The verdict in three sentences
A shop floor run on paper and spreadsheets loses invisible production hours every week: untracked stoppages, unmeasured scrap, late work orders with no alert. A custom MES (Manufacturing Execution System), connected to your ERP and machines, turns those blind spots into real-time, measurable OEE — budget 40,000 to 90,000 EUR and 20 to 30 weeks in 2026. The payback shows up as +8 OEE points and -15% unplanned downtime, meaning dozens of machine hours recovered each month.
Why an MES beats one more spreadsheet
A spreadsheet reports nothing: it records, after the fact, whatever an operator chose to note. An MES captures data at the source — shop-floor terminal, work-order barcode, PLC feed — and hands it to the shift lead before the problem costs a full day. The three functions that change everything:
- Real-time work-order tracking: quantity produced, remaining, schedule gap, all on a shop-floor screen.
- Automatic OEE calculation: availability × performance × quality, per machine and per shift.
- Quality traceability: scrap, stoppage causes and inspections tied to every batch.
| Function | Paper / Excel | Custom MES |
|---|---|---|
| Work-order feed | Delayed, end of shift | Real time, shop-floor terminal |
| OEE calculation | Manual, monthly, rough | Automatic, per machine, to the minute |
| Stoppage detection | No alert | Alert < 2 min |
| Batch traceability | Binder, not searchable | Logged, exportable |
| Unplanned downtime | Baseline | -15% (order of magnitude) |
| Average shop OEE | Baseline | +8 points |
Vendor MES vs custom: the true 5-year cost
A vendor MES starts fast but bills per-seat licences and charges machine integration as a project; custom demands a heavier upfront investment but becomes a royalty-free asset. Over five years the gap narrows sharply once ERP/PLC integration is counted.
| Item (10 shop-floor stations) | Vendor MES | Custom (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup / build | 25,000 EUR | 40,000-90,000 EUR |
| Licences (5 years) | 60,000-120,000 EUR | 0 |
| ERP + machine integration | 20,000-40,000 EUR | Included |
| Business customization | Limited / optional | Total |
| 5-year total (estimate) | 105,000-185,000 EUR | 55,000-110,000 EUR |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
Mini case study
Marc, operations director of a 45-person precision shop in Singapore, machines mechanical parts on 12 machines. His estimated OEE sits at 62%. A custom MES at 58,000 EUR targets +8 points, i.e. 70% OEE. On shop revenue of 3.2M EUR, 8 OEE points represent about 8% of recovered capacity, roughly ~250,000 EUR of additional potential output with no new machine. Even converting only a third of that potential into margin, the investment is paid back in under 12 months — on top of 6 weekly hours of manual reporting removed from supervisors.
FAQ
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How much does a custom MES cost in 2026?
Budget 40,000 to 90,000 EUR for an 8-to-15-station shop, including ERP integration and machine data feed. Price varies with the number of connected machines and PLC complexity.
How long to deploy it?
Between 20 and 30 weeks: scoping, development, terminal installation, machine connection and training. A first pilot on one line can ship in 10-12 weeks.
Can we connect legacy machines with no digital interface?
Yes, via add-on sensors or operator entry on a terminal. You then reach 80 to 90% of a modern fleet's value, for a sensor cost around 300-800 EUR per machine.
What OEE gain is realistic?
Observed rollouts deliver +5 to +10 OEE points in the first year, mostly from reduced unplanned downtime (-15% order of magnitude) and faster reaction.
Does the MES replace the ERP?
No, it complements it: the ERP plans and invoices, the MES executes and measures on the floor. Both talk via API to avoid any double entry.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your machine fleet, current ERP and target OEE, and we'll scope a right-sized custom MES, indicative budget 40,000-90,000 EUR. 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.
