Forward Plumbing is a family owned plumbing business based in Sydney, run by husband and wife team Dean and Michelle Ward. For more than 20 years, they’ve built a reputation for delivering quality strata maintenance plumbing backed by exceptional customer service, reliable workmanship, and long term relationships with their clients.
As the business continued to grow, Michelle found herself juggling operations, HR, administration, technology, and business improvement all while trying to keep the day to day running smoothly. She knew their existing systems had reached their limits and it was time to invest in technology that would support both the business and the people behind it.
The process with TradiePad has been awesome! To have that assistance with you guys is gold! I tried to do it myself with my previous software back in the day but I now definitely see the benefits of having you, because technology is moving so fast... I think it's a real key for all businesses to make things as simple as possible for your clients.
The Challenge
Finding the Right Software Was Only Half the Battle
Forward Plumbing had outgrown its existing software. Daily workflows relied heavily on manual data entry, capturing job history was time consuming, timesheets created unnecessary administration, and the office team was spending far too much time on repetitive tasks instead of improving the business.
Michelle also wanted to simplify customer payments, improve reporting, automate more of the workflow, and give the plumbers better access to job information in the field. After researching almost every major job management system available, she realised that choosing software was only part of the solution. Successfully implementing it and getting the whole team on board was just as important.
I've looked at so many! Your Tradify, your ServiceM8, your simPRO, all of those! I went through and I got them all to show me demos! It was really interesting to come across Ascora and just go, I've never heard of them! Which is great for TradiePad because you are sourcing and looking for those good systems which is awesome.
The Solution
More Than Software Implementation
After taking the time to understand how Forward Plumbing operated, TradiePad recommended Ascora as the best fit for the business. The goal wasn’t simply to replace their existing software, but to build smarter workflows that reduced administration, improved reporting, streamlined communication, and gave both the office and field team better visibility across every job.
TradiePad managed the entire implementation, including system setup, data migration, workflow design, and team training. Following a structured implementation plan, each stage of the project built on the last, giving the team the knowledge and confidence to adopt Ascora successfully while keeping the rollout on track.
What Michelle appreciated most was the balance between structure and flexibility. There was always a clear plan for what needed to be achieved, but the TradiePad team also understood that running a busy plumbing business comes with changing priorities. When challenges arose, training sessions were adjusted where needed, allowing the project to continue moving forward without losing sight of the overall outcome.
Brilliant! Every single time they knew what we were going to get into and they adjusted to what was going on with me all the time. They were very good at pivoting and going, 'Okay, well, all right, that's not going to work right now, so let's move into this.
As the project progressed, Michelle was also dealing with significant staffing challenges and the day to day pressures of running a growing trade business. Rather than simply providing software training, TradiePad worked alongside her throughout the implementation, offering encouragement, practical advice, and ongoing support to help keep the project moving forward during a particularly challenging time.
This is where they get the five golden stars! I probably wouldn't be pushing through if it wasn't for you guys. I feel like I've got a big bit of muscle in my corner as we go through this next bit.
The Result
Less Admin, Better Decisions and Support Every Step of the Way
Since implementing Ascora, Forward Plumbing has significantly reduced the amount of day to day administration across the business. Tasks that previously involved hours of manual data entry are now completed much faster, with plumbers uploading photos and job information directly into the system.
The office team now spends less time keeping up with daily administration and more time improving systems, refining workflows, and finding new ways to make the business even more efficient.
Reporting has also become a game changer. Michelle and Dean now have access to real data that helps them make informed decisions about buildings, clients, staff performance, and profitability for their business.
The improvements haven’t just benefited the office either. The field team enjoys better visibility of jobs, easier access to information, and smoother workflows, while even Dean, who describes himself as less tech savvy, now enjoys being able to see what’s happening across the whole business.
We're definitely not as admin heavy and we're able to now work on ways of making things even better. We've actually got time to think about that stuff again, which is fantastic.
For Michelle though, one of the biggest outcomes wasn’t the software itself. It was knowing she had a team beside her throughout one of the biggest operational changes the business had ever undertaken. Even after the implementation was complete, that support continued.
Your team were amazing in that time, I felt supported by the two of them... sometimes even being my psychologist, like going 'You've got this!' My cheerleaders. We're going to get you through this. I can't express how brilliant they were, and still have been, up until today. Whenever I've had issues, they've just helped out. I'm so glad that I was doing it with you guys in my corner!
Ready to Make Technology Work for Your Business?
Choosing new software is only part of the journey. The real difference comes from having experienced people beside you to recommend the right system, guide your team through the change, and provide ongoing support long after the implementation is finished. That’s exactly what TradiePad does.
Whether you’re moving from spreadsheets or another job management system, we’ll help you build smarter workflows, reduce administration, improve reporting, and make technology work for your business.
If you’re ready to spend less time on paperwork and more time growing your business, get in touch with TradiePad, we’d love to help!
Absolutely every small business should be coming through TradiePad! It is so worth the investment to get that help and support. Your team were even more than technology. They were backing me on so many levels while I was challenged by all the other things that were going on. They were there for me on so many levels, not just technology. So, I can't thank you and the team enough.
