Case Study: Performance Waterjet

​Executive Summary

Performance Waterjet is a leading national supplier of waterjet cutting machines, spare parts, and garnet consumables. Their success had led to a common but dangerous problem: a sprawling, disconnected web of specialised software for every part of their business. With operations fragmented across more than six different platforms—including Zoho, Unleashed, Xero, Asana, and a multitude of spreadsheets—the company was battling constant data duplication, a complete lack of real-time financial visibility, and inefficient workflows that were actively hindering growth and creating significant business risk.

Partnering with WAO Group, Performance Waterjet undertook a foundational business transformation, not just a software upgrade. The project's primary goal was to replace the operational chaos with a single source of truth in Odoo. By taking a finance-first approach, the implementation focused on solving the most complex and financially critical challenges: establishing true project profitability, streamlining the convoluted machine sales process, and creating a robust system for tracking the entire lifecycle of every machine sold. The result is a unified, scalable platform that has eliminated data silos and provided the leadership team with the clarity and control essential for strategic growth.

​The Challenge: Drowning in a Sea of Software

Performance Waterjet’s operational environment was a classic example of the "software rabbit hole." To manage their complex business, they had adopted a "best-of-breed" solution for every function, resulting in a dangerously fragmented ecosystem.

This system sprawl created profound challenges that went far beyond simple inefficiency:

• ​Catastrophic Data Duplication:
  With customer, sales, and project data living in Zoho, Unleashed, monday.com, Asana, and various spreadsheets, team members were wasting hours every day acting as human middleware, manually re-keying information across platforms. Every update was a risk, and data integrity was impossible to maintain.
  
  
• ​Zero Real-Time Financial Visibility:
  The most complex and high-value sales—the waterjet machines—were managed almost entirely outside the core accounting system on spreadsheets and Publisher files. Deposits were tracked in suspense accounts in Xero, and final project costing was only entered at the very end of the job. This meant the business was flying blind, with no real-time view of project profitability or true margins.
  
  
• ​ High-Risk Project & Inventory Workflows:
  The process for allocating stock to machine installation projects was a convoluted and risky workaround. The team would create a sales order in Unleashed to reserve the parts, perform a stock adjustment to reflect their use, and then Delete the Original Sales Order to prevent duplicate revenue. This process was not only a "waste of time" but also broke the audit trail and made accurate cost-of-sales tracking impossible.
  
  
• Critical Asset Data Trapped in Spreadsheets:
  The lifecycle of every machine—identified by a unique serial number—is critical for managing warranties, service history, and future parts sales. This vital data was tracked in a standalone spreadsheet, completely disconnected from the sales and service processes, making it difficult to access and leverage.

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​The Solution: A Finance-First Approach to Unification

Performance Waterjet needed more than a technical integrator; they needed a strategic partner who understood that their core challenges were rooted in financial processes. WAO Group's accountant-led methodology was designed to solve these deep-seated issues first.

​1. Establishing a Single Source of Truth:

The primary objective was to consolidate the functions of 6+ systems into Odoo. This involved a meticulous process of mapping workflows from every disparate platform to create a single, cohesive operational model within Odoo CRM, Sales, and Project modules.

​2. Solving the Project Costing Nightmare:

We replaced the risky "create and delete" sales order process with a robust, integrated workflow. In Odoo, a confirmed machine sale now automatically generates a project and its associated tasks. This correctly allocates inventory costs to the project, providing a real-time, accurate view of the gross profit on every single job without dangerous workarounds.

​3. Taming the Machine Sales Process:

We worked to bring the entire complex machine sales cycle into Odoo. This unified workflow now handles everything from the initial quote and multi-stage deposit invoices to the final costing and commissioning, linking all financial and operational data to a single project.

​4.  Navigating the Complexities of a Custom Fit:

A core part of our authentic partnership was acknowledging where standard features weren't a perfect match.

• Collaborating on the Right Solution:   
  During discovery, we explored using Odoo's standard product configurator for the complex machine sales. However, through collaborative workshops, the client determined it was "too much" and not aligned with their standard process. Instead of forcing a feature, we worked together to design a more tailored workflow using Odoo's flexible project and sales modules, ensuring the final solution truly fit their business needs. This was a challenge that, when solved together, resulted in a much stronger outcome.

• Centralising Critical Asset Data:
  We leveraged Odoo's serial number tracking to create a central, accessible database for every machine. This critical data is no longer isolated in a spreadsheet. It is now linked directly to the customer and sales order, creating a foundation for tracking all future service interventions, warranty claims, and parts sales against a specific machine—a crucial long-term goal for the business.

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​The Results: Clarity, Control, and a Unified Platform for Growth

The migration to Odoo has fundamentally transformed how Performance Waterjet operates, replacing fragmentation and risk with integration and control.

• ​A True Single Source of Truth:
  The elimination of 6+ disparate systems has eradicated data duplication and provided the entire team with a single, unified view of customers, sales, and projects.
  
  
• ​Real-Time Project Profitability:
  By solving the convoluted project stock workflow, management now has an accurate, real-time view of the costs and margins on every machine installation, enabling smarter financial decisions.
  
  
• ​ Massive Operational Efficiency:
  The removal of manual data re-entry and risky workarounds has saved the team countless hours, freeing them up to focus on value-adding activities like customer service and sales.
  
  
• Foundation for Proactive Service:
  With all machine serial numbers now tracked centrally in Odoo, the business has the foundation to build out proactive maintenance and field service offerings, turning historical data into a future revenue stream.
  
  
• A Scalable and Stable Platform:
  Performance Waterjet is no longer constrained by its software. They now have a robust, integrated ERP platform that can support their continued national growth with confidence.

​ Unify Your Business with Odoo and WAO Group ​

This case study highlights how a finance-first ERP approach can replace operational chaos with clarity, control, and a true single source of truth. By consolidating fragmented systems and solving the most critical financial and operational challenges, we help businesses like Performance Waterjet unlock efficiency, profitability, and scalable growth.

Take the next step toward eliminating system sprawl, gaining real-time financial visibility, and building a stable foundation for future success. 

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