The verdict in three sentences
For a food factory with 250 employees and 400 assets, a custom CMMS covering preventive maintenance, tablet work requests and spare parts stock costs EUR 40,000 to 90,000 excl. VAT (about USD 43,000 to 97,000). An off-the-shelf CMMS lists EUR 30,000 in licences plus 20% a year, often before mobile modules, extra users and adaptation to IFS Food or BRCGS requirements. The decision hinges on unplanned stoppages, which a system technicians actually adopt cuts by 25%.
CMMS scope for food manufacturing
| Module | Features | 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset register | Line, machine, component tree, datasheets, QR codes | 5,000 to 10,000 | 3 weeks |
| Preventive maintenance | Task lists, calendar and meter-based frequencies, weekly plan | 8,000 to 18,000 | 4 weeks |
| Tablet work requests | Operator entry, photo, priority, work orders, offline mode | 8,000 to 18,000 | 4 weeks |
| Spare parts stock | Stores, reorder points, critical spares, stock counts | 6,000 to 14,000 | 3 weeks |
| IFS and hygiene traceability | Post-intervention checks, cleaning, foreign bodies, line release | 5,000 to 12,000 | 3 weeks |
| KPIs and connectors | MTBF, MTTR, OEE, ERP export, optional PLC readings | 8,000 to 18,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
The low end covers preventive maintenance, work requests and stock. The high end adds full IFS traceability, offline mode in cold rooms and meter readings from PLCs.
Market licence vs custom: five-year cost
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf CMMS | Custom CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 30,000 licence + EUR 8,000 to 15,000 configuration | EUR 40,000 to 90,000 excl. VAT |
| Annual cost | 20% of licence, i.e. EUR 6,000, plus EUR 15 to 25 per mobile user per month | Maintenance 12 to 15% of build, i.e. EUR 4,800 to 13,500 |
| 5-year total (25 mobile users) | EUR 90,500 to 112,500 | EUR 64,000 to 157,500 |
| Fit with IFS checks | Generic fields | Forms mirroring your HACCP plan |
| Tablet usability in wet areas | Standard | Large buttons, gloves, offline |
| Ownership and exit | Vendor | Code and data are yours |
Custom is not always cheaper over five years. It wins when technician adoption is the problem, when quality checks must live inside the work order, or when mobile users exceed 20.
Gains to measure
| Indicator | Before | After 12 months (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Unplanned stoppages | 160 h per year | 120 h per year (-25%) |
| Share of preventive maintenance | 35% of hours | 60% of hours |
| Average MTTR | 2 h 40 | 1 h 50 |
| Critical spare stock-outs | 14 per year | 3 per year |
| IFS audit preparation (maintenance part) | 4 days | 1 day |
| Maintenance non-conformities at audit | 3 to 5 | 0 to 1 |
Mini case study
Thomas, maintenance manager at a 250-employee ready-meals plant near Cork, runs 400 assets with 12 technicians. His lines suffer 160 hours of unplanned stoppages a year, at an estimated EUR 2,500 per hour (lost output, labour, wasted ingredients). A 25% reduction avoids 40 hours, i.e. EUR 100,000 a year. Better-sized spare parts stock adds EUR 9,000. The chosen project costs EUR 72,000 plus EUR 9,000 annual maintenance: payback in under 9 months.
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FAQ
Will technicians really use the tablet?
That is the deciding point. Screens are designed with them on the shop floor, a work request takes under 30 seconds, and offline mode prevents data loss in cold rooms. Adoption usually exceeds 90% by month three.
Does the CMMS help with IFS Food version 8 audits?
Yes, every intervention records line release, cleaning and foreign body checks, timestamped and signed. The maintenance audit file exports in minutes.
Can machine meters be collected automatically?
Yes, through OPC UA or an IoT gateway, for EUR 6,000 to 15,000 depending on the number of PLCs. Preventive tasks then trigger on real running hours.
What is the go-live timeline?
Four to six months, with a 4-week pilot on one line before rolling out to all 400 assets.
Which tablets should we budget?
Rugged IP65 tablets cost EUR 600 to 1,200 each. For 12 technicians, budget EUR 8,000 to 14,000, outside the software budget.
Let's scope your project. Send us your number of assets, technicians and quality standard, and we will price a CMMS between EUR 40,000 and 90,000 with a one-line pilot in 8 weeks. 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.
