Helping a long-established MRP software provider increase customer-facing capacity, progress a major cloud transition and build a longer-term commercial partnership.
At a glance
Strategic cloud transition
Redthorn Pty made the strategic decision to adopt Oracle Cloud Infrastructure as its primary hosting platform to support scalability, resilience and performance.
Customer upgrade and migration programme
The move required existing customers to upgrade to a new software version and migrate to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, creating a need for a clear strategy, commercial framework and coordinated delivery approach.
Partnership expansion
What began as added customer-facing capacity for a key migration programme has developed into a broader partnership, with discussions now extending into account retention, growth activity and implementation support.
About the client
Redthorn Pty Ltd specialises in the development and distribution of MRP and analytics software solutions for the advanced engineering and manufacturing sectors. Established for over 40 years, operating throughout Australia for over 30 years, the business supports engineering and manufacturing organisations with software designed to improve operational control, visibility and decision-making. Redthorn’s wider product portfolio includes core manufacturing functions such as sales-order processing, purchase-order processing, capacity planning, stock control, labour and job processing, analytics and related manufacturing control tools, all aimed at helping manufacturers manage complex processes more effectively. For manufacturing businesses, the benefits of implementing an MRP system are significant. A well-implemented MRP platform improves visibility across materials, jobs, capacity and financial performance, giving management better control over planning, purchasing and production. It can help reduce inefficiencies, improve productivity, strengthen stock accuracy, support better scheduling and provide clearer operational insight for faster, more informed decisions. Redthorn’s own positioning emphasises increased margins, improved productivity, cost efficiencies, stronger control of data and better use of capacity across the shop floor and wider operation.
Draft quote for approval — Andy Barlow, Director, Redthorn Pty Ltd
“Redthorn has built its reputation on helping engineering and manufacturing businesses gain better control of their operations through practical, proven MRP software. As the market evolves, it is important that our delivery model evolves with it.”
The Challenge
In a significant move to strengthen its product offering and support future scalability, Redthorn made the strategic decision to adopt Oracle Cloud Infrastructure as its primary hosting provider. For a software business serving manufacturing companies, this was an important step. Oracle positions OCI as a high-performance, highly secure cloud platform built to support enterprise workloads, with broad regional coverage and infrastructure designed for performance, resilience and compliance needs.
However, that strategic decision also created a substantial delivery challenge. Existing users needed to be upgraded to a new version of the software and migrated onto Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This was not a simple technical change. It required a joined-up programme covering customer communication, commercial planning, upgrade strategy, migration sequencing, project coordination and ongoing engagement with key decision-makers across the customer base.
For Redthorn, the opportunity was clear, but so was the capacity challenge. To make meaningful progress, the business needed additional customer-facing resource that could help shape the strategy, build momentum with customers, support commercial conversations and project manage the programme through execution.
Draft quote for approval — Andy Barlow, Director, Redthorn Pty Ltd
“Moving to OCI was the right strategic decision for the future of the platform, but it also created a significant programme of work across our existing customer base. We needed the right support to help us turn that strategy into action.”
The Solution
That is where InsideEdge came in.
InsideEdge worked closely with the key stakeholders within Redthorn to fully understand the scale of the task and the practical challenges involved in delivering it. This was not simply a case of contacting customers and booking migrations. It required a structured approach that combined commercial thinking, customer engagement and delivery discipline.
The first step was to help shape the strategy. InsideEdge supported Redthorn in defining how to approach the customer base, identifying the right decision-makers to engage and creating a practical route to move conversations forward. Alongside that, InsideEdge worked with the client to develop a commercial framework that would support the upgrade and migration activity in a way that was clear, manageable and commercially viable.
Once that foundation was in place, InsideEdge became directly involved in customer communication and programme delivery. This included engaging customers, progressing upgrade and migration conversations and helping to project manage the wider rollout. By combining customer-facing support with practical coordination, InsideEdge helped Redthorn move from strategy into execution.
Rather than operating at arm’s length, InsideEdge became a hands-on extension of the Redthorn team, helping to create momentum and maintain focus across what is an important long-term transition programme.
Draft quote for approval — Andy Barlow, Director, Redthorn Pty Ltd
“InsideEdge quickly understood both the commercial and operational side of the programme. They were able to help us build the strategy, engage the right customer contacts and add structure to what is a major upgrade and migration initiative.”
The Results
By extending its customer-facing capacity, Redthorn was able to make quicker progress with moving customers onto the new version of the software hosted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The additional support helped the business move forward with greater focus, giving it more resource to manage the commercial and operational demands of a live migration programme.
Just as importantly, InsideEdge helped provide continuity between strategy and delivery. Instead of the programme remaining a high-level objective, Redthorn had dedicated support helping to progress customer engagement, maintain momentum and keep the work moving through to execution.
The project is still in progress, and InsideEdge remains involved to help see it through. That ongoing involvement reflects the value of the partnership and the confidence built during the programme so far.
What began as a solution to add customer-facing resource has now developed into something broader. InsideEdge and Redthorn are now in discussion around longer-term support covering general account retention and growth activities, alongside the possibility of supporting the business with system implementations. That evolution highlights the wider value created through the partnership: not just helping with one strategic initiative, but becoming a trusted extension of the business as it plans for future growth.
Draft quote for approval — Andy Barlow, Director, Redthorn Pty Ltd
“InsideEdge has helped us make meaningful progress with an important strategic programme. What started as support for upgrade and migration activity has grown into a broader partnership, and we can see clear value in extending that relationship further.”
Closing statement
By partnering with InsideEdge, Redthorn increased customer-facing capacity, added structure to a major OCI upgrade and migration programme, and created the foundation for a broader long-term partnership focused on customer retention, growth and delivery support.
