The verdict in three sentences
A mining earthworks contractor headquartered in Toronto with 140 machines on remote sites in Northern Ontario and Quebec, stuck at 78% availability, loses hundreds of billable hours and contract penalties every month. A custom CMMS costs 150,000 to 350,000 CAD on the Canadian market (2026 benchmark) and takes 4 to 6 months, with an offline mode that remote camps require. Gaining just 5 points of availability on critical units pays back the project within months.
What the CMMS must drive on a mine site
On a mine, a down shovel or haul truck stalls the whole chain. Mine owners often set contractual availability targets of 85 to 90%, with penalties below. The CMMS must turn reactive repairs into preventive maintenance driven by engine hours.
| Module | Function | Impact (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet and asset records | Shovels, haul trucks, dozers, graders, history | Full history per serial number |
| Preventive plans | Services at 250, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 engine hours | Unplanned failures cut by 30 to 50% |
| Work orders | Creation, assignment, labour time, parts used | Mean time to repair cut by 20% |
| Parts inventory | Filters, tires, undercarriage, min levels per site | Fewer emergency air freight orders |
| Oil analysis and inspections | Results, alerts, daily operator checklists | Engine failures caught early |
| KPIs | Availability, MTBF, MTTR, cost per hour | Monthly report to the mine owner |
Offline mode is non-negotiable: mechanics log work on tablets in the pit or shop with no signal, and sync runs over the camp's satellite link, often with limited bandwidth.
2026 pricing: options and market benchmarks
| Option | Upfront cost | Annual cost | Limits on a remote mine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheets and shop logbooks | 0 | Unplanned failures | No forecasting, unreliable history |
| Cloud CMMS SaaS (market benchmark) | 5,000 to 15,000 CAD setup | 60 to 160 CAD per user per month | Limited offline mode |
| ERP maintenance module (market benchmark) | 250,000 to 700,000 CAD | 18 to 22% licence per year | Heavy, slow rollout |
| Custom build, Canadian agency (market benchmark) | 150,000 to 350,000 CAD | 25,000 to 50,000 CAD support | Yes |
| Kolonell custom, complex tier | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) | Maintenance 120,000 FCFA/month (180 EUR) | Remote delivery, fixed scope per site |
| Rugged tablets (market benchmark) | 1,500 to 3,000 CAD each | Replaced every 3 years | Dust, cold and vibration |
For 140 machines across 2 to 3 sites, the upper end applies if you integrate OEM telematics or mechanic payroll.
Roadmap over 4 to 6 months
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet and shop practice audit | 3 weeks | Inventory of 140 units and service routines |
| Design and preventive routines | 3 weeks | Plans at 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000 hours |
| Offline development | 8 to 12 weeks | Tablet app and dashboard |
| Pilot on one site | 3 weeks | Availability measured before and after |
| Rollout to all sites | 2 to 3 weeks | Mechanics and storekeepers trained |
Mini case study
Kevin, maintenance manager of a Toronto-based mining contractor (illustrative example), runs 140 machines, including 40 critical haul trucks and shovels scheduled 6,000 hours a year. At 78% availability, each critical unit loses about 1,320 hours. With a 250,000 CAD CMMS and 40,000 CAD of annual support, year one targets a cautious 5-point gain on critical units: 300 hours per unit and 12,000 hours in total. At a margin of 60 CAD per billed hour, the gain reaches 720,000 CAD against 290,000 CAD of first-year cost. Even with the assumption cut by half, the project pays back within the first year. The 88% target is then worked over 18 to 24 months.
FAQ
How much does a CMMS cost for a mining contractor in Canada? Custom builds from Canadian agencies run 150,000 to 350,000 CAD in 2026. Kolonell's complex tier is 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) plus 120,000 FCFA a month of maintenance.
Does the CMMS work without signal on site? Yes, all data entry is offline on tablets and syncs over the camp's satellite link. A full daily sync usually weighs under 5 MB per site.
Can we go from 78% to 88% availability? It is a realistic target over 18 to 24 months if preventive plans are completed more than 90% on time. The CMMS makes gaps visible; shop discipline does the rest.
Can machine telematics feed in automatically? Yes, if the OEM offers an API, engine hours and fault codes are imported daily. Plan 2 to 4 weeks per brand integrated.
How long until go-live? 4 to 6 months, including a 3-week pilot on one site with availability measured before and after.
Let's scope your project. Send us your fleet list, sites and your mine owner's availability target, and we will price a scope with a clear budget and a 4 to 6 month 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.
