We’re sure you don’t need us to recap (but we will) on the raft of challenges facing the manufacturing industry. From volatile global economic conditions, rising costs, fluctuating demand, growing compliance burdens, and complex cross-border supply chains, life and business don’t get any easier.
So, it’s no surprise that resilience, competitiveness and efficiency are top strategic priorities for many manufacturing businesses.
But how do you achieve that in practical terms? What do you want to be, and how will you do it? And what does it have to do with Fusion5 and our evolution into a transformation partner?
All good questions.
Why Fusion5 is evolving - and what it means for manufacturers
We know transformation is strategic and operational. It requires deep sector understanding, smart system integration, and continuous support.
That’s why Fusion5 is evolving from a technology solutions provider into a full-service transformation and systems integration partner for manufacturers.
Why is this important? Our evolution means we can help you:
- Connect strategy to execution: Align digital investments with tangible business outcomes
- Get quick wins without compromising scalability: Deliver value early while laying foundations for innovation
- Bridge the tech-talent gap: Support your team with training, change management and ongoing guidance
- Bridge the tech-talent gap: Support your team with training, change management and ongoing guidance
- Turn data into action: Use AI, automation and real-time reporting to optimise operations
- Unify your digital estate: Eliminate fragmentation across ERP, MES, CRM and ecommerce platforms
- With deep business application expertise spanning Microsoft, NetSuite, Oracle, and more, we can meet you where you are and help you get to where you need to be.
How will this help you turn pressure into progress?
Surviving macroeconomic volatility and thriving in ultracompetitive markets takes more than just great products.
Gartner says manufacturing companies must successfully combine and synchronise at least four distinct value streams: external (market demands, customer requirements, sales support), product (technical features, R&D, manufacturing processes, quality management), assets (plants, machines, workforce, energy), and financial and compliance (cost control, profitability, sustainability, EHS).
The four value streams often reside with different executives. Failing to synchronise even one can lead to building the wrong products, poor quality, wasted resources, lack of profit, and ultimately, putting the entire company at risk.
The upshot of this is that manufacturers have to embrace the innovations of Industry 4.0 like AI, IoT and automation. The pressure is on to digitise systems and processes to track provenance, monitor environmental impact, become more efficient, and deliver seamless B2B and B2C experiences.
And for that, you need a partner who not only ‘gets’ you and your industry, but is one you can trust.
What is the focus for smart manufacturers?
Sustainable transformation in manufacturing begins with a connected mindset.
A unified view of operations
Visibility into operations – from supply chain to customer delivery – is an essential first step. Integrated data and platforms can provide real-time insights that improve forecasting, scheduling, and responsiveness.
Faster decisions through better data
Eliminating silos means clearer reporting, more accurate demand planning, and smarter production sequencing.
AI and IoT that deliver ROI
Whether it’s predictive maintenance, automated quality checks or connected factory floors, success depends on integration, not just point products such as databases, sensors and algorithms.
Rapid wins with long-term impact
Balancing fast value delivery with scalable foundations ensures you see results today and stay ready for what’s next.
Alignment with business strategy
Technology initiatives must drive commercial goals, whether that’s increasing efficiency, unlocking new markets, or supporting compliance, sustainability, and provenance tracking.
Why do so many transformation efforts stall?
Devising a technology strategy to support your business goals is complex. And without the right integration and visibility across your business, it can be easy to get stuck.
At Fusion5, we’ve worked with manufacturers of all shapes and sizes across Australia and New Zealand. And we consistently hear the same frustrations:
- “Our systems that don’t talk to each other. Decision-making is a slow process, and we seem to duplicate effort.”
- “We’re not sure about the ROI we’ll get from our digital investments, so it’s a hard sell.”
- “Our data is so badly siloed that our demand forecasting and inventory management is little better than guesswork.”
- “We have gaps between our shop floor technologies and enterprise systems.”
- “We’d like to adopt modern tools and automation, but how do we work around skilled labour shortages?”
While you may already be investing in change, unless your systems, processes and people are connected, those investments may not fully pay off. Now, or ever.
We believe in delivering real outcomes for manufacturers
Fusion5 brings strategic transformation to life where it matters: across your production lines, operational systems, and supply chain.
Take Steel & Tube, for example. Facing fragmented customer data across disparate systems, Steel & Tube, a leading New Zealand steel solutions provider, partnered with Fusion5 to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service. This transformation delivered a single view of customer interactions, streamlined communication capture, improved quote follow-up processes, and boosted both customer satisfaction (NPS) and employee engagement, demonstrating the real-world benefits of a connected technology platform in manufacturing.
When their legacy ITSM system reached end-of-life, ZEISS Australasia partnered with Fusion5 to implement Ivanti. This move transformed their service management, replacing a complex, data-siloed system with a dynamic, web-based solution offering enhanced reporting and a simplified data model. The Ivanti implementation significantly improved efficiency, enabled better tracking of equipment lifecycles, provided greater data accessibility for staff across the business, and supported ZEISS's substantial year-on-year growth without increasing headcount.
These are just two examples of how Fusion5 partners with manufacturers to unlock clarity, confidence, and competitive advantage through smart, connected systems.
Let’s build what’s next
We’re not here to sell silver bullets. We’re here to help you connect what you already have, close the gaps holding you back, and build a smarter, more resilient operation.
Whether you’re expanding into new markets, scaling up automation, or just trying to get more value from your existing systems, Fusion5 is ready to help.
Let’s talk today about how to turn complexity into clarity and strategy into results.
