Melbourne-based Washers & Stamped Components Australia Pty Ltd (WASCA) manufactures a substantially diverse range of washers, fasteners and stamped, formed and bent components from an extensive range of steel, nonferrous metals, vulcanised fibres, rubber and thermoplastic materials.

WASCA also offers numerous optional treatments including heat treatment, annealing and multiple coating choices from powder coating to enamelling, plastic dipping, galvanizing, phosphating and plating.

The company, founded by the Coyne family in the mid 1960s, and who now have second-generation family members active in the business, says that it can supply its products by the truckload or by the handful.

Whilst most of Australia's major manufacturers are WASCA clients, it also prides itself on working with its customers as a problem solver to produce special components.

WASCA's General Manager Darren Walker said: "We are able to design, program and manufacture the most unique shapes in house, from almost any material, to meet our clients' needs.

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"While we like to produce components in economical production runs, no job is too large or too small. There have been times where we have produced just a single washer for a particular specialist application."

WASCA has also been intent on selecting the best available business support systems to ensure it remains competitive and meets the expectations of its customers.

Mr Walker explained: "We had over a period of some years developed and written our own computer operating system but it had become increasingly unsuitable as market conditions changed, especially as demand from the automotive sector was affected, raw material costs increased and we needed to increase our competitive edge as an established local manufacturer.

"We sought information on virtually all the ERP systems on offer for one which would meet our requirements, and we then investigated all the available ERP manufacturing software in detail.

"Our choice was the M1 by B & G ERP system from local software developers Bowen & Groves (now ECi M1). It has proven to be an inspired choice as it provides us with all the functions we sought from quoting to order intake, manufacturing management and the accounting and financial management modules.

"It simply offered us more features which are unique to the needs of a manufacturing business like ours. While we were computer literate, it has proven to be easy to implement and to execute the change over from our own basic manufacturing system."

"The back-up support from Bowen & Groves has also been unparalleled and this also contributed to the seamless commissioning of the M1 ERP software. I am sure it has made WASCA a much better business and it puts us in an ideal position to implement the growth plans we have for the next few years."