From February 2026 issue, NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

By Frank Phillips, Director, Fulcrum New Zealand Ltd

Automation in manufacturing is a competitive imperative. It’s getting easier and cheaper to do, and able to be applied in situations previously unsuitable.

Knowing where to start, identifying the right process to automate, detailing solid scopes and finding the right parter are challenges across the industry. That’s why we started Fulcrum, ‘The Automation Brokers’.

We help Kiwi manufacturers cut through the complexity of automation projects, keep upfront costs down and reduce risk, while unlocking tangible performance gains.

At its core, Fulcrum is an independent automation broker. A new way for manufacturers assess custom automation opportunities.

Like other broker models we work on behalf of the buyer, ensuring clarity in what they are buying and finding the best deal and our revenue predominantly comes from the technology partners in our network.

Rather than selling a specific technology or locking clients into one vendor’s solution, we assess processes, write business cases, calculate return on investment and detail scopes before putting the opportunity to market across proven partners with proven track records.

We have seen many companies delay or abandon automation initiatives simply because the procurement process felt too daunting alongside the pressures of daily operations.

That’s understandable when you’re expected to define scope, compare responses, and negotiate contracts on top of running a business.

The real challenges NZ Manufacturers are facing

Across Aotearoa, the conversation about automation often starts with machines robots, conveyors, vision systems — but it quickly evolves into something deeper:

• Budget constraints: Many SME manufacturers simply don’t have the capital or confidence to commit to large automation projects without a clear, validated path forward.
• Skills and capacity: Knowing what to automate and how to scope it requires expertise that many teams don’t have in-house.
• Technology choice: With so many solutions on the market, selecting the right combination of hardware, software and integration partners can feel like guesswork.
• Risk of failure: A poorly scoped or misaligned automation project can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands with little to show for it.

From my experience growing up around manufacturing and then helping companies across sectors from food and beverage to advanced materials the risk is rarely the technology itself  it’s how the decision is made and who drives that process.

What success looks like

The sweet spot is when a manufacturer can confidently invest in automation that:

• Speeds up production without adding hidden complexity
• Frees up staff to focus on value-added work
• Improves quality and consistency
• Provides data and insights that support better decision-making

We’ve helped clients tackle projects as diverse as bottleneck removal on filling lines, bespoke equipment design, and comprehensive automation architecture upgrades all with better clarity, competitive pricing, and reduced risk.

Looking ahead

There’s a real opportunity for New Zealand manufacturing to accelerate its digital transformation, not just through investment in technology, but by adopting smarter ways of sourcing and implementing it. Our role at Fulcrum is to make that journey less intimidating and more accessible.

If you’re exploring automation, AI, or digital transformation and unsure where to begin, let’s have a conversation. You don’t have to navigate this alone and with the right partners, the right automation doesn’t just improve operations, it transforms them.