Geofabrics is a leading manufacturer supplying products used in infrastructure, construction, and environmental projects across Australia and New Zealand. With more than 40 years of experience in geosynthetic engineering, the company develops solutions used in projects such as roads, rail, mining, water infrastructure, and coastal protection. Its geosynthetic products help improve soil stability, drainage, containment, and environmental performance across major civil engineering projects.
The organisation operates as part of a broader manufacturing group that includes Plascorp, a manufacturer of PVC pipe, mine ventilation systems, steel reinforcement, and other industrial products. In recent years, the group has continued to expand, including the acquisition of Bayset, strengthening its presence across construction and infrastructure markets. Across the organisation, IFS ERP supports key business processes including customer orders, manufacturing, inventory management, distribution, and finance.
Executive Summary
Geofabrics, a leading manufacturer supplying materials for infrastructure projects across Australia and New Zealand, partnered with InfoConsulting Australia to extend and strengthen its use of the IFS ERP platform across the business.
Following the acquisition of subsidiary company Plascorp, the organisation needed to move the business from a limited accounting system to a modern ERP platform capable of supporting manufacturing, inventory management, finance, and distribution across multiple locations.
InfoConsulting Australia supported Geofabrics through a hybrid ERP implementation for Plascorp, while also assisting with system upgrades, ongoing support, and continuous improvement initiatives across the broader organisation.
Today, IFS provides Geofabrics with greater visibility across operations, stronger process control, and richer business data to support decision-making and operational performance.
Challenge
When Geofabrics acquired Plascorp, the subsidiary was operating an older MYOB accounting system that lacked the capability required for a modern manufacturing environment.
The limitations of the existing system created several operational challenges:
– Limited functionality leading to a lack of control of real time visibility across the organisation
– Inefficient manual workarounds in processes causing vulnerability in tactical and operational efficiency
– High risk of getting it wrong
– Lack of timeliness in generating reports required for business agility
– A business with many moving parts with inadequate process flow
Many activities were being performed outside the system, reducing visibility and making it difficult to maintain reliable operational data.
At the same time, the parent company had already been operating on IFS for over 15 years. Standardising the ERP platform across the organisation became the logical next step to support growth, improve consistency, and create a unified operational platform.
Solution
Geofabrics partnered with InfoConsulting Australia to support the implementation of IFS for Plascorp, as well as ongoing support and upgrades across the broader group.
The project followed a hybrid implementation model. Geofabrics leveraged its internal knowledge of IFS to manage parts of the project internally, while InfoConsulting provided specialist expertise in areas where additional capability was required.
InfoConsulting Australia supported several critical areas of the project, including:
– Development of custom system integrations
– Configuration of finance modules
– Manufacturing setup and costing models
– User training and knowledge transfer
– Go-live support across multiple locations
– Ongoing system support and improvements
One key technical component involved building an interface between a steel fabrication system and IFS to automate the transfer of manufacturing data into the ERP platform.
The implementation culminated in a coordinated go-live across four locations in Australia, supported by on-site consultants to assist users during the transition and ensure business continuity.
Results and Impact
Following the implementation, Geofabrics and Plascorp gained a modern ERP platform capable of supporting their operational complexity and growth. IFS now plays a central role in managing business operations across the group. Key outcomes include:
Improved Data Visibility
IFS provides centralised access to operational data across manufacturing, inventory, and sales activity. Teams can now access up-to-date information across locations, enabling better operational planning and inventory management.
Greater Process Control
The system enforces structured business processes for activities such as purchasing, dispatch, stock transfers, and manufacturing operations. This has introduced greater consistency and control across the organisation.
Improved Governance and Compliance
IFS has introduced a stronger compliance framework across the organisation, including the ability to support delegation of authority (DOA). This provides clearer accountability, better control over approvals, and greater consistency in how decisions are managed across the business.
Real-Time Operational and Financial Oversight
The organisation now has improved visibility across both operational and financial performance. Access to real-time data allows teams to monitor activity more closely, identify issues earlier, and make more informed decisions based on current information.
Better Reporting and Insights
IFS has enabled the development of new reports and dashboards that provide visibility into financial performance, sales targets, budgets, and operational KPIs. This data supports decision-making at both operational and executive levels.
Improved Inventory Oversight
Teams can now monitor stock levels across branches, analyse demand patterns, and make more informed production and inventory decisions. While improvements have developed gradually over time, the business continues to see increasing value as processes mature and adoption grows.
Lessons Learned
Like many ERP transformations, the journey extended beyond the initial implementation.
For Geofabrics, success came from recognising that ERP adoption is a continuous process rather than a one-time project.
A key focus for the organisation today is improving data accuracy and ensuring users consistently follow defined processes within the system. As the quality of operational data improves, the organisation can gain even greater value from its ERP platform.
InfoConsulting Australia continues to support Geofabrics through ongoing system support, upgrades, and improvement initiatives.
Looking ahead, the organisation plans to explore additional IFS capabilities, including:
– IoT integration
– MRP and demand planning
– Advanced inventory planning
– Further automation opportunities
By continuing to build on its ERP foundation, Geofabrics is positioning itself to support future growth while maintaining strong operational control across its manufacturing and distribution network.
“Geofabrics is a great example of an organisation investing strategically and with purpose for their long-term approach to its ERP strategy. By extending IFS across the group and supporting Plascorp’s transition to a modern ERP platform, they have created stronger visibility and consistency across their operations. Our role has been to bring the technical expertise and industry knowledge needed to support that journey. We’re proud to work alongside their team as they continue to build on that foundation.”
— Jon O’Brien, Managing Director, InfoConsulting ANZ
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