The verdict in three sentences
For a plastics plant with 45 presses running 3 shifts near Amsterdam, a SaaS CMMS at EUR 50 to 120 per technician per month remains the fastest choice if your machines and maintenance routines are standard. A custom CMMS at EUR 35,000 to 70,000 is justified when you want to trigger preventive work from press cycle counters, manage the spare parts stock closely (moulds, heaters, cylinders) and track MTBF and MTTR per press and per shift. In both cases, the realistic goal is to cut unplanned stoppages by 20 % within 12 months.
Five-year cost of a CMMS
The calculation covers 14 maintenance technicians across 3 shifts, plus a few read-only accounts for production. 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Cost item | SaaS CMMS | Custom CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | EUR 50 to 120 per technician per month | EUR 35,000 to 70,000 (development) |
| Annual cost for 14 technicians | EUR 8,400 to 20,160 | EUR 6,000 to 10,800 (maintenance and hosting) |
| Setup and asset register migration | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | Included |
| Time to go live | 4 to 8 weeks | 3 to 5 months |
| 5-year cumulative cost | EUR 45,000 to 108,800 | EUR 65,000 to 124,000 |
| Connection to press counters | Manual import or premium module | Native, via PLC or MES |
| Operator access to report breakdowns | Often paid | Unlimited |
With similar five-year costs, the difference lies in press integration and the freedom to evolve the tool without depending on a vendor roadmap.
Metrics to track and realistic targets
A CMMS is only worth something if it produces reliable metrics. Here are the 2026 benchmarks to aim for on an injection moulding fleet.
| Metric | Definition | Typical situation before CMMS | 12-month target |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTBF | Mean time between failures | 160 hours | 200 hours |
| MTTR | Mean time to repair | 3.2 hours | 2.4 hours |
| Unplanned stoppages | Unplanned downtime hours per year | 1,800 hours | 1,440 hours (minus 20 %) |
| Preventive completion rate | Preventive jobs done on time | 55 % | 90 % |
| Critical part stock-outs | Breakdowns extended by a missing part | 25 a year | Fewer than 8 a year |
| Preventive share of maintenance time | Preventive over total jobs | 30 % | 50 % |
Counter-based preventive maintenance is the key lever in plastics: scheduling a nozzle change or a cylinder check every 200,000 cycles is more accurate than a calendar interval, because real usage varies widely from one press to another.
Features that save technicians time
A QR code on every press and mould opens the history, routines and linked parts straight from a smartphone. The operator reports a breakdown in 30 seconds, the technician gets the alert, checks recent interventions and takes the part from the store with an automatic stock update. Add reorder thresholds on critical parts and a dashboard per shift so all 3 shifts share the same information.
Mini case study
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Daan, maintenance manager of a 45-press plastics plant near Amsterdam, records 1,800 hours of unplanned stoppages a year. Each hour of downtime costs about EUR 250 (lost margin, start-up scrap): EUR 450,000 a year. A 20 % reduction is worth EUR 90,000 a year. For a custom CMMS at EUR 55,000 plus EUR 8,400 annual maintenance, the net annual gain reaches EUR 81,600: the project pays back in roughly 8 months.
FAQ
How long does it take to deploy a custom CMMS?
Allow 3 to 5 months. A first release with the asset register, QR codes, work requests and calendar-based preventive maintenance is usable within 8 to 10 weeks.
Do the presses need to be connected to the CMMS?
Not at first, but automatic reading of cycle counters makes preventive maintenance far more accurate. The connector usually costs EUR 5,000 to 15,000 depending on the PLCs.
Does the CMMS work on a smartphone on the shop floor?
Yes, a mobile app or responsive web app is enough, with an offline mode for areas with poor Wi-Fi coverage.
Can we migrate history from an old tool or spreadsheets?
Yes, migrating the asset register and 2 to 3 years of history usually costs EUR 2,000 to 6,000 depending on file quality.
Is a SaaS CMMS enough for a small plant?
Yes, below 15 machines and 5 technicians, a SaaS at EUR 60 per technician costs EUR 3,600 a year and covers the essentials.
Let's scope your project. We price your CMMS (machine QR codes, counter-based preventive maintenance, spare parts stock, MTBF and MTTR) with an indicative budget and a first release running within 10 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.
