Changes are under way at local IT company Costing and Logistics Systems, with the adoption of a new brand and business founder Norman Pater handing over the reins next week.
Changes are under way at local IT company Costing and Logistics Systems, with the adoption of a new brand and business founder Norman Pater handing over the reins next week.
Costing and Logistics is changing its name to Scope Systems but will continue operating from the unusual business address in Scarborough, which Mr Pater sees as a useful point of difference.
Mr Pater, who founded the business in 1994 after moving from South Africa, will take a step back from June 30, and Troy Morrison will take over the role of managing director.
Mr Morrison, who was formerly a managing director at Trans Alta Energy, is looking forward to expanding on the already established foundation of the business, which has 35 staff and focuses on the mining and resource industry.
"What Norman has created here is a fantastic business, with a great customer base and with significant growth potential," Mr Morrison said.
"I think we have a fantastic team of people here, a good market, good opportunity, good product and the foundation is strong...to build systems and the team to the point where they're actually growing as people and (to be) empowered to be successful in their own roles and lives."
Mr Morrison's aim to grow not only the business, but also the people within it, is an ideal that Mr Pater instilled in the company from early on.
"The expectation at the beginning was to do a good job and have quality business and a quality life," Mr Pater said.
"One of the reasons we are here [in Scarborough] rather that somewhere in the city is for that reason, the outlook [over the ocean], the free parking and closeness to home, and all those sorts of things. The focus was very much on quality rather than just growth or volume or anything like that."
The focus on quality of life and staff has not dented the financial growth of the business, however, with the upcoming rebranding seen as another opportunity to develop its reputation as a provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to the mining sector.
"That is the space we feel we own already, certainly in WA, and we want to build on that and make it known," Mr Pater said.
The company's clients include Herald Resources, Atlas Iron, Barrick Gold, Newcrest, and Norilsk.
Mr Pater believes the company's success, against big international competitors including SAP, is based on three factors: the speed of installation; its lower costs; and its WA base.
Mr Morrison said the company has been known by a number of different names, which "made it really hard to pinpoint who we are for the branding going forward".
"We went through a process of looking at what we do in the market...and really then taking a step back and saying what represents us better," he said.
Representing the selective 'rifle shot' marketing approach of the business, Scope Systems is a reseller of software platform Pronto-Xi Enterprise System, holding an exclusive licence for the mining sector in Western Australia and Northern Territory.
The business also has clients based in the Eastern States and Africa, while servicing companies outside the mining community such as Austal Ships and Mrs Mac's.