Custom systems for manufacturers who've outgrown spreadsheets
For established NZ manufacturers and engineering firms ready to replace disconnected tools with integrated platforms that handle quoting, production tracking, and client management at scale.
Book a Discovery CallCustom systems for manufacturers who've outgrown spreadsheets
For established NZ manufacturers and engineering firms ready to replace disconnected tools with integrated platforms that handle quoting, production tracking, and client management at scale.
Your growth is being held back by your systems
Your manufacturing or engineering business has grown to a point where the tools that got you here are now holding you back. Quoting is manual and slow. Production scheduling lives in spreadsheets or whiteboards. Customer communication is scattered across emails, phone calls, and handwritten notes. Quality data is tracked on paper forms.
This is the reality for most mid-sized NZ manufacturers — businesses with $2M-$50M turnover that sit in an awkward gap. Enterprise ERP systems like SAP are designed for multinationals and come with price tags to match. Off-the-shelf solutions like Unleashed or Dear handle inventory but don't touch quoting, client portals, or production scheduling in a way that fits your workflow.
Meanwhile, WorkSafe NZ requirements, ISO audit trails, and client quality expectations keep increasing. Every manual process is a compliance risk and an efficiency drain. The businesses that scale successfully in NZ manufacturing are the ones that invest in systems that fit how they actually work — not force their team into generic software built for a different industry.
What Scale builds
Client portal
A branded portal where your customers can submit RFQs, track order status, access quality documentation, and view production timelines. Professional experience that differentiates you from competitors.
Quoting & estimation system
Custom quoting tools that factor in your specific materials, processes, labour rates, and margins. Reduce quoting time from days to hours while maintaining accuracy.
Production tracking dashboard
Real-time visibility across your production floor — job status, machine utilisation, bottlenecks, and delivery timelines. Replace the whiteboard with data your whole team can access.
Quality management system
Digital quality checks, NCR tracking, and audit trails that satisfy ISO 9001 requirements. Automated reporting that turns compliance from a burden into a byproduct of normal operations.
Integration layer
Connect your existing tools — Xero for accounting, Unleashed for inventory, MYOB Advanced, or industry-specific software — into a unified system. No rip-and-replace required.
Supply chain visibility
Track materials from supplier to finished product. Particularly valuable for NZ manufacturers managing long lead times and import logistics from overseas suppliers.
How Scale works
Operations mapping
We spend time on your factory floor and in your office. We map every workflow, identify bottlenecks, and understand how your team actually works — not how a textbook says they should.
System architecture
We design the platform — what gets built custom, what integrates with existing tools, data flows, and user roles. You review and approve the blueprint before development begins.
Iterative development
Built in 2-week sprints with regular demos on your shop floor. Your team tests each module as it's built — production scheduling first, then quoting, then client portal. Real feedback drives real development.
Rollout & adoption
Phased rollout starting with your most willing team members. Hands-on training, support during the transition period, and iteration based on real-world usage. We don't leave until it's working.
The impact of proper systems
Faster quoting
Reduce quote turnaround from days to hours. Respond to RFQs before your competitors even open the email. Win more work by being the fastest credible response.
Production visibility
Real-time understanding of what's happening on the floor — which jobs are on track, which are behind, and where the bottlenecks are. Better decisions, fewer surprises.
Compliance as a byproduct
ISO audit trails, WorkSafe documentation, and quality records generated automatically through normal operations. Compliance stops being a separate activity and becomes built-in.
Scalable operations
Systems that handle $5M or $50M in throughput without proportional increases in admin staff. Your back office scales with your workshop, not ahead of it.
Frequently asked questions
ERP systems like SAP or NetSuite are designed for enterprise-scale multinationals. They're expensive, complex, and require your team to adapt to their workflow. A Scale engagement builds systems around how your team actually works — with only the features you need, at a fraction of the cost, and with the flexibility to evolve as your business changes.
First phase is typically 3-4 months — enough to deliver working software for your highest-priority pain point (usually quoting or production tracking). The full platform builds out over 6-12 months. You're getting value from week one, not waiting a year for a big-bang rollout.
We integrate with them. If your accounts team knows Xero and your warehouse runs Unleashed, those stay. We build the connective layer and the custom modules that sit on top — quoting, production tracking, client portals — that your off-the-shelf tools can't handle.
We design for workshop adoption — large buttons, simple interfaces, tablet and phone-friendly. We involve your floor team in testing from the start, not just management. Systems fail when they're designed in a boardroom. Ours are designed on the shop floor.
Yes. Custom technology development can qualify for Callaghan Innovation R&D grants and growth grants. We've worked with clients who have co-funded Scale projects through these programmes. We can advise on eligibility and structure projects to align with grant requirements.
Ready to talk about manufacturing & engineering?
Book a free discovery call. No sales pitch — just an honest conversation about what your business needs.