Buying CNC Connectivity Software: 30-Point Integrator's Checklist For 2026

For under-30-machine projects where a full RFP is overkill, this checklist gets you to a shortlist faster. Run it against each vendor on your radar; anything below 22/30 is a pass.

How to Use This Checklist

Score each item 0 (no), 1 (partial), or 2 (yes, well-documented). Total possible: 60. Shortlist at 44+. Final pick should clear 50+ on the criteria that matter most for your specific customer.

Section A: OEM Coverage Verification

Confirm Each Brand You Need

1. Vendor explicitly lists every CNC brand in your project scope as natively supported (not "via OPC UA" or "via MTConnect" generic).
2. Vendor distinguishes between modern and legacy controller support (e.g., Siemens 840D powerline vs sl).
3. Vendor provides a per-controller-series capability matrix on request.

Confirm Each Controller Generation

4. Coverage confirmed for the specific Fanuc series in your fleet (0i Mate, 0i-D, 16i, 18i, 21i, 30i-A/B, 31i, 32i, 35i).
5. Coverage confirmed for the specific Siemens platform (828D, 840D powerline, 840D sl, ONE).
6. Coverage confirmed for the specific Heidenhain (TNC 530, 640, 7, iTNC 530).
7. Coverage confirmed for any Mazak generation older than SmoothX without supplemental hardware.

Confirm Specific Data Points

8. Spindle load and feedrate accessible.
9. Active program O-number / job ID accessible.
10. Tool data (active tool, life remaining, offsets) accessible if customer requires.
11. Alarm history accessible (not just current alarm).
12. Custom macro variables accessible if customer's process needs them.

Section B: Licensing and Pricing

Pricing Model Clarity

13. Pricing model is documented (per-machine, per-connection, per-server, subscription).
14. Year-1, year-2, year-3 costs are quoted in writing for your specific machine count.
15. Renewal terms include cap on annual increases.

OEM Protocol Licensing Included

16. Vendor confirms in writing that Focas / MELSEC / THINC / Brother CNC Net redistribution is covered.
17. Customer-procured options (Heidenhain Option 18, Siemens OPC UA option) are clearly identified as customer responsibility.

See OEM Protocol Licensing Guide.

Renewal Terms

18. Termination and data export terms are clear in the agreement.

Section C: Architecture and Deployment

Deployment Options Match Customer IT Policy

19. Vendor supports the deployment model your customer requires (on-prem / edge / cloud / air-gapped).
20. Hardware sizing recommendations provided for the customer's machine count.

Data Ownership and Egress

21. Customer retains full ownership of their data; vendor's contract does not claim aggregate or anonymized rights.
22. Data export and historian connectivity options are documented.

High Availability and Failover

23. Failover behavior on edge node failure or network outage is documented.

Section D: Analytics and Output

24. OEE calculation methodology is configurable (which standard, threshold tuning).
25. Built-in dashboards meet most of customer's needs without custom development.
26. Mobile / responsive view for floor managers and supervisors.

Section E: Security and Compliance

IEC 62443 Alignment

27. Vendor provides documentation on IEC 62443 alignment if customer is in regulated industry. See IEC 62443 Explained.

SSO, RBAC, Audit Logs

28. SAML/SSO, RBAC with adequate granularity, audit logging with export.

Section F: Support and SLA

29. SLA terms documented including response and resolution targets.

Section G: Integrator Partnership Terms

Partner Margin

30. Partner margin on software year-1 and renewals is committed in writing.

Pre-Sales and Engineering Support

Pre-sales engineer available for customer discovery calls and technical demos.

Lead Sharing and Co-Marketing

Vendor lead-sharing policy and co-marketing programs documented.

Section H: Customer Experience

Customer-facing references available — talk to two existing customers in your industry before committing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most important section?

OEM coverage (Section A) is non-negotiable. If a vendor can't cover your customer's brand mix natively, the rest doesn't matter. Pricing (Section B) is the second-most-important and the easiest to get vague answers on.

Can I skip the security section?

Only if the customer explicitly says so. Most enterprise customers will fail security review and you'll lose the project — even if everything else is great.

How heavily should I weight integrator partnership terms?

Heavily for vendors you'll work with repeatedly. Less so for one-off projects.

What if the vendor refuses to answer some questions?

Treat refusals as 0 scores. Vendors who can't answer can't deliver.

Should I show this checklist to my customer?

Often yes - customers appreciate the rigor and may add their own items.

How does MDCplus score on this checklist?

Run it and see - request a demo and we'll provide written answers to all 30 items within 24 hours.

How often do vendor capabilities shift?

Quarterly. Re-run the checklist before re-committing on renewal cycles.

Run This Checklist Against MDCplus

Request a demo and we'll work the 30 points with you against your specific customer profile. Or if you'd prefer to evaluate independently first, try MDCplus free on a single machine

• CNC Connectivity Software for Integrators (Hub)
• Comparison Matrix
• OEM Protocol Licensing
• IEC 62443 Explained

About MDCplus

Our key features are real-time machine monitoring for swift issue resolution, power consumption tracking to promote sustainability, computerized maintenance management to reduce downtime, and vibration diagnostics for predictive maintenance. MDCplus's solutions are tailored for diverse industries, including aerospace, automotive, precision machining, and heavy industry. By delivering actionable insights and fostering seamless integration, we empower manufacturers to boost Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reduce operational costs, and achieve sustainable growth along with future planning.