unusual client KPIs or union scheduling rules, with 8 to 12 months of delivery.
How do we secure data portability?
Require a full documented export of sites, assets, work order history and attachments in the contract, at no extra cost. Test it during the pilot on at least 10 sites.
How long does a 200 site rollout take?
Plan 4 to 7 months for an off the shelf CMMS, switching sites in waves of 20 to 40. Loading planned maintenance schedules is usually the longest step.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site count, technician headcount and contract KPIs, and we will help you score the options and price the custom layer that pays back. 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.
