The verdict in three sentences
An off-the-shelf MES (40-120 EUR/station/month) starts fast but locks your shop-floor flows into a standard model rarely aligned with your real process. Custom software (60,000-110,000 EUR excl. VAT) links work orders, preventive CMMS and quality tracking into a single flow and pays off through the 18% reduction in machine downtime. For a multi-line Singapore plant, it is the IoT sensor integration that makes the difference — impossible to achieve on a closed licence.
Off-the-shelf MES vs custom development
The choice hinges on integration depth and ownership of the data model, not on entry price alone.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf MES | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | 40-120 EUR/station/month | 60,000-110,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Cost 30 stations / 3 years | 43,200-129,600 EUR | 60,000-110,000 EUR |
| IoT sensor integration | Often limited | Native, bespoke |
| Preventive CMMS | Paid module | Included in scope |
| Custom quality tracking | Rigid | Fully adaptable |
| Data/code ownership | No | Yes |
| Deployment time | 8-12 weeks | 20-26 weeks |
| Monthly maintenance | Partial | 1,300-2,500 EUR/month |
Budget breakdown and cost drivers
The day rate for a team able to handle industrial work sits between 550 and 750 EUR. The budget splits by module as follows.
| Module | Range (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Work orders & scheduling | 12,000-20,000 | 4-6 wks |
| CMMS & preventive maintenance | 11,000-19,000 | 4-5 wks |
| Quality tracking & non-conformities | 9,000-16,000 | 3-4 wks |
| Existing ERP integration | 8,000-15,000 | 3-4 wks |
| Shop-floor IoT & sensor connectors | 10,000-20,000 | 4-6 wks |
| Real-time dashboards | 6,000-12,000 | 3 wks |
| Data migration & UAT | 6,000-11,000 | 3-4 wks |
Mini case study
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Sophie, plant director at a plastics site in Singapore, runs 30 stations across 4 lines. An MES at 85 EUR/station/month costs her 30,600 EUR/year, or 91,800 EUR over 3 years, with no integrated preventive CMMS. She invests 88,000 EUR (excl. VAT) in custom software plus 1,900 EUR/month maintenance. Her lines run 5,800 h/year; 18% less downtime on an initial 9% stoppage rate recovers roughly 94 production hours/year per line. Valued at 480 EUR/h of contribution margin, that is nearly 180,000 EUR/year across the 4 lines — payback in under a year.
FAQ
Can a standard MES handle our CMMS? Rarely natively: preventive maintenance is often an add-on at 15-30 EUR/station/month. In a custom build it is part of the single scope.
How much does IoT sensor integration cost? From 10,000 to 20,000 EUR (excl. VAT) depending on machine count, protocols (OPC-UA, MQTT) and collection frequency. Each new line adds 2,000-4,000 EUR.
How soon before the first gains? A single-line pilot (work orders + CMMS) deliverable in 10-12 weeks lets you measure the downtime drop before scaling to the whole plant.
What day rate should we budget? Expect 550 to 750 EUR for a team fluent in the industrial environment and real-time integrations.
How do we secure quality tracking? The non-conformity module logs each defect, its root cause and corrective action, with exports for ISO 9001 audits — impossible to freeze into a standard licence.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your line count, station count and IoT/ERP integration needs for a budget framed between 60,000 and 110,000 EUR excl. VAT. 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.
