Your supply chain ends at Fremantle. The job site is 900km past it
Custom supply chain software for a Perth resources or oil-and-gas operation runs AUD $90k to $250k over 5 to 8 months. You build custom when your hardest logistics problem is the leg generic SCM ignores, getting a part from a Fremantle wharf or a Welshpool yard to a site 900km inland on time, across road trains, laydowns and patchy signal.
SAP and generic supply-chain tools model a clean network of warehouses and freight lanes between connected nodes. Your supply chain has a leg they can't see: the long, unforgiving haul from Fremantle port or a Perth yard out to a remote mine or gas site, by road train, through laydowns, to a destination with no reliable signal. That last leg is where shutdowns are won or lost, and it's exactly where off-the-shelf SCM has no visibility, so you're tracking critical freight on phone calls and a driver's word.
When a critical component for a shutdown is somewhere between Fremantle and the Pilbara and nobody can say exactly where, the cost isn't a late delivery fee. It's a turnaround slipping at thousands of dollars an hour. Generic SCM optimises the easy lanes and goes blind on the one that actually hurts.
The fix: supply chain built for Perth, not rented
You build custom when the leg that decides your shutdowns is invisible to standard SCM. Purpose-built software models the real journey, port clearance, yard, road-train haul, laydown, remote handover, gives you live visibility even where signal is poor, and warns you when a critical part for a shutdown is at risk. It's supply-chain software that understands the WA distances and handovers SAP's generic lanes don't.
The capability list that earns its budget
Supply Chain services we deliver in Perth
Digital Heroes builds the full supply chain stack for Perth teams. Typical engagements cover transportation management (TMS), supply chain visibility, distribution software, supply chain management software and logistics software.
What supply chain costs in Perth
| Project scope | Typical cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Remote-leg visibility module | $90k to $140k | 5 to 6 months |
| Full custom SCM for resources logistics | $160k to $250k | 6 to 8 months |
| Critical-freight tracking add-on to ERP | $70k to $120k | 4 to 5 months |
How long it takes, phase by phase
Exactly what you get
You get visibility over the leg that actually decides your shutdowns: Fremantle or yard, through road-train haul and laydowns, to a remote handover with poor signal. Critical shutdown freight is tracked by the system with risk alerts when a part might slip a turnaround, road-train and laydown steps are modelled, and it all connects to inventory management software, your warehouse management system and ERP for one supply picture.
How to choose a developer in Perth
Hire a team that understands WA distances and handovers, not just freight lanes between cities. Ask how they'd give live visibility on a part travelling 900km inland to a no-signal site. Ask how the system flags freight at risk of slipping a shutdown. If they only know connected-network SCM, they'll optimise the easy part and miss the leg that hurts. The right partner builds for the road train and the laydown, where shutdowns are really won.
- Visibility across the full port-to-remote-site journey, not just easy lanes
- Critical shutdown freight tracked by the system, not by phone calls
- Road-train, laydown and remote-handover steps modelled properly
- Early warning when a part risks slipping a turnaround
- Connects to inventory, warehouse management and ERP for one supply picture
- A serious, multi-month investment, not a quick add-on
- Depends on carrier and partner data you don't always control
- Remote-leg tracking needs hardware or telemetry that adds cost
- If you don't run remote, long-haul logistics, this is over-built
- !They optimise lanes but ignore the remote leg. Ask how they track port-to-site
- !No critical-part risk concept. Ask how the system flags freight that could slip a shutdown
- !No offline tolerance. Ask how tracking works to a no-signal destination
- !No carrier integration plan. Ask where the live freight data comes from
- !No resources logistics experience. Ask for a port-to-remote-site build they've shipped
If supply chain is on the roadmap, project management, helpdesk & ticketing, crm usually follow within the year. Budget them as one conversation.
Rohan advises mid-market and enterprise teams on ERP, CRM and custom software, and has led delivery on dozens of business-software builds.
Writes for Digital Heroes, shipping business software for 2,000+ brands across 55+ countries since 2017.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't SAP enough?
SAP and generic SCM model clean lanes between connected nodes. They have no real visibility over the long, unforgiving leg from Fremantle or a Perth yard to a remote site, which is exactly where Perth shutdowns are won or lost.
How do you track to a no-signal site?
With offline-tolerant tracking and telemetry: status updates queue and sync, and the system models known handover points like laydowns, so you keep a usable picture even where live signal is poor.
What's the critical-part risk feature?
The system ties freight to shutdown dates and alerts you when a critical component is running late or stuck, so you can act before it slips a turnaround that costs thousands an hour.
What does it cost?
AUD $90k to $250k depending on scope. A critical-freight tracking add-on to an existing ERP runs $70k to $120k.
Does it connect to our other systems?
Yes. It should link to your inventory management software, warehouse management system and ERP so the part you're tracking matches the stock and job records, giving one supply picture end to end.