Perth Plumbing Contractor
Achieves 78% Efficiency Gain Through Field Service Automation

This established Perth plumbing contractor was struggling with manual processes that were limiting their growth and efficiency. Job scheduling was handled through phone calls and paper-based systems, leading to double bookings and technician downtime. Invoicing was delayed by up to two weeks as paperwork moved between field technicians, the office, and accounting systems.

The coordination of multiple job sites, technician schedules, and customer communications was consuming over 20 hours weekly of administrative overhead. With Australian building regulations requiring detailed compliance documentation, the manual record-keeping was both time-intensive and error-prone, creating risks for the business's licensing and insurance requirements.

We designed the solution around SimPro as the central job management hub for this contractor\'s specific workflow — from the moment a customer enquiry came in through to the final invoice being sent and reconciled in Xero. SimPro handled the core plumbing operations: job creation, technician assignment based on location and skill set, parts allocation from supplier catalogues, and automated compliance checklists tied to each job type.

The rollout was phased to minimise disruption. We started with scheduling and dispatch — replacing the paper diary with real-time digital job boards that technicians could access on their phones via ServiceM8. Once the team was comfortable, we connected invoicing through Xero so that completed jobs triggered automatic invoice generation the same day. The final phase brought in Deputy for timesheet automation and Power BI for operational reporting, giving the owner a live view of job profitability and technician performance without waiting for end-of-month spreadsheets.

Technology Stack

• SimPro: Central field service management platform handling job creation, scheduling, and compliance documentation with automated workflow triggers
• ServiceM8: Mobile field operations app providing real-time job updates, photo documentation, and customer communication capabilities
• Xero Integration: Automated invoice generation and accounting synchronisation, eliminating manual data entry and reducing invoicing delays
• Deputy: Staff scheduling and timesheet automation with GPS tracking for accurate job costing and compliance reporting
• Power BI: Real-time dashboard providing business intelligence on job profitability, technician performance, and operational efficiency

The transformation delivered immediate and measurable improvements across all operational areas. Administrative overhead dropped from 20+ hours weekly to just 4 hours, freeing up management time for business development. Job scheduling conflicts were eliminated entirely, and technician utilisation increased by 23% through optimised routing and reduced downtime between jobs.

Customer satisfaction improved significantly with real-time job tracking, automated appointment confirmations, and faster invoicing. The business gained complete visibility into job profitability, enabling better pricing decisions and resource allocation. Compliance documentation became effortless, with all required Australian building standards automatically tracked and reported.