As defence gets a boost, vendor secures key partnership…
With moves to spend serious money on defence and South Australian manufacturers looking likely to benefit from a substantial slice of that pie, a top player in the manufacturing industry is positioning itself to address more sophisticated software requirements. Epicor Software Corporation said in a statement it has signed a new partnership with Implemento which will see the South Australian-based solution provider resell, implement and support Epicor ERP.
Implemento has just the right footprint to help Epicor into this key and likely growing market: it services the aerospace and defence industries across the state.
Defence SA, South Australia’s lead government agency for all defence matters and the nation’s only standalone state defence organisation, describes South Australia as ‘The Defence State’.
It says the state is home to a critical mass of world-class industry delivering many of Defence’s largest and most complex projects, and notes that major defence companies across the aerospace, land, systems and maritime domains have their headquarters or significant operations in the state.
Additionally, says Defence SA, a strong core of defence-related small-to-medium enterprises provide goods and services directly to Defence, and deliver into the supply chains of prime contractors in Australia and around the world, while hundreds of other SMEs supply defence projects with a wide range of services and products, such as structural steel, fasteners, cables and wheel rims.
“The Australian government recently announced [a new] strategy which aims to rapidly grow the country’s defence export industry. It’s great to see an increased focus from the government on strengthening [this] manufacturing industry. We look forward to partnering with Implemento to provide ERP solutions to assist companies in this sector to grow further,” said Greg O’Loan, Epicor Software ANZ VP.
In terms of that strategy, the Australian government is backing a AU$3.8 billion export loan facility, setting up a Defence Export Office and employing an export advocate to keep the issue in focus, as reported in The Australian.
He added that the partnership with Implemento reflects Epicor’s commitment to growing its presence in the region. It follows another recent partnership with financials and supply chain specialist Datec to help expand to Fiji and Vanuatu.
“The South Australian defence industry is set to boom in the coming years, particularly in light of the recent announcement by the government. Midmarket manufacturers in the defence industry supply chain will have to invest in agile technology to meet this future demand. Reliability and compliance are essential. [In Epicor] our customers [have] an ERP solution that will help them take advantage of growth opportunities while minimising risk,” said James Black, director for Implemento.
O’Loan said a new partner in the region within the growing defence sector represents a key development for Epicor. “A partner ecosystem with strengths in different areas is core to our strategic approach and we believe Implemento will bring significant opportunities to the table, as well as help us grow into the future,” he said.
“This reflects our ambition to become the ERP provider of choice in the region. We’re keen to continue to recruit the right partners with specific industry experience that can bring specialisation in manufacturing, aged care, distribution, and services. They must be customer centric, local and passionate about how technology can help to drive the growth of our customers,” concluded O’Loan.
