Meet the team | Shea Regondola

Shea is a Business Development Specialist at ECI, specialising in the manufacturing sector across New Zealand and Australia. With a strong background in technology consulting, she brings deep industry insight and a consultative approach to her work—prioritising understanding client needs, building long-term partnerships, and driving operational efficiency.

Shea is passionate about helping businesses embrace digital transformation and innovative solutions, ensuring they stay competitive and achieve sustainable growth.

Could you tell us about your background before joining ECI?

Before joining ECI, I spent over 12 years as a technology consultant working with SMEs in the manufacturing sector. I gained hands-on experience with business software solutions like Microsoft Dynamics, SAP Business One, Sage 300, QuickBooks, and Xero, working in both implementation and support roles.

This background gives me a deep understanding of what it takes to make technology solutions successful after the sale. It allows me to truly understand client challenges, recommend the right solutions, and build trust with prospects by demonstrating both technical expertise and a practical understanding of their needs and desired outcomes.

What is your current role with ECI?

I joined ECI a little over two years ago. In my current role as Business Development Specialist, I help customers by listening to their challenges, understanding their needs, and pre-qualifying whether ECI’s solutions are the right fit. 

I guide prospects through the early stages, making sure they receive solutions tailored to their business, and I help them see how the right technology can improve their efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness.

How does the right technology help manufacturers to succeed?

From my perspective, the right technology helps manufacturers succeed by streamlining operations, eliminating manual processes, and reducing errors—which leads to greater efficiency and productivity.

It allows businesses to do more with the same resources, reduce lead times, and better meet customer commitments. Technology also helps align daily operations with long-term business goals and keeps manufacturers competitive in a rapidly changing market.

By adopting digital tools and AI-driven solutions, like our AI BOM builder, manufacturers can plan more accurately and speed up production, giving them a competitive edge.

What are the challenges that you repeatedly see with manufacturers?

The main challenges I see with manufacturers are that many are still relying on manual processes, which makes streamlining operations and reducing errors a big priority.

Productivity is another major challenge, especially with labour shortages and rising costs. Businesses are looking for ways to do more with the same resources and reduce lead times. 
There’s still room for businesses to embrace technology more quickly.

Profitability is always top of mind, with manufacturers needing to align their daily operations with long-term business goals to stay competitive.

What trends in technology do you see in manufacturing?

The main trends I see in manufacturing technology are a rapid shift toward digital adoption and smart manufacturing solutions, especially across Australia and New Zealand.

More manufacturers are looking into AI-driven tools which help create accurate bills of materials, reduce errors, and speed up production planning.

There is a clear move toward automation and using technology to boost productivity and efficiency. But while digital adoption is increasing, there’s still a lot of opportunity for businesses, especially in Australia, to embrace these technologies even more fully.

For companies considering a new ERP system, what advice would you give?

My advice for companies considering a new ERP system is to start by really understanding your own challenges and current processes. Don’t just look for a quick solution. Take the time to identify what works for you, what doesn’t work, and what you want to achieve.

At ECI, we always begin with a discovery session to get a clear picture of your workflows, your existing tech stack, and your top three business goals.

This way, we can make sure any solution we recommend is truly the right fit for your needs and will help you reach your objectives.

What gives you the most job satisfaction?

For me, I love seeing how even small changes can drive big results for my clients. I’m passionate about manufacturing because I believe every business, no matter its size, has the potential to run more efficiently and with less stress.

When I help a business move from struggling with inefficiencies to truly flourishing, that’s when I know I’m making a real difference. That is the most rewarding part of my job.