SGESCO-MAX innovates with Wiise business software

Since joining SGESCO-MAX three years ago as Managing Director, Scott McPherson, son of the company’s founder, Albert, has re-engineered our company to prime it for growth in future decades.

With his considerable management, analytical and technology experience, Scott, along with brother Marc, Director of Research & Development, and the team have made great headway in advancing SGESCO-MAX as the Australasian leader in heavy vehicle safety with their MAX-SAFE range of solutions. At the same time, they have transitioned the organisation into a modern, scalable and leaner manufacturing business.

With innovation as one of the company’s five core values, the company implemented the Wiise ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) System in 2022. This digital solution is dramatically improving the speed and efficiency of many core business processes, saving hours of time, and providing vital data for business planning and growth.

Such has been the impact of this technology upgrade, SGESCO-MAX was recently featured in a Wiise case study which you can see in the video below.

Key Points of the Business Transformation and Wiise Implementation

Created by KPMG, a Microsoft Gold Partner, Wiise is built for ANZ businesses to manage accounting, payroll, bank feeds, inventory, CRM and more. The cloud-based solution includes local bank feeds, enhanced business reporting and intelligence, and integrations with eCommerce and other apps.

In three short years, SGESCO-MAX has expanded its business in key areas which in turn has necessitated the creation of better systems:

• A larger MAX-SAFE product range, incorporating advances in sensors, cameras, AI and Machine Learning (ML), along with greater affordability.
• A professional products approach to the business versus a solution or service-led one.
• More staff to grow the depth of talent and functions within the business.
• Appointment of more distributors and dealers across Australia and New Zealand.
• Offered extended maintenance warranty up to 7 years to match that of new heavy vehicles.
• Online training to ensure the correct operations of MAX-SAFE safety solutions.
• An Online Shop to sell VDO gauges, using the Wiise native Shopify integration.

Scott chose Wiise ERP based on its deep Microsoft integrations (Office 365, Dynamics CRM and Power BI) and the ways in which it could help SGESCO-MAX scale.  One year on and the gains have been significant. Scott estimates:

• 2,500 hours a year saved (equivalent of 1.5 of a team member) across the business.
• Up to 60% of time freed-up for his finance manager – also saving Scott time in business analysis and planning.
• Fortnightly payroll tasks reduced from two days to just two hours.
• Better inventory management, with the ability to manage assemblies, sub-assemblies and sell customer ‘kits’.

The solution is highly secure and accessible to staff working across Australia from any location.

“Today, we have a solution that is built for the future and where we want to take the company,” claims Scott, “which is ultimately to:

1. Continue to innovate in heavy vehicle safety solutions to make roads and workplaces safer – and
2. Enable heavy vehicle fleets across ANZ to fully install the advanced safety solutions that SGESCO-MAX offers because they are world-class and affordable.”

“This requires having the right systems and people in place, with time and talent focused on opportunities and where we can most add value to the most people.”

“We could not have achieved everything that we have, in such a short period of time without Wiise. The business is in such a better place. The investment has been absolutely critical to the survival and scalability of our business.”