The verdict in three sentences
For a food plant with 100 to 300 employees, a licensed CMMS at 50 to 120 EUR per user per month is the fastest starting point if your maintenance processes are standard. A custom build, at 35,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. VAT on the 2026 European market, becomes rational when you must match IFS Food requirements, run meter-based preventive maintenance and let technicians log work on shop-floor tablets without friction. Either way, the decision is justified by the cost of one hour of unplanned downtime, often between 5,000 and 20,000 EUR.
What an IFS auditor and a plant manager expect from a CMMS
An IFS Food audit does not ask for software, it asks for evidence: a documented maintenance plan, traced interventions, foreign body control after work, calibration of measuring instruments, cleaning after works. A well designed CMMS produces this evidence without double entry. With 300 to 1,500 assets, the difference between an Excel workbook and a structured tool is measured in days of audit preparation.
| Requirement | Excel and paper | Standard SaaS CMMS | Custom CMMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar-based preventive plan | possible, fragile | yes | yes |
| Meter-based preventive (hours, cycles) | no | often an add-on | yes, linked to PLCs or entered |
| Line release after work (foreign body check) | paper form | to configure, sometimes limited | built into the work order |
| Instrument calibration | separate spreadsheet | module depending on vendor | built in |
| Shop-floor tablet entry | no | generic mobile app | screens designed for gloves and wet areas |
| IFS audit preparation | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 days | under one day (ready-made exports) |
Licence or custom: the real 5-year cost
The list price of a SaaS CMMS is rarely the full cost. You must add configuration, asset import, training and sometimes paid modules. Conversely, a custom build needs annual maintenance, usually 15 to 20% of the initial cost.
| Item (150-employee plant, 20 users) | SaaS CMMS | Custom CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | 10,000 to 20,000 EUR deployment | 35,000 to 90,000 EUR (European market price) |
| Annual subscription or maintenance | 12,000 to 28,800 EUR (50 to 120 EUR x 20 x 12) | 6,000 to 15,000 EUR |
| Time to go live | 2 to 4 months | 4 to 7 months |
| 5-year cumulative cost (estimate) | 70,000 to 165,000 EUR | 60,000 to 150,000 EUR |
| Fit with IFS processes | partial | full |
| Code ownership | no | yes |
| Main risk | price increases, vendor roadmap | supplier quality, documentation |
Over 5 years the two options largely overlap. Custom wins when the plant has specific needs (multiple lines, allergens, validated cleaning) or more than 30 users. A licence wins for a simple asset base and a team of fewer than 10 technicians.
The real lever: the cost of one hour of downtime
| Line type | Cost of one hour of unplanned downtime (2026 order of magnitude) | Effect of a 20% cut on 50 h per year |
|---|---|---|
| Simple packing | 5,000 EUR | 50,000 EUR saved |
| Ready meals | 8,000 to 12,000 EUR | 80,000 to 120,000 EUR |
| Fresh dairy | 10,000 to 15,000 EUR | 100,000 to 150,000 EUR |
| High-speed beverages | 15,000 to 20,000 EUR | 150,000 to 200,000 EUR |
| Private label line with penalties | 12,000 to 20,000 EUR | 120,000 to 200,000 EUR |
These amounts include lost output, wasted materials, overtime and customer penalties. They dwarf the price gap between licence and custom.
Mini case study
Julien, maintenance manager at a 150-employee ready-meals plant near Rennes (illustrative persona), records 60 hours of unplanned downtime a year at 8,000 EUR per hour, or 480,000 EUR. His target is a 25% cut through meter-based preventive maintenance, worth 120,000 EUR a year.
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SaaS option: 15,000 EUR deployment and 20 users at 80 EUR, or 19,200 EUR a year. Custom option: 60,000 EUR and 9,000 EUR annual maintenance. Both pay back in under 8 months if the target is met. Julien picks custom because his work orders must include the line release step required by his IFS plan, which the licence he evaluated only allowed through a separate form.
FAQ
How many assets justify a CMMS?
From 300 assets or 3 technicians, a spreadsheet becomes hard to maintain. Between 300 and 1,500 assets, a CMMS typically halves audit preparation time.
Can the CMMS connect to production PLCs?
Yes, through OPC UA or meter exports. Allow an extra 5,000 to 15,000 EUR depending on the number of connected lines.
Which tablets for the shop floor?
Ruggedised IP65 tablets, 600 to 1,500 EUR each. Plan one tablet for 2 to 3 technicians per shift.
How long to import the existing asset base?
For 1,000 assets, allow 3 to 6 weeks of cleaning and coding. It is often the most underestimated phase, whatever the option.
Is custom risky if the supplier disappears?
The risk is managed through source code handover, technical documentation and a standard stack. Require all three in the contract.
Let's scope your project. Send us your asset count, number of technicians and audit requirements: we compare licence and custom with an indicative budget and a realistic 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.
