Augos Factory / Learn / Buyer's guide
Buyer's guide · OEE and downtime software in South Africa
Eight questions to ask any OEE vendor, us included.
In short
Compare OEE software on how it captures stops (including short ones), how much it asks of operators. Ask whether it tells you who can recover each loss, and how it values what was produced. Then compare the full rand cost over three years: licence, hardware, deployment, support and exchange rate.
The questions
What to ask, and why it matters
| Ask | Why it matters | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. How are stops captured? | Operator logs miss most interruptions (short stops); controller data needs an integration project. | A sensor times every stop, however short, without touching your controls. |
| 2. Are interruptions counted, or hidden in "running"? | The stop threshold decides what the report shows. On one line, interruptions read as 2% or 32% of downtime depending on it. | Every stop timed; you choose which ones ask for a reason. |
| 3. What does it ask of operators? | Systems that ask for a code on every stop get abandoned. | A reason only above the stop threshold, in one or two taps. |
| 4. Does it say who can recover each loss? | A score that falls does not tell anyone what to do. | Each loss named to who can recover it: the operator logged in, the technician who took the call, or the time the plan allowed. |
| 5. What does it value in rand, and on what basis? | Finance signs. Hours mean little without a value. | Net production valued from each product's sales value. Lost hours shown in hours, which you can estimate yourself at that value. |
| 6. What does it cost over three years, in rand? | Dollar and pound prices move with the exchange rate; hardware and deployment are often extra. | Licence, hardware, deployment and support listed in rand, ex VAT. |
| 7. Who supports it locally? | A sensor offline for a week is a week of missing data. | A named local team, a response time, and connectivity that does not depend on your Wi-Fi. |
| 8. Who owns the data, and how is operator data handled? | Operator records are personal information under POPIA. | You own it; access by role; a written policy you can show your shop stewards. |
Before you compare prices
What to ask for in every quote
Vendors do not price like for like: the billing unit, the hardware and what is measured all differ. Ask every vendor for these in writing, then compare the three-year total in rand.
| Ask for | Why it matters | Augos Factory |
|---|---|---|
| The billing unit | Per machine or per line? A line with three machines may need three licences. | Per line, measured at the bottleneck |
| The minimum order | Some tools quote only from five machines or more. | One line |
| Hardware and sensors | Devices, sensors, cables and enclosures are often extra, or rented by the month. | Sensor, Augos Operator Terminal and enclosure included; Augos owns them and replaces the terminal free after every 36 months at the full rate |
| The operator screen | Without a screen at the line, reasons need a tablet you buy and mount. | The Augos Operator Terminal is included |
| Platform, base and support fees | Some add a monthly site fee, or a percentage for support. | No site or base fee on the standard plan; remote support included |
| Connectivity | Plant Wi-Fi needs IT sign-off and drops out where lines are. | Built-in 4G and a data SIM in every terminal, at no cost |
| The currency | Dollar and pound prices move with the exchange rate. | Rand, ex VAT |
| The three-year total, in rand | The only fair comparison: licence, hardware, deployment, support and exchange rate together. | R197,700 for one line at 2026 prices: R4,950 a month for 36 months plus R19,500 once, ex VAT |
Augos Factory column from the 2026 price list, ex VAT.
Where we fit
When Augos Factory is the wrong choice
Say it plainly, so you can rule us out quickly.
- You want a machine-by-machine view of a CNC shop with dozens of spindles: a per-machine current-sensing tool fits better.
- You need deep controller data, such as temperatures and pressures from your PLCs: an industrial data platform fits better.
- You want a scoreboard you buy once and own: a one-off hardware product fits better.
When we are the right choice
You want every stop on each line timed, and each loss named to who can win it back. You want what the line produced valued in rand, on a monthly price in rand. That is what we built.
Leave-behind
Take the eight questions into every demo
A two-page PDF with the eight questions and a three-year rand cost sheet, to fill in for each vendor you see.
Three-year cost sheet
Page 2 of 2 · PDF
Questions
Buying OEE software, answered
What does OEE software cost in South Africa?
Augos Factory is R4,950 per line per month, ex VAT. Imported tools price per machine or per line, and hardware and exchange rates change the total. Compare the full rand cost over three years.
Should we build our own in Excel or Power BI?
If you already have reliable stop data, a report is easy. Capturing every stop with a reason, every shift, is the hard part. Start with the template (Excel) ›
Per machine or per line pricing: which is cheaper?
It depends on how many machines make up a line. Count licences for the whole line before comparing.
Ask us the eight questions on your own line.
Thirty minutes with a manufacturing specialist. Bring the checklist.
- Straight answers to all eight
- A three-year cost in rand
- Prices ex VAT
A manufacturing specialist replies within two business hours to set a 30-minute call.