The verdict in three sentences
In a 220-employee food plant near Dublin, every hour of unplanned downtime costs about 4,000 EUR in lost output, scrapped product and overtime. A SaaS CMMS at 50 to 120 EUR per technician per month handles standard preventive maintenance well; a custom CMMS at 40,000 to 90,000 EUR excluding VAT is justified when you need to tie together IoT sensors, SCADA, hygiene constraints and ERP. The realistic 12-month target is 20% less downtime, which usually pays for the tool.
SaaS or custom: 5-year costs
2026 assumption: 14 maintenance technicians, 2 managers, 3 packing lines, 650 assets in the register.
| Item | Vendor SaaS CMMS | Custom CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription or development | 50 to 120 EUR per technician per month, i.e. 9,600 to 23,000 EUR a year | 40,000 to 90,000 EUR one-off |
| Configuration and asset register import | 6,000 to 15,000 EUR | included |
| ERP connector (stock, purchasing) | 5,000 to 12,000 EUR if available | included or 6,000 to 10,000 EUR |
| IoT sensor data feed | premium module, +30 to +50% | 8,000 to 20,000 EUR |
| Annual hosting and maintenance | included | 6,000 to 14,000 EUR |
| Cumulative 5-year cost | 60,000 to 150,000 EUR | 70,000 to 160,000 EUR |
| Fit with internal procedures | limited | full |
With similar 5-year costs, the difference is adoption: a tool technicians actually open on their tablet on the shop floor delivers more than a complete tool they ignore.
Selection criteria table
| Criterion | Lean SaaS if | Lean custom if |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance team size | fewer than 10 technicians | more than 12 technicians or several sites |
| Preventive maintenance | standard OEM plans | plans tied to real cycles, run hours, production campaigns |
| Spare parts | simple stock, fewer than 2,000 SKUs | more than 3,000 SKUs, links to purchasing and ERP |
| IoT sensors and SCADA | none or a few meters | vibration, temperature, PLCs already in place |
| Hygiene and BRCGS or IFS audits | standard reports are enough | audits require traceability of work in clean zones |
| Expected timeline | live in 6 to 10 weeks | 4 to 6 months acceptable |
| Starting budget | under 30,000 EUR | 40,000 EUR and up |
If most of your answers fall on the right, custom software or a heavily adapted open source base is the better option.
What actually reduces downtime
Three levers explain most of the reduction. First, usage-based preventive maintenance (run hours, cycle counts) rather than calendar-based. Second, availability of critical spares: a minimum stock alert on the 150 parts whose absence stops a line avoids 24 to 72 hour waits. Third, sensor data on 10 to 20 critical assets (motor vibration, refrigeration compressor temperature) lets you intervene before failure. The rest is clear tablet screens, work orders in 3 taps, and MTBF and MTTR indicators reviewed monthly by management.
Mini case study
Siobhan, maintenance manager of a 220-employee ready-meals plant 20 km from Dublin, records 110 hours of unplanned downtime a year, i.e. 440,000 EUR at 4,000 EUR an hour. A custom CMMS at 75,000 EUR with 15 connected sensors and 10,000 EUR annual maintenance targets 20% less downtime: 22 hours avoided, worth 88,000 EUR a year. The project pays back in about 11 months, and the 3-year cumulative cost (105,000 EUR) stays well below the 264,000 EUR of downtime avoided over the same period.
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FAQ
How much does a CMMS for a food plant cost in 2026?
A SaaS CMMS costs 50 to 120 EUR per technician per month, plus 6,000 to 15,000 EUR of configuration. A custom CMMS ranges from 40,000 to 90,000 EUR excluding VAT, plus 6,000 to 14,000 EUR annual maintenance.
Can existing IoT sensors be connected?
Yes, through PLCs, an MQTT or OPC UA gateway, for 8,000 to 20,000 EUR depending on the number of points. Projects usually start with 10 to 20 critical assets.
How long does a custom CMMS take to deploy?
Allow 4 to 6 months, including 4 weeks of asset inventory and coding. A first release with work orders and preventive plans can go live in 10 weeks.
Does a CMMS help with BRCGS or IFS audits?
Yes, it records each intervention, post-work cleaning and zone release. Auditors then review a complete history in minutes instead of paper files.
What gain should we target in year one?
A 15 to 25% reduction in unplanned downtime is a realistic 2026 estimate if preventive compliance exceeds 90%. The gain depends mainly on technician adoption.
Let's scope your project. Share your number of technicians, assets and hourly downtime cost: we will price a CMMS between 40,000 and 90,000 EUR with a 4 to 6 month rollout. 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.
