Driving Digital Transformation at B&R Enclosures
From managing bills of materials to leading company-wide digital transformation across Australia and China
When I joined B&R Enclosures, I started out in the details — managing bills of materials and learning how a large, complex manufacturing business really runs. But I've always been drawn to how things fit together. That curiosity quickly led me from engineering documentation into systems integration and process improvement, and eventually into leading one of the company's two major digital transformation programs.
Building alignment across teams and continents
The transformation spanned sites across Australia and China, requiring deep collaboration between engineering, IT, production, and management. My focus wasn't just on the technology — it was on bringing people with me. Successful transformation depends as much on communication and empathy as it does on code and configuration.
Turning complexity into clarity
Over time, I led projects that helped B&R become a fully paperless organisation — not just in the office, but also on the factory floor. We automated drawing generation and bill of materials validation between SolidWorks and the ERP, cutting manual rework dramatically. I also developed and implemented IoT monitoring for the paint line, giving real-time visibility into efficiency and performance.
Stepping back to see the bigger picture
As our internal systems matured, I proposed a structured review: should we continue building in-house, or consider hybrid or off-the-shelf alternatives? That experience taught me that technology strategy isn't just about building more — it's about building what's right for the business. The best technical solution is the one that serves the people, the process, and the long-term vision.
Key learnings
- Transformation is 80% people, 20% tech. The hardest part isn't the code — it's the alignment.
- Curiosity is a leadership skill. Asking "why?" repeatedly often reveals the real problem, not just the visible symptom.
- Pause before pushing forward. Sometimes, progress means stepping back to reassess whether the direction still serves the goal.
B&R was where I truly learned to bridge the gap between strategy and implementation — to translate vision into systems that actually work. That mindset has shaped how I approach every project since.