What drives the cost of offshore SCADA and MES development?
Cost is driven mainly by how clear the scope is, the platform, the number of screens or configured objects, the number of integrations, the depth of testing, and how many review cycles you need. A defined work package with good inputs costs less than an open ended request, wherever the engineers sit.
Send us one work packageScope clarity
The biggest single factor. A package with a tag list, P&IDs, a style guide and a clear list of deliverables can be quoted as fixed scope. A request that says "build the screens for line 3" without those inputs has to be priced with room for discovery and rework. Spending a day tightening the scope usually saves more than it costs.
Platform
Platforms differ in how quickly screens and objects can be built and reused, in licensing for development environments, and in how easy it is to share a development copy with a partner. Who provides the development licenses and environment is a cost line to settle early.
Size: screens, objects and tags
Count what will be built: the number of screens, the number of distinct device templates or faceplates, the number of tags or configured objects, and for MES the number of routings, operations and work order states. Reuse matters: fifty screens built from ten well made templates cost far less than fifty unique screens.
Integrations
Each interface, whether to ERP, a historian, a quality system or another MES, adds design, build and testing effort. The cost depends less on the protocol than on how well the other side is documented and whether a test environment exists.
Testing depth
A simple functional check costs little. Full test scripts, simulation for a factory acceptance test and a requirements traceability sheet cost more, and usually repay it at FAT. Decide the depth up front.
Review cycles
Every round of markups adds time on both sides. Early review of a few screens or objects, a written checklist, and one named reviewer on your side keep the number of cycles down.
How to get a firm number
Send one defined work package with its inputs and ask for a fixed scope and quote. Compare partners on the same package, and on the assumptions they list, not only on the price.
What does not change with location
Moving work offshore changes the hourly rate, not the effort. A poorly scoped package takes as many hours in India as in the US, and review cycles cost your engineers the same time whoever did the build. The savings come when a defined package, good inputs and a short review loop meet a lower rate. Also count your own costs: the time your reviewer spends, the development licenses you provide, and the time to prepare inputs. A fair comparison includes all of them.
Related questions
Ajinkya Technologies works behind US control system integrators on HMI, SCADA, MES, testing and documentation, under the integrator’s brand and NDA. Questions: bdo@ajinkyatechnologies.in.
References and scope
- Ajinkya Technologies: indicative pricing and scope
- ISA: ISA 101 series of standards for human machine interfaces
External references explain the underlying technology or regulatory context. Ajinkya pricing, schedules and project results are company provided estimates or examples, not independently audited industry benchmarks. Confirm scope and current requirements before making a purchasing decision.
Have a work package in mind?
Send us one defined package and your NDA. We sign it, reply with a fixed scope and quote, and deliver under your name.
Reviewed by Amey Kadle, Founder, Ajinkya Technologies. Last reviewed: .