How Sharp Helped Modern Transport Engineers Increase Production by at Least 30% Through Digital Shop Floor Technology

Customer: Modern Transport Engineers (MTE)
Industry: Manufacturing & Engineering | Heavy Transport Manufacturing
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Technology Partners: Sharp NZ & BridgePoint
Solution: Digital shop floor management, workforce kiosks, Sharp PN-ME Series commercial displays and real-time production visibility
Reported Outcome: At least 30% increase in production

At a Glance: MTE Digital Shop Floor Transformation

Proof of Truth: MTE IT Manager Shaun Clarkin reports that improved production visibility has increased production by at least 30%.

Additional customer metrics that could strengthen this case study: time saved per shift, reduction in manual administration, reduction in production errors, reduction in project overruns, or measurable payback period. These should only be added following confirmation from MTE.

About Modern Transport Engineers

Modern Transport Engineers (MTE) is a leading heavy transport manufacturer in Australasia, specialising in custom-engineered solutions for heavy transport operators and large-scale transport projects.

MTE operates multiple workshops across New Zealand's North Island, including the Waikato region, managing complex manufacturing processes involving multiple employees, projects and production stages.

For an engineering and manufacturing organisation operating across multiple workshops, having accurate and timely production information is critical to managing workloads, identifying issues and keeping projects moving.

MTE's digital transformation project focused on improving this visibility while replacing ageing payroll and workshop timekeeping technology.

The Challenge

Moving from Legacy Timekeeping to Real-Time Manufacturing Visibility

MTE's existing accounting, payroll and workshop timekeeping systems were approaching end of life.

The existing workshop time-clocking process primarily provided basic attendance information. It did not provide sufficient visibility into:

• Who was working on each project
• Which production stage a job had reached
• How many hours were being spent on a project
• Whether production was progressing as expected
• Where issues or bottlenecks were developing

This meant MTE could be forced to wait until a build had been completed before understanding how many hours had been spent on a project.

By that point, opportunities to address production issues during the build had already passed.

The business problem was therefore bigger than replacing a time clock.

MTE wanted to move from retrospective production reporting to live operational visibility.

The objective was to create a system that could connect employee activity with individual jobs and production stages, then make that information immediately visible to workshop teams and management.

MTE needed to:

• Replace ageing payroll and timekeeping technology
• Improve visibility across multiple workshops
• Understand live project progress
• Improve accountability across production teams
• Identify issues earlier
• Give managers greater control over workloads
• Make production information visible across the workshop
• Create a scalable foundation for continued digital transformation

As Shaun Clarkin, IT Manager at MTE, explains:

"By having a system which gave us live data, we were able to address the issues as they arose."

The Solution

A Connected Digital Shop Floor Built Around MTE's Manufacturing Process

MTE partnered with Sharp NZ and BridgePoint to develop a digital shop floor solution tailored to its manufacturing environment.

MTE had already worked with Sharp NZ through its existing printing solutions. During a conversation about MTE's ageing payroll and timekeeping systems, Sharp NZ introduced MTE to BridgePoint, a Hamilton-based software development company.

Together, the organisations developed a solution that combined custom software, workforce kiosks and Sharp commercial displays.

The solution included:

• Sharp commercial digital displays throughout the workshops
• Kiosk-based employee clock-in
• Employee identification
• Job and project selection
• Production-stage selection
• Real-time production information
• Visual workshop dashboards
• Software integration developed by BridgePoint
• Connection with MTE's wider business systems
• A platform capable of continued development

The new process gives employees a simple way to identify themselves, select the job they are working on and record the stage of production.

That information is then made visible through Sharp commercial displays throughout the workshop.

The result is a shared, real-time view of who is working on what, which project they are working on and what stage the work has reached.

State Comparison: MTE's Digital Shop Floor

Designed for a Demanding Manufacturing Environment

MTE's workshops present a challenging environment for technology.

The manufacturing areas can involve:

• Engineering dust
• Welding activity
• Significant temperature variations
• Bright sunlight
• Continuous operation

The displays therefore needed to provide reliable visibility within an industrial manufacturing environment.

MTE uses the Sharp displays 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Shaun Clarkin explains:

"We use the screens 24/7, so they're on 365 days a year, rain or shine, they're out in all sorts of elements."

MTE reports that the displays continue to provide clear visibility even in bright sunlight and challenging workshop conditions.

A Collaborative Development Process

The solution was developed collaboratively rather than being introduced as a standard off-the-shelf system.

MTE, Sharp NZ and BridgePoint worked together through approximately 12 months of testing in one of MTE's workshops.

This allowed the teams to trial different approaches, gather feedback and refine the system around MTE's actual production environment.

The process also provided an opportunity to test how employees interacted with the kiosk system and how production information could be presented most effectively to workshop teams.

Shaun Clarkin describes the project as:

"A collaborative effort on both sides."

The extended testing process helped create a solution designed around MTE's specific manufacturing workflows.

The Outcome

At Least 30% Increase in Production

The most significant quantified outcome reported by MTE is an increase in production of at least 30%.

According to Shaun Clarkin:

"Having that visibility has increased our production by at least 30%."

The increased visibility has also given workshop managers greater control over staff, workloads and projects.

Rather than waiting until a project has finished to understand what happened, managers can now see more information while work is taking place.

This creates the opportunity to identify issues earlier and make adjustments during production.

Reported business outcomes include:

30%+ increase in production

MTE reports that increased production visibility has contributed to at least a 30% increase in production.

Real-time production visibility

Workshop teams and managers can see current job and production-stage information while work is underway.

Greater management control

Managers have greater visibility of staff activity, workloads and the projects being worked on.

Improved accountability

Employees identify the jobs and production stages they are working on through the kiosk system.

Earlier identification of production issues

Live production data provides management with information that can be acted on during production rather than after a project is complete.

Modernised workforce technology

The kiosk system provides MTE with a modern alternative to its ageing workshop timekeeping technology.

Foundation for continued digital transformation

The solution continues to be developed as MTE identifies additional opportunities to improve manufacturing operations.

From Timekeeping to Digital Manufacturing

What began as a requirement to replace an ageing payroll and timekeeping system became a broader digital manufacturing initiative.

The solution connects:

People → Jobs → Production Stages → Live Data → Visual Communication → Management Insight

This changes the role of the technology from simply recording employee attendance to providing information that can support day-to-day manufacturing decisions.

For MTE, the value is in understanding what is happening while production is happening.

Measuring the Business Case

The MTE project provides a strong example of how operational visibility can become part of a broader manufacturing technology business case.

The clearest quantified result currently available is:

At least 30% increase in production

Additional metrics could further demonstrate the financial and operational impact of the project if MTE is able to validate them.

Potential measures include:

• Hours saved per shift
• Reduction in manual administration
• Reduction in data-entry errors
• Reduction in production delays
• Reduction in project overruns
• Time taken to identify production issues
• Payback period
• Return on investment
• Reduction in payroll processing time

These metrics should be measured against a defined baseline rather than estimated.

For organisations assessing a similar investment, the MTE experience demonstrates the importance of measuring both technology outcomes and operational outcomes.

New Zealand Manufacturing Context

The MTE project demonstrates a practical approach to digital transformation within a New Zealand manufacturing environment.

Rather than replacing its entire technology environment, MTE identified a specific operational challenge—ageing timekeeping and limited production visibility—and used it as the starting point for a broader connected solution.

The project also demonstrates the value of combining local technology expertise with software development and commercial hardware capabilities.

Sharp NZ and BridgePoint were able to work directly with MTE to test the technology within an operating workshop before expanding the solution.

Security, Privacy and Operational Governance

The solution involves employee and production information, making appropriate information governance an important consideration for organisations undertaking similar projects.

For New Zealand businesses, employee information should be managed in accordance with applicable requirements under the Privacy Act 2020, alongside the organisation's own access-control, retention and security policies.

For manufacturing organisations, digital production systems may also form part of broader operational governance and health and safety processes where relevant.

Important: MTE's current case study evidence does not specifically claim that the system provides health and safety audit trails or particular Privacy Act compliance controls. Those claims should only be added if MTE confirms the functionality and its use in practice.

Why MTE Chose Sharp NZ

MTE already had an established relationship with Sharp NZ through its printing environment.

When the business raised its wider technology challenge, Sharp NZ looked beyond its traditional product portfolio and helped connect MTE with BridgePoint to develop a solution around the underlying business problem.

For MTE, this meant working with a technology partner that could contribute to a broader operational solution rather than simply supplying replacement hardware.

The project combined:

MTE's manufacturing expertise
Understanding of its production environment and operational requirements.

BridgePoint's software expertise
Development of the custom software, workflow and integration.

Sharp NZ's technology expertise
Commercial display technology and support for the visual communication environment.

The Partnership Experience

MTE describes the project as a highly collaborative process involving extensive testing, development and refinement.

The project also had a defined deadline because the existing payroll and timekeeping system was approaching end of life.

According to Shaun Clarkin:

"The team at Sharp and BridgePoint have been absolutely amazing."

He also highlights the effort required to develop and test the solution:

"We've had lots of different trials and errors to get a working solution and they pulled basically all the stops out to get it done."

Customer Recommendation

Following the implementation, MTE has continued developing the solution as its manufacturing requirements evolve.

Shaun Clarkin recommends Sharp NZ to other manufacturing organisations:

"I'd recommend Sharp to other manufacturing companies, the products and solutions they've been able to come up with has been great, and we've had a real tangible improvement on our business."

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Modern Transport Engineers digitise its shop floor?

Modern Transport Engineers partnered with Sharp NZ and BridgePoint to replace its ageing workshop timekeeping technology with a connected digital shop floor solution. Employees use kiosks to identify themselves, select the job they are working on and record the production stage. This information is then displayed across the workshop using Sharp commercial displays, providing real-time visibility of production activity.

What technology did MTE use?

The solution combines Sharp commercial displays, digital shop floor software, workforce kiosks and BridgePoint-developed software integration. The technology provides visual production information across MTE's manufacturing workshops.

What problem was MTE trying to solve?

MTE needed to replace ageing payroll and workshop timekeeping technology while improving visibility of production. Previously, managers could have to wait until a project was completed before understanding how many hours had been spent on it. The new solution provides production information while work is underway.

What was the result of MTE's digital transformation?

MTE reports that improved production visibility has contributed to at least a 30% increase in production. The company also reports greater management control, improved visibility of workloads and projects, and earlier identification of production issues.

Why did MTE use digital displays in its workshops?

MTE needed production information to be visible to workshop teams. Sharp commercial displays provide a shared visual view of jobs and production progress across the manufacturing environment and operate continuously in demanding workshop conditions.

How long was the solution tested?

MTE tested the solution in one of its workshops for approximately 12 months before continuing its development and deployment.

Who developed MTE's digital shop floor solution?

The solution was developed through a partnership between Modern Transport Engineers, Sharp NZ and BridgePoint. BridgePoint provided software development expertise, while Sharp NZ supplied the commercial display technology and supported the wider solution.

Key Takeaways

The Bottom Line

Modern Transport Engineers needed to replace an ageing timekeeping system, but the business used the opportunity to address a much larger manufacturing challenge: how to gain real-time visibility of production across its workshops.

Sharp NZ and BridgePoint worked with MTE to create a connected digital shop floor combining workforce kiosks, custom software and Sharp commercial displays.

The solution moved MTE from largely retrospective production reporting to live operational visibility.

According to MTE, that increased visibility has contributed to at least a 30% increase in production, while giving managers greater control over staff, workloads and projects.

The MTE case demonstrates how a targeted digital transformation project can connect people, processes, production data and visual communication to deliver measurable outcomes in a New Zealand manufacturing environment.

Related Resources

For organisations considering a similar investment, this case study can be supported by Sharp NZ's broader business-case resources:

CFO Guide: Managed Print ROI Model & Cost Analysis NZ
Use this resource to understand how technology investments can be evaluated through cost, ROI, payback and measurable business outcomes.

Managed Print Services Business Case: NZ Template & ROI
A practical framework for building a technology business case around current costs, future-state requirements, savings and return on investment.

Together, these resources create a clear journey from:

Problem → Business Case → Technology Investment → Measurable Outcome