Which software should run your workshop? The honest comparison.
Sensor-based MES, classic CMMS, Excel/paper, heavy industrial ERP, or MECAFLOW: each family of tools answers a different need, with its own strengths and limits. Here is a factual, criterion-by-criterion comparison to help you choose with full knowledge — not a biased ranking.
Five tool families, eleven concrete criteria.
No superlatives: just what each approach actually requires, and what it actually covers.
| Criterion | Sensor-based MES e.g. TeepTrak… |
Classic CMMS | Excel / paper | Heavy industrial ERP | MECAFLOW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rollout time | Weeks to months (wiring, IT) | Fast (days) | Immediate | Months (heavy project) | Immediate (QR + PIN) |
| Sensors required | Mandatory from day one | No | No | No, but complex interfaces | Optional, at your own pace |
| OEE measured | Yes, from wiring onward | No | No, declarative only | Rarely at machine level | Yes — declared, measured or automatic |
| Maintenance (CMMS) | Limited or absent | Yes, complete | Rudimentary | Add-on module, heavy | Yes — parts, providers, KPIs |
| Quality (SPC, control plans) | No | No | No | Separate module, costly | Yes — SPC Pp/Ppk included |
| Inventory & tooling | No | Spare parts only | Manual | Yes, but heavy to operate shop-floor side | Yes — parts, drawers, instruments |
| Safety (occupational health & safety) | No | Rarely | No | No | Yes — register, PPE, incidents |
| Job/project management (hours, purchases, margin per project) | No | No | Separate spreadsheet, never up to date | Yes, but without real machine hours | Yes — live margin, client portal |
| Working time & HR (time clock, absences, personnel files) | No | No | Spreadsheet, re-entered every month | Separate HR module, often extra cost | Yes — labour-law register included |
| Entry cost | High (sensors + integration) | Medium | None | Very high (project + licences) | Near zero, sensor optional |
| Hosting / data sovereignty | Variable, often outside Switzerland | Often US, subject to the CLOUD Act | Local, unsecured | Varies by vendor | Swiss vendor · data in Europe · Swiss FADP |
| Scalability (progressive capture) | No — all or nothing | No | No | No, rigid | Yes — manual → sensor → machine |
| Pricing | Often per sensor / machine | Per user | Office licence | Per module + per user | S/M/L/XL plans by number of users, from CHF 490/month |
Indicative comparison based on the public positioning of each tool category. The brands mentioned belong to their respective owners — no affiliation implied.
Where others force a choice, MECAFLOW offers a progression.
The real market divide isn't "software A versus software B": it's the capture level required before you get any data at all. MECAFLOW is the only one that works at all three levels — in the same tool, at the same software price.
What workshop managers ask before choosing
Is MECAFLOW a MES, a CMMS or an ERP?
None of the three entirely, and that's intentional. MECAFLOW covers OEE (like a MES), maintenance (like a CMMS), quality, inventory and safety — in a single tool, without the implementation weight of an industrial ERP. It's a lightweight, scalable, all-in-one MES.
Do you need sensors to get started with MECAFLOW?
No. You start with manual entry (QR code + PIN), with no hardware at all. The Pulse sensor and direct machine connection are added later, once the need is proven — unlike sensor-based MES solutions that require a full IT project before the first data point.
Can MECAFLOW replace an industrial ERP?
No, and that's not its role. An ERP manages finance, purchasing and overall planning. MECAFLOW runs the day-to-day workshop: production, maintenance, quality, inventory, safety. The two can coexist; MECAFLOW covers what a heavy ERP doesn't see at machine level.
How much does MECAFLOW cost compared to a CMMS or a sensor-based MES?
À la carte from CHF 150/month (CHF 50 base + CHF 100 per module), or an all-inclusive S/M/L/XL plan based on your number of users from CHF 490/month, all your sites included, with weekly onboarding support for your first 2 months on the flat-rate plans — where many CMMS and MES solutions charge per user or require a high upfront hardware investment. The Pulse sensor remains optional.
The best way to compare is to see MECAFLOW in action.
15 minutes are enough to place your workshop on the three levels and see what it would look like at your site.
Request a demo →
Four situations, four starting points.
There isn't a single "best tool" — there's a tool suited to your starting point.
You're still on Excel or paper
A spreadsheet that's never up to date, lost machine sheets, no overview. MECAFLOW starts as simply as a binder — QR code + PIN — but everything becomes shared, timestamped and viewable live, from day one. See how →
You want measured OEE, without a big IT project
A classic sensor-based MES often requires a full IT project before the first data point. With the Pulse sensor, MECAFLOW measures OEE in a few minutes of installation, without touching the machine's program. Discover progressive capture →
You already have a CMMS, but nothing on the production side
Your CMMS tracks breakdowns and preventive maintenance well — but it doesn't see OEE, quality or inventory. MECAFLOW covers the whole workshop in a single tool, with the same shop-floor logic (QR, PIN, kiosk). See all features →
You're aiming for an ERP, but the workshop isn't digitised
An industrial ERP structures the company, but rarely the workstation. MECAFLOW installs in a few days at machine level and complements your ERP, without waiting for a months-long project. Request a demo →