Manufacturing and factory IT support in Adelaide
When the ERP is down or the shop-floor PC won't open the job sheet, the floor stops and orders slip. We look after the office, the workshop and everything that connects them, so your team can keep cutting, welding and shipping, and so a cyber attack on a supplier doesn't end up as one on you.
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The short answer
Factory IT has to keep production running. WaTo Consulting supports Adelaide manufacturers and fabricators with managed shop-floor PCs and workstations, ERP and job-system support, Wi-Fi surveyed for steel buildings and racking, ransomware protection, Essential Eight alignment and backups that are restore-tested. We've been Adelaide-based since 2001.
IT for manufacturing
A factory runs on a mix of office PCs, shared terminals on the floor, an ERP or job-costing system, CAD and CNC files, label printers and scanners, often with a few older machines nobody wants to touch because production depends on them. Steel walls and high racking kill Wi-Fi. Shared logins on the floor make it hard to see who did what. And attackers know a stopped production line gets ransoms paid, so manufacturers, and the suppliers around them, are a common target. Good manufacturing IT keeps all of that running, secured and recoverable without getting in the way of the work.
What we do for manufacturers
Shop-floor PCs and terminals
Rugged or enclosed PCs for the floor, set up so a worker can clock on, open drawings and job sheets fast. Patched, monitored and locked down so one dusty PC doesn't become the way in.
ERP and job system support
We look after the server or cloud setup your ERP, MRP or job-costing software runs on, keep it backed up and work with the software vendor when something breaks, so you're not stuck in the middle.
Factory Wi-Fi without dead spots
We survey the building, then place business access points to get around steel walls, racking and machinery, with separate networks for staff, scanners, machines and visitors.
Ransomware and supplier risk
Email filtering, multi-factor sign-in, endpoint protection and tighter remote access for vendors and suppliers. If a supplier gets hit, we help you check what they can reach and cut it off fast.
Essential Eight alignment
We assess where you sit against the Essential Eight, fix the gaps in a sensible order and give you the plain-English evidence customers, tenders and cyber insurers now ask for.
Backups you've actually restored
Offsite, separated backups of your ERP, file shares, drawings and Microsoft 365, with regular restore tests and a written plan for getting production running again.
Who it's for
- Metal fabricators, engineering workshops and machine shops.
- Food, packaging and product manufacturers with a production floor and an office.
- Factories with an ERP, MRP or job-costing system everything depends on.
- Owners and operations managers who've been asked about Essential Eight or cyber insurance by a customer, a tender or their insurer.
How it works
- We walk the site. Office, shop floor, server cupboard and Wi-Fi coverage. We list every PC, system and outside connection, including the old ones on the floor.
- We rank the risks. What would stop production, what would let an attacker in and what isn't backed up. You get a short report in plain English with costs.
- We fix the urgent things first. Backups, multi-factor sign-in and remote access usually come first, done around your shifts so the floor keeps working.
- We look after it. Managed support for the office and floor: patching, monitoring, help desk and on-site visits when something needs hands.
- We keep you ready. Restore tests, Essential Eight reviews and an updated plan each year, so you have answers when a customer or insurer asks.
Why WaTo for manufacturing
- We know a factory isn't an office. Updates and changes are planned around production, not dropped on you mid-shift.
- One team for the office, the shop floor, the Wi-Fi and the security, so nothing falls between providers.
- Adelaide-based since 2001, with technicians who come on site.
- We work with your ERP and software vendors instead of pointing at them.
- Published rates, and real people answering the phone.
Manufacturing IT questions
Can you fix the Wi-Fi dead spots in our factory?
Usually, yes. Steel walls, racking and machinery block Wi-Fi, so one router in the office won't reach the back of the shed. We survey the building, place business access points where the signal is needed and retest the problem spots afterwards. See business Wi-Fi upgrades.
Do you support our ERP or job-costing software?
We look after the server, network, backups, user access and PCs your ERP runs on, and we deal with the software vendor for you when the problem is in their product. If you're thinking about moving off an old system, we can help plan that too. See legacy system modernisation.
One of our suppliers got hit by ransomware. What should we do?
Act straight away. Check what access that supplier has to your systems (remote access, shared logins, email threads, file shares) and turn it off or change it. Be wary of any email from them asking you to change bank details or open attachments. Then check your own backups and multi-factor sign-in. If you're worried you've been affected, call us for incident response.
Do we need Essential Eight?
It isn't law for private businesses, but more customers, tenders and cyber insurers are asking for it. It's also a sound list of the controls that stop most attacks. We assess where you are and fix the gaps in order of risk. See Essential Eight assessments.
We have old PCs running machines that can't be updated. Is that a problem?
It's common in manufacturing and it can be managed. We separate those machines on their own network, limit what can reach them, back up what they hold and plan their replacement, so production keeps running without leaving an open door.
How fast can we be back up if the ERP server dies?
That depends on your backups, which is why we test them. We set up separated backups with regular restore tests and agree a recovery target with you, so you know how many hours you'd be down before it happens, not during. See backup and disaster recovery.
Services manufacturers use
- Managed IT services
- Essential Eight assessments
- Ransomware recovery planning
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Business Wi-Fi upgrade
- Legacy system modernisation
- After-hours IT cover
Guides on this topic
- What is the Essential Eight?
- How to test backups and recovery before an outage
- Cyber insurance IT readiness: what to have in order first
- Why is my business Wi-Fi slow or dropping out?
Want to know where your factory stands?
Tell us what's worrying you, whether that's the ERP, the Wi-Fi or a supplier that got hit, and we'll walk the site and tell you what to fix first.
Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm
