The verdict in three sentences
For a 200-employee plant with 1,400 assets, an off-the-shelf SaaS CMMS (roughly GBP 35 to 80 or CAD 55 to 125 per technician per month, 2026 order of magnitude) is the right call if your processes are standard and your team will adapt to the tool. A custom build pays off when maintenance must talk to your PLCs, your ERP and your own quality routines, or when you target 92 to 96% availability with preventive rules that packages handle poorly. At Kolonell that means a medium application (4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA, 6,100 to 10,670 EUR) or complex application (7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA, 10,670 to 22,870+ EUR), delivered in 3 to 5 months.
What spreadsheets really cost on a shop floor
From Greater Manchester's advanced manufacturing belt to the Toronto and Golden Horseshoe industrial corridor, mid-sized plants often run maintenance with 10 to 15 technicians, a shared spreadsheet, paper job sheets and a spare parts store managed from memory. The symptoms are familiar.
| Indicator | With spreadsheets (order of magnitude) | With a well-deployed CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Line availability | 85 to 89% | 92 to 96% |
| Share of preventive maintenance | 20 to 30% | 55 to 70% |
| Logging time per job | 10 to 15 minutes, often skipped | 2 to 3 minutes on mobile |
| Critical spare stock-outs | 6 to 10 a year | 1 to 3 a year |
| Dead stock value | 15 to 25% of inventory | 5 to 10% |
| Preparing a customer or ISO audit | 3 to 5 days | a few hours |
One availability point on a line earning GBP 1,700 of margin per hour over 4,000 hours a year is worth GBP 68,000. That arithmetic should drive the decision, not the licence price.
Off-the-shelf or custom: the comparison
| Criterion | Market SaaS CMMS | Custom CMMS by Kolonell |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | GBP 2,000 to 8,000 or CAD 3,500 to 15,000 setup | 4,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA depending on scope |
| Recurring cost | GBP 35 to 80 / CAD 55 to 125 per technician per month | maintenance 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month (114 or 183 EUR) |
| 5-year cost, 12 technicians | GBP 25,000 to 58,000 plus setup | build plus 6,840 to 10,980 EUR maintenance |
| Time to go live | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 to 5 months |
| PLC and sensor connection | often an add-on, limited connectors | designed for your equipment |
| ERP interface | standard connectors | on your ERP and part codes |
| Code and data ownership | vendor | you |
| Specific changes | vendor roadmap | on your schedule |
Over five years the financial gap is modest: 12 technicians at GBP 55 a month cost about GBP 39,600 before setup. The real criterion is fit. Older equipment with no connectivity and simple routines: buy SaaS. Meter-based preventive rules, statutory inspections (LOLER and PUWER in the UK, pressure vessel and hoisting inspections in Ontario) and a home-grown ERP: custom avoids expensive workarounds.
The scope of a useful CMMS
A sensible first phase covers the asset hierarchy (1,400 records with criticality), work requests and work orders, calendar and meter-based preventive maintenance, spare parts with reorder points, and a mobile app so technicians close jobs on the floor with a photo. Phase two adds meter readings from PLCs, MTBF and MTTR per line, contractor management and statutory inspections with alerts.
Data migration from spreadsheets is routinely underestimated: allow 2 to 4 weeks to clean, deduplicate and code assets. It is also when you set criticality, without which preventive maintenance stays theoretical. See our custom web application offer.
Mini case study
Sarah, maintenance manager at a components plant near Manchester, leads 12 technicians. Her main line runs 4,000 hours a year at GBP 1,300 of margin per hour, with 88% availability.
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Target: 92%, i.e. 4 points and 160 hours recovered, worth GBP 208,000 of potential annual margin. SaaS option: 12 × GBP 60 × 12 months = GBP 8,640 a year, but PLC meter integration is not included. Custom option as a complex application at 7,000,000 FCFA (10,670 EUR) plus maintenance at 120,000 FCFA a month (183 EUR). Even capturing half the target gain (GBP 104,000), either tool pays back in under two months; the choice comes down to which one actually gets the line to 92%.
FAQ
How long does a custom CMMS take?
Allow 3 to 5 months, including 2 to 4 weeks of data migration. A first phase with work orders and the mobile app can be in use from week 10 or 12.
Will technicians really log jobs on mobile?
Yes, if closing a job takes under 3 minutes and works offline in poorly covered areas of the plant. That is the first adoption criterion, ahead of feature count.
Can the CMMS connect to our PLCs?
Run-hour or cycle counters can be pulled through your existing SCADA or a gateway device. Feasibility is checked asset by asset during scoping; any hardware is quoted separately.
Do we have to stop managing parts in our ERP?
No. The CMMS handles part issues and reorder points, the ERP stays master for purchasing and accounting. The interface removes double entry on the typical 200 to 400 monthly movements.
What does maintenance cost after delivery?
Kolonell maintenance is 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA a month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) depending on support level. Major functional changes are quoted separately.
Let's scope your project. Send us your asset count, technician headcount and current tools, and we will tell you whether SaaS is enough or custom is justified, with a 3 to 5 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.
