A South African heavy equipment manufacturer was struggling with disconnected systems, manual processes, and recurring IT issues that slowed down production. After partnering with Solbridge, they transformed their operations.
Here is their story.
The challenge: systems that did not talk to each other
The manufacturer operated across multiple sites. Each location used different software for inventory, procurement, and production tracking. Data did not flow between systems. Staff manually re-entered information, leading to errors and delays.
Specific problems included:
Inventory levels were inaccurate across sites
Purchase orders took days to process
Production schedules were frequently disrupted by missing parts
Month-end reporting required manual consolidation from spreadsheets
IT support was slow, with issues taking days to resolve
The solution: integrated systems and proactive IT support
Solbridge was engaged to address both the systems integration challenge and the IT support problem. Our approach had three phases.
Phase one: IT stabilisation
We first addressed the recurring IT issues that were disrupting production:
Deployed 24/7 monitoring across all servers and network equipment
Implemented proactive patch management to prevent security vulnerabilities
Set up automated backups with tested recovery procedures
Provided a dedicated helpdesk with rapid response times
Phase two: systems integration
Next, we connected the manufacturer’s disparate systems:
Integrated inventory management across all sites into a single view
Connected procurement systems so purchase orders flow automatically
Linked production tracking to inventory levels
Built dashboards for real-time visibility into operations
Phase three: ongoing managed services
Solbridge now provides fully managed IT services, including:
24/7 monitoring and support
Regular security assessments
Strategic IT planning and advisory
Vendor management and procurement
The results
Inventory accuracy improved from 70% to 98%
Purchase order processing time reduced from days to hours
Production downtime caused by IT issues reduced by 85%
Month-end reporting time cut from two weeks to two days
Staff productivity improved significantly
What the client said
“Before Solbridge, we were constantly fighting fires. Our team could not focus on production because we were always dealing with IT problems. Solbridge fixed that. They stabilised our systems, integrated our data, and gave us peace of mind. Now we can focus on manufacturing.”
Why solbridge for manufacturing
Solbridge specialises in IT solutions for South African manufacturers. We understand the unique challenges of production environments, including:
Iot device management on the shop floor
Erp system implementation and support
Supply chain integration
Inventory and procurement automation
24/7 production uptime requirements
Our manufacturing services include:
Managed IT services with rapid on-site support
Erp implementation and optimisation
Systems integration
Iot and shop floor technology
Cyber security for manufacturing
Cloud migration and infrastructure
Ready to transform your manufacturing operations?
Contact Solbridge today for a consultation. We will help you identify the IT improvements that will have the biggest impact on your production.
