The Challenge
Neoline Electrical Solutions specialises in electrical maintenance services primarily for real estate and strata properties, including fault finding, emergency work, lighting maintenance and upgrades. They also handle new installations for homes, shops, kitchens, bathrooms and renovations for commercial and domestic clients across Sydney.
Arthur, the owner and director of Neoline, was juggling a lot. He was constantly switching between being on the tools and handling administrative tasks like scheduling, invoicing, and managing a flood of work orders.
The increasing workload left him feeling overwhelmed, and his current methods of running the business were no longer effective. His team was becoming harder to organise, and the disjointed system of multiple apps made it difficult to keep everything running smoothly.
Arthur realised that the way he was operating couldn’t sustain the growth of his business and that something needed to change. Not just to manage the workload but also to streamline his processes, improve client and team communication, make email management easier, and to establish a professional online presence.
With TradiePad’s help, Arthur was able to streamline his operations by integrating Ascora, which consolidated his job management, scheduling, communication, and invoicing into one efficient system. This not only saved him time but also improved team communication and client interactions.
The seamless integration with QuickBooks Online made invoicing quicker and more accurate, while automated processes like importing price lists and creating jobs from emails reduced manual work.
Additionally, TradiePad helped Arthur establish a professional digital presence by creating a simple yet effective landing page for Neoline Electrical, which showcased his business online and provided a platform for future growth.
Read his full story below.
The Solution
Integrated software and simple workflows
Arthur began searching for a solution, exploring tools like Trello and Monday after receiving recommendations from other business owners. One of his workers shared a link to TradiePad, suggesting that Arthur talk to them first before overhauling his entire process, since they specialise in working with tradies and software and might have the right solution for him.
When he approached TradiePad for help, his business information was scattered across multiple apps, text messages, and emails. He was searching for a job management software solution that could replace the jumble of tools he was using with one efficient system, centralising all his data and streamlining his workflows.
TradiePad recommended Ascora, a job management software that turned out to be a game-changer for Arthur. It offered all the essential tools he needed for scheduling, communication, and customer management, plus a few extras he hadn’t even thought of.
“I didn't blink about it, I didn't think twice about it. I thought I'm investing in my business. It's totally worth it. I told sparkies I told plumbers I told everyone. I've gone with these guys, they're amazing, TradiePad.”
What really made Ascora stand out were the integrations. It saved Arthur a ton of time by automating many of his processes. Information from emails and work orders was set up to automatically create jobs, so Arthur no longer had to manually cut and paste details.
Price lists from his electrical suppliers like TLE are now automatically imported into Ascora, making quoting, material allocation, and inventory management much easier. TradiePad even set up kits for his repeat strata clients and locations, speeding up job creation by eliminating the need to manually enter the same contact and address details for each job.
Ascora also helped keep Neoline Electrical compliant by storing all the necessary OHS documents. SWMS and reports were neatly attached to each job, ensuring everything was in order.
Invoicing became quicker and smoother, too, thanks to Ascora’s seamless integration with QuickBooks Online. Plus, Arthur now has access to reports that give him a clearer view of Neoline’s financial data, comparing quoted versus actual costs per job. This helps him improve future quotes and prioritise more profitable work.
“The invoicing for me used to be done on a 3 monthly basis because it was like ohh Man I have to try to work out all that billing shit again, every time I would just think that in my head. Whereas now it just remembers everything! Like you said, it's small but those small things make a big difference mentally for me.”
streamlined client communication
Previously, Arthur struggled to keep a clear work history for each client or site. Information was scattered across different apps, emails, and messages he used with clients and his team. This made it tough to track what work had been completed at each site or to find photos and details about a particular job if a real estate agent asked about it later.
Now, everything goes directly into Ascora, from photos and notes on where to find switch boxes to lock box passwords—basically, all the important details that help him and his team get the job done quickly and efficiently. With many jobs based in the city, Arthur can also keep handy notes like the best places to park.
Plus, automated booking emails and SMS reminders are sent to clients to let them know he’s on his way, saving him from making extra phone calls while still providing the same friendly service.
"I’ve actually been enjoying for the first time in my life doing my paperwork, weird enough as that sounds, it's really nice to know everything’s in the one spot, and it's not something now that is like oh god where's that information, where's that photo, what job, what's the strata plan here and blah blah blah everythings on the one bloody thing, i click create invoice, I just double check it and yep that looks good, we’ll just fire that off and it's done."
Improved team communication
Before using Ascora, Arthur relied on WhatsApp, text messages, and emails to share job details with his crew, which often led to scattered communication. It was important for the new system to work smoothly across both Android and iPhone devices, so everyone on the team could easily access the information they needed.
Arthur used to spend a lot of his day fielding calls from his staff, confirming job progress or answering questions to ensure they were on the right track. This constant interruption made it hard for him to focus on his own tasks. With at least one or two emergency jobs coming in daily that needed immediate attention, planning and delegating work became a real challenge with his old system.
"The problem with my business is I'm making everything up on a day to day basis as I go, there's no structure, there's no system it’s just make everything up as you go."
Ascora made organising and delegating work much simpler. Arthur, being a very visual person, loved that he could view jobs on a map and schedule them in groups to minimise travel time. The colour-coded scheduler also made planning easier, showing what work was booked for the team so jobs didn’t overlap. At a glance, the colour-coded status showed Arthur whether a job was booked, in progress, or completed, keeping him up to date without needing all those phone calls that used to interrupt his day.
Now, Arthur can assign tasks more efficiently, and his staff can take on greater responsibilities, like creating quotes and sending invoices, which helps lighten his paperwork load. This not only streamlines the workflow but also allows tasks to be completed directly on the job site, making the whole process more efficient.
"I kind of feel like you’re crazy if you don’t dabble in this stuff if you’re a business owner, especially as a tradesman you know a lot of tradies we’re just, we’re not paperwork dudes man! You know? We run around in roofs, we drill holes, we fix things for you, the paperwork stuff, especially these days, it’s hard core! You know, it could really suck you down if you don't have a good system."
Streamlining email management with Goole workspace and Ascora Integration
Once Ascora was up and running, Arthur turned his attention to another bottleneck in his business: his email. TradiePad stepped in to help him migrate his email to Gmail, allowing him to take full advantage of the Google Workspace suite of apps, cloud storage, and enhanced email security.
With Gmail, Arthur could now quickly search and organise emails as needed. Plus, TradiePad integrated Gmail with Ascora, so all communications related to a job were stored in one central location. It might seem like a small change, but Arthur believes fixing his email had just as big an impact on his business as Ascora did!
"In the big scheme of things, if you’re going to be doing this for 20 years don’t you wanna get the best system possible to make it as efficient as possible and make your life as good as possible? Spend the fricken money and get your business running as efficient as possible. To me it was like you’re an idiot for not doing it."
Establishing a digital presence with an optimised landing page
Most of Neoline’s work used to come through word of mouth, so Arthur never really felt the need for a website. Since he was already busy, he didn’t need something to generate more leads, but he did want a digital presence—a simple way to showcase his professionalism to clients.
TradiePad set up a straightforward yet effective landing page for Neoline Electrical Solutions. It had everything he needed for now, giving him a solid online footprint. Plus, it’s something he can easily build on later if he decides to promote the business further and grow his customers.
"I think another great thing about it that I realised recently is that if I needed to expand my business and grow it, I have all the tools on this side to do it now. Cause I would never have been able to grow my business with the systems I previously had, you know what I mean?"
The Result
Arthur’s experience with Neoline Electrical shows how modern solutions can make a big difference in managing a busy trade business. With the help of TradiePad, he was able to simplify his operations with Ascora, improving everything from job management to team communication and client interactions. The integration with Gmail and the creation of a professional landing page helped Arthur streamline his processes and establish a solid digital presence.
"It’s very very hard to find good customer service and it's very very hard to find people that will sit there and go through the nitty gritty shit stuff with ya and listen to you, you know? You guys from the beginning, you hit the nail on the head, the whole way man, all your processes. From my perspective, you smashed it."
If you’re ready to make your business run more smoothly and efficiently, just like Arthur did, give TradiePad a call. We specialise in helping tradies find the right tools to simplify your business and support your growth. Reach out to TradiePad today and discover how we can make a difference for you!
