Wetherill Park Manufacturer — Custom ERP
A manufacturer drowning in spreadsheets cut manual data entry by 67% with a custom ERP module.
TL;DR
- Challenge:
- A Wetherill Park manufacturer running production on 14 spreadsheets, paper job cards, and whiteboards.
- Approach:
- Custom ERP module connecting order intake, production scheduling, inventory, Xero sync, and factory floor tablets.
- Result:
- Manual data entry cut 67%, inventory accuracy 72% → 97%, on-time delivery 64% → 91%.
Key Results at a Glance
-67%
Manual data entry
+25pts
Inventory accuracy
+27pts
On-time delivery
Client Context
Business Type
Steel fabrication manufacturer
Founded
1996
Team Size
38 factory + admin
Market
Sydney metro + interstate freight
Revenue Tier
$11M annual revenue
Stack Before
Excel × 14, Xero, paper job cards, MYOB inventory
The Challenge
The factory ran on 14 spreadsheets, 3 whiteboards, and a paper-based job tracking system. Orders were entered manually into Xero, inventory counts were done weekly by hand, and production scheduling was a guessing game.
Goals & KPIs
North-Star Metric
Eliminate spreadsheet dependency and cut order-to-delivery time by 30%
Supporting KPIs
Manual data entry hours
Target: Under 8/week
Inventory accuracy
Target: 95%+
On-time delivery
Target: 90%+
Order-to-delivery days
Target: -30%
Xero sync errors
Target: Zero
Discovery & Research
Audit Findings
- •22 hours/week of manual data entry (mostly re-typing)
- •Inventory count done weekly by hand
- •Production schedule on whiteboards
- •No visibility for admin on factory status
- •Xero updates lagged 1-2 weeks
Baseline Issues
- •22 hrs/wk manual data entry
- •72% inventory accuracy
- •64% on-time delivery
- •No factory floor visibility
Competitor Insight
Best-in-class AU manufacturers ran real-time floor dashboards, barcode inventory, and single-source-of-truth ERPs.
Audience Insight
Manufacturing owners want the pain of spreadsheets solved, not a "digital transformation" story — tools must be usable by non-tech shop floor workers.
Strategy
Core Hypothesis
“If we replace spreadsheets with a custom ERP + tablet dashboards, then throughput will improve because visibility unlocks operational speed.”
Positioning Shift
Repositioned as "connected factory — see every job from quote to dispatch on one screen".
Channel Mix
Custom ERP build · 55%
Foundation
Barcode inventory · 20%
Accuracy
Xero API integration · 15%
Single source of truth
Factory floor tablets · 10%
Adoption
Our Approach
Custom ERP module
Built a custom ERP module that connects order intake, production scheduling, and inventory management — replacing spreadsheets with a single real-time dashboard.
Inventory integration
Integrated barcode scanning for raw materials and finished goods, with automatic Xero sync for purchase orders and stock valuations.
Reporting dashboard
Created a real-time production dashboard showing job status, machine utilisation, and delivery timelines — accessible on factory floor tablets.
Phased Roadmap
Month 1
Discovery + Scoping
- →Process mapping (all 14 spreadsheets)
- →Requirements gathering
- →Data model design
- →Integration scope (Xero, MYOB)
Months 2–4
Build
- →Custom ERP module (Node.js + PostgreSQL)
- →Xero API integration
- →Barcode scanning + inventory sync
- →Factory floor tablet dashboards
Month 5
Launch + Training
- →Data migration (14 spreadsheets → ERP)
- →Shop floor training (4 sessions)
- →Parallel run for 2 weeks
- →Go-live
Months 6–8
Adoption + Optimisation
- →Reporting dashboard for owner
- →Daily huddle boards on tablets
- →Iterative improvements based on feedback
- →ROI: paid back in month 7
What We Built
The Results
Weekly Manual Data Entry Hours
Before vs After — 8 Months
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual data entry | 22 hours/week | 7 hours/week | -67% |
| Inventory accuracy | 72% | 97% | +25pts |
| On-time delivery | 64% | 91% | +27pts |
“We went from 14 spreadsheets to one dashboard. The factory floor tablet is the single best investment I have made.”
Rick M.
Operations Manager
Key Insights
- →Shop floor tablets were the adoption unlock — owners saw usage stats + resistance dropped
- →Xero integration paid back on its own in month 6 via accountant hours saved
- →Iterative improvements post-launch matter more than perfect specs upfront
- →The system paid for itself in month 7 — every month after is pure ROI
What's Next
Adding CRM module for sales pipeline, launching a customer portal for order tracking, and testing AI for demand forecasting.
Ready to see similar results?
Book a free strategy call — we'll audit your current setup and map out what growth looks like for your business.
Services Used
Representative case study. Figures illustrate the type of outcomes achievable through these strategies for Australian businesses; individual results vary based on market, budget and starting position.