The verdict in three sentences
For a plant with 85 critical assets, a custom CMMS at EUR 35,000 to 80,000 excluding VAT pays back in 12 to 20 months if it lifts uptime from 82% to 88%. An off-the-shelf CMMS at EUR 50 to 120 per technician per month is enough as long as your maintenance routines are simple and you do not need IoT sensors or links to your SCADA. Custom makes sense when preventive maintenance must trigger on real meters (hours, cycles, vibration) rather than the calendar.
Why uptime stalls at 82%
In a food processing plant in the Dublin area, unplanned stops rarely have a single cause. The preventive plan often exists on paper or in a spreadsheet, but it is not linked to actual machine usage. The result: parts are replaced too early on a lightly used line and too late on the line running three shifts.
| Cause of downtime (2026 order of magnitude) | Share of lost hours | Effect of a well-configured CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Failures without warning | 38% | -25 to -35% thanks to IoT thresholds |
| Waiting for spare parts | 20% | -40% with minimum stock and work-order reservation |
| Preventive work missed or late | 15% | -50% with planning and mobile reminders |
| Slow diagnosis (history not found) | 12% | -30% with per-asset history |
| Changeovers and cleaning | 10% | Low effect, a SMED topic |
| Other (quality, energy) | 5% | Marginal effect |
Across 85 critical assets at 6,000 operating hours, 1 point of uptime equals about 5,100 machine hours a year. With an average hourly margin of EUR 25 per asset, each point gained represents close to EUR 127,000 of recovered capacity, only part of which turns into revenue depending on demand.
Off-the-shelf or custom CMMS: a costed comparison
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf SaaS CMMS | Custom CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 0 to 5,000 setup | EUR 35,000 to 80,000 excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost | EUR 50 to 120 per technician per month | EUR 400 to 1,200 per month maintenance and hosting |
| 5-year cost (12 technicians) | EUR 36,000 to 86,000 | EUR 59,000 to 152,000 |
| IoT sensors and thresholds | Often optional, limited connectors | Built into existing PLCs and SCADA |
| Offline mobile app | Varies by vendor | Designed for the shop floor, with photos and QR codes |
| Data and code ownership | Vendor | Plant |
| Time to go live | 1 to 3 months | 4 to 7 months |
The 5-year comparison shows custom looks more expensive on paper. It becomes profitable when it delivers the uptime points a standard CMMS does not, typically through condition-based preventive maintenance on sensors.
What a EUR 35,000 to 80,000 custom project includes
| Work package | Content | Indicative budget excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Asset register | Hierarchy, asset sheets, QR codes, OEM documents | EUR 5,000 to 9,000 |
| Work orders and planning | Corrective, calendar and condition-based preventive, assignment | EUR 8,000 to 16,000 |
| Technician mobile app | Offline, photos, sign-off, time logged | EUR 7,000 to 15,000 |
| Spare parts stock | Minimum levels, reservations, purchasing links | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 |
| IoT and PLC connectors | Meters, vibration, temperature, alert thresholds | EUR 6,000 to 18,000 |
| Dashboards | OEE, MTBF, MTTR, uptime per line | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 |
A EUR 35,000 budget covers a core without advanced IoT. Above EUR 60,000, you add vibration sensors on rotating equipment and ERP links for purchasing.
Mini case study
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Aoife is maintenance manager at a food plant outside Dublin: 220 employees, 85 critical assets, 12 technicians, 82% uptime. She chooses a custom CMMS at EUR 62,000 excluding VAT with sensors on 20 rotating assets, plus EUR 800 a month for maintenance. First-year cost: EUR 71,600. After 9 months, uptime reaches 87%, a 5-point gain. Conservatively counting 30% of recovered capacity as real margin (about EUR 38,000 per point), the gain reaches EUR 190,000 a year, plus EUR 18,000 of avoided rush-ordered parts. Payback comes in under 5 months of operation.
FAQ
How much does a custom CMMS cost for a plant in Dublin?
Budget EUR 35,000 to 80,000 excluding VAT depending on modules and IoT integration. Annual maintenance represents 10 to 18% of the initial budget.
Isn't an off-the-shelf CMMS enough?
For fewer than 30 critical assets and calendar-based preventive work, yes, at EUR 50 to 120 per technician per month. Beyond that, or with sensors to exploit, custom delivers more uptime.
Which sensors should we plan for?
Hour and cycle counters through existing PLCs cost little. Wireless vibration sensors cost EUR 150 to 400 each and target motors, pumps and gearboxes.
How long until go-live?
A first package (assets, work orders, mobile) is live in 10 to 12 weeks. The full project with IoT takes 4 to 7 months.
Can we import our existing history?
Yes, Excel files and exports from a previous CMMS are migrated at launch. Allow EUR 2,000 to 5,000 depending on data quality.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of critical assets and current uptime: we will price a CMMS between EUR 35,000 and 80,000 excluding VAT with a 4 to 7 month plan. 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.
