The verdict in three sentences
For a mining contractor running 85 machines, the first margin lever is mechanical availability: moving from 72% to 85% is worth more than any fuel discount. An enterprise CMMS costs 200,000 to 540,000 CAD over five years and is often awkward on remote sites in Northern Ontario or the Abitibi. Custom software at 120,000 to 300,000 CAD, designed offline-first around hour meters, preventive maintenance and fuel burn, usually pays back in under 12 months.
What equipment tracking must cover on a remote mine site
On a contract mining operation, the maintenance director juggles haul trucks, hydraulic excavators, dozers and loaders running 18 to 20 hours a day. Mine owners apply penalties as soon as available fleet drops below the contractual threshold. The software has to answer four questions every morning: which machine is available, which is due for service, how much fuel was burned per engine hour, and which parts are missing from the warehouse.
The hard part is connectivity. Many pits and underground levels have no reliable cellular coverage. The mechanics' and dispatchers' app must work offline on rugged tablets and sync once back at camp, over LTE or satellite.
| Function | 2026 target | KPI tracked |
|---|---|---|
| Engine hour meters | Daily entry or telematics feed | Hours per machine and per shift |
| Preventive maintenance | Intervals at 250, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 h | PM compliance, target 95% |
| Mechanical availability | Contractual target of 85% | Available hours / calendar hours |
| Diesel consumption | Maximum 5% variance vs standard | Litres per engine hour |
| Parts warehouse | Minimum stock per critical part | Stock-outs per month |
| Breakdowns and repairs | MTBF and MTTR by fleet family | Unplanned downtime hours |
| Offline mode | 7 days of autonomy without network | Sync success rate |
Off-the-shelf CMMS vs custom software: 2026 pricing
Enterprise CMMS platforms are robust, but total cost includes per-user licences, a certified integrator, travel and offline adaptations. Custom software costs less over five years when the fleet stays under 150 machines and processes are contract-specific.
| Cost item (5 years, 85 machines) | Off-the-shelf CMMS | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Licences or initial build | 120,000 to 340,000 CAD | 120,000 to 300,000 CAD (build) |
| Integration and configuration | 40,000 to 110,000 CAD | Included |
| On-site team training | 14,000 to 34,000 CAD | 7,000 to 14,000 CAD |
| Annual maintenance and hosting | 15% to 22% of licences | 11,000 to 20,000 CAD per year |
| Native offline mode | Paid option or missing | Designed from day one |
| Go-live timeline | 6 to 12 months | 14 to 20 weeks |
| Estimated total cost | 200,000 to 540,000 CAD | 175,000 to 400,000 CAD |
These figures are 2026 orders of magnitude. For reference, 100,000 CAD is roughly 68,000 EUR at current indicative rates.
Expected gains and how to measure them
The main gain comes from availability. Across 85 machines, every point gained is roughly 0.85 extra machine working. A 40-tonne haul truck billed at 165 CAD per hour over 18 hours a day brings in about 2,970 CAD per day. The second gain is fuel: on a fleet burning 1.2 million litres a year, cutting variance by 4% (theft, leaks, excessive idling) saves about 48,000 litres.
| Lever | Baseline | After 12 months | Estimated annual gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical availability | 72% | 84% | 10 machine-equivalents recovered |
| Unplanned breakdowns | 38% of stoppages | 22% of stoppages | 9,000 downtime hours avoided |
| Diesel per engine hour | +9% vs standard | +4% vs standard | 48,000 litres saved |
| Client penalties | 245,000 CAD per year | 80,000 CAD per year | 165,000 CAD |
| Critical part stock-outs | 14 per month | 4 per month | Downtime shortened by 30% |
Mini case study
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Daniel, maintenance director of a contract mining firm headquartered in Toronto, runs 85 machines across two open-pit sites in Northern Ontario. His average availability sits at 74% and the mine owner charged him 205,000 CAD in penalties in 2025. He picks custom software at 190,000 CAD, delivered in 18 weeks, with offline tablets for 12 lead mechanics.
Simple maths: lifting availability to 83% recovers the equivalent of 7.6 machines. Counting only 2 machines actually rebilled at 2,000 CAD per day over 300 days, the gain reaches 1.2 million CAD per year. Even keeping only lower penalties (135,000 CAD) and fuel savings (48,000 litres at 1.75 CAD, about 84,000 CAD), the project pays back in roughly 10 months.
FAQ
Can the software work without network on site?
Yes, if it is built offline-first: tablets store 7 days of entries and sync at camp. Make it the first requirement, since many remote pits have no stable LTE coverage.
Do we need telematics on the machines?
Not at launch: dispatcher hour-meter entries are enough for 85 machines. OEM telematics (about 40 to 80 CAD per machine per month) can be connected later through APIs to automate hours and fault codes.
How long does custom software take?
Plan 14 to 20 weeks for a first scope (machines, meters, preventive maintenance, fuel, warehouse). Secondary modules such as client billing or tyre management follow in a second release 6 to 8 weeks later.
How is availability calculated?
The standard formula is available hours divided by calendar hours, excluding stoppages caused by the client. The software must separate mechanical, operational and weather downtime so the 85% figure holds up with the mine owner.
Does our data stay with us?
Yes: hosting can be cloud (Canadian region) or a local server at camp, with daily backups. Source code is handed over to the client, avoiding vendor lock-in.
Let's scope your project. Send us your fleet size, sites and availability targets and we will price a 120,000 to 300,000 CAD scope with a 14 to 20 week plan. 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.
