The verdict in three sentences
For a plastics plant in Birmingham running 65 injection moulding machines, each hour of unplanned downtime costs about EUR 1,800 (roughly GBP 1,550) in lost output, scrap and overtime. A custom CMMS at EUR 35,000 to 70,000 excl. VAT, extended with machine IoT data for EUR 15,000, targets a 25% reduction in downtime within a 4 to 5 month project. An off-the-shelf CMMS is fine for a simple workshop, but becomes expensive and rigid once you need to manage moulds, cycle counts and machine alarms.
Off-the-shelf vs custom CMMS: the numbers
SaaS CMMS tools charge per user. For a team of 25 technicians, setters and shift leads, the recurring cost becomes significant, without handling the mould fleet properly.
| Criterion (2026 ballpark) | Off-the-shelf CMMS | Custom CMMS |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 3,000 to 10,000 (configuration) | EUR 35,000 to 70,000 excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost for 25 users | EUR 18,000 to 36,000/year | EUR 6,000 to 12,000/year (maintenance, hosting) |
| Mould management (cycles, cavities, revisions) | Partial, generic fields | Native, linked to each machine |
| Machine IoT data | Paid, limited connectors | Built in (+EUR 15,000) |
| 5-year total cost | EUR 93,000 to 190,000 | EUR 65,000 to 130,000 |
| Code and data ownership | Vendor | Plant |
| Time to go-live | 1 to 2 months | 4 to 5 months |
Above 20 users, and as soon as maintenance, moulds and machine data must be linked, custom becomes cheaper over 5 years.
Typical scope and budget
| Module | 2026 budget excl. VAT | Expected gain |
|---|---|---|
| Preventive maintenance (plans, routines, calendar) | EUR 10,000 to 18,000 | -15% downtime |
| Mobile work requests (tablet, photo, machine QR code) | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 | -30% response time |
| Spare parts inventory (thresholds, suppliers, costs) | EUR 7,000 to 14,000 | -20% dead stock |
| Mould management (service after N shots) | EUR 6,000 to 13,000 | -40% mould breakages |
| MTBF, MTTR, OEE dashboards | EUR 6,000 to 13,000 | Weekly steering |
| IoT feeds (cycle counters, alarms, temperatures) | EUR 15,000 | Condition-based maintenance |
| Total | EUR 50,000 to 85,000 with IoT | target -25% downtime |
Recent machines expose data via OPC UA or Euromap 77; older ones need a gateway at EUR 300 to 600 per machine.
A 4 to 5 month project plan
Month 1: scoping with maintenance and production, machine and mould inventory. Months 2 and 3: preventive, work request and inventory modules, migration of Excel history. Month 4: IoT connection on 10 pilot machines, dashboards. Month 5: roll-out to all 65 machines and training for the three shifts.
Mini case study
Sophie, maintenance manager at a plastics plant near Birmingham, logs 180 hours of unplanned downtime a year across 65 machines. At EUR 1,800 per hour, that is EUR 324,000 in losses. With a custom CMMS and IoT (total budget EUR 72,000 excl. VAT), the -25% target brings downtime to 135 hours, avoiding 45 hours and saving EUR 81,000 a year. Add EUR 12,000 of recovered dead stock: the project pays back in under 10 months, including EUR 10,000 annual maintenance.
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FAQ
Is a custom CMMS suitable for an industrial SME?
Yes, from around 20 users or 40 machines. Below that, an off-the-shelf CMMS at EUR 60 to 120 per user per month remains cheaper.
Should every machine be connected from day one?
No, a pilot on 10 machines is enough to validate alarm thresholds. Roll-out then costs EUR 300 to 600 per older machine for the gateway.
Can we migrate our Excel history?
Yes, migrating 3 to 5 years of work order history is included, usually 3 to 5 days of work. It lets you compute MTBF from go-live.
How is the 25% downtime reduction measured?
We freeze a baseline over the previous 6 months (downtime hours, MTTR) before the project. Dashboards then compare each month with that baseline.
Is public funding available?
Regional manufacturing digitalisation programmes often fund 20 to 40% of production digitisation projects. The application is prepared in parallel with scoping.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of machines, users and hourly downtime cost: we will price a custom CMMS at EUR 35,000 to 70,000 excl. VAT, IoT optional, delivered in 4 to 5 months. 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.
