Running an industrial refrigeration company isn’t just about keeping things cold—it’s about keeping everything running smoothly, from service calls to large projects. That’s exactly what Refrigeration Services has been doing for over 30 years. Founded as a family business in 1985, they’ve built a rock-solid reputation for their reliability, customer service and an excellent team.
These days, Sam is leading the charge, putting structures in place to support the massive growth experienced over the last few years. With a team of over 20 Technicians and apprentices supporting over 200 customers by providing preventative service as well as emergency breakdown response. Refrigeration Services needed a system that could keep up with their fast-paced work environment. The problem? Too many disconnected systems, too much double-handling, and a whole lot of time wasted on repetitive tasks . That’s where TradiePad came in—helping them ditch the chaos and move to a smarter, streamlined way of working.
Here’s how we helped Refrigeration Services take control of their operations, simplify their workflows, and get back to focusing on what they do best.
The Challenge
Juggling Too Many Systems and Too Much Manual Work
Running a service business in a critical industry like refrigeration where products are at risk of spoilage requires a lot of elements and resources to work seamlessly together. With a service team of 20, a project team of another 20, 2 in-house engineers, contractor installers, managing jobs across 200 different sites was becoming more and more difficult. Scheduling, compliance paperwork, job tracking, and asset management were all taking up too much time. The team was working across TSM, Microsoft Bookings, SimTrack, SharePoint, heaps of spreadsheets, and endless email chains—creating inefficiencies and double-handling everywhere.
It just felt like we were in a hole that we knew we couldn't get out of. We stopped looking for long term solutions and just plugged away trying to chip away at our never ending to-do lists.
One of the biggest pain points was scheduling. The team was using TSM, but without proper training and someone to drive it, the system wasn’t being used effectively. Microsoft Bookings was added to fill in the gaps, but it only created more work. On top of that, tracking site notes, safety documents, progress claims, purchase orders, vehicle management, and time tracking was a clunky, time-consuming nightmare. Compliance forms like SWMS, risk assessments, and induction forms were mandatory on every job, yet there was no simple, central way to manage them.
By the time they reached out to TradiePad in October 2022, they were on the hunt for a smarter, all-in-one system to make running the business easier. They needed a solution that would cut down on manual work, make it easier to share info, and give them a clear, real-time view of what was happening across the business—all in one spot.
I remember a time when we feared growth and were so cautious about being able to take new stuff on, now we have a system that can handle it and a crew that welcomes the challenge.
The Solution
A Smarter, Integrated System and team training
After reviewing the challenges Refrigeration Services was facing, it became clear that TSM wasn’t working effectively due to a poor implementation rollout and some key functionality gaps. Rather than trying to patch a system that wasn’t meeting their needs, we explored alternative job management solutions and found that Ascora was the best fit.
Why Ascora? It’s a flexible, all-in-one platform that can handle both quick service jobs and large-scale projects—ideal for a business like Refrigeration Services Vic that manages scheduled maintenance, emergency callouts, and big installations. With built-in quoting, variation management, progress claims, and supplier invoice automation, the team could finally cut out manual admin and speed up job processing. Most importantly, Ascora’s built-in forms meant compliance documents like SWMS, toolbox talks, and site diaries could be handled digitally, making data collection in the field super easy.
To keep things stress-free, we suggested a Proof of Concept project—basically, setting up a trial account with some sample job data to show how everything would work in real life. After their last software experience, they were understandably cautious, so this gave the team a chance to see the benefits firsthand before committing to a new system. It also made sure everything was set up properly from the start, setting them up for long-term success.
Implementing Ascora wasn't like any other experience I have had. Monday morning when we went live I was expecting 1000 phone calls… but radio silence. With TradiePad’s comprehensive training plans and implementation assistance I felt that our crew had the core skills to navigate issues on their own, and actually enjoyed having a crack themselves.
A game-changer was Ascora’s mobile app, which gave field staff real-time access to schedules, job details, timesheets, and site notes—something they’d never had in one place before. Management staff, including Sam, would also be able to schedule jobs, create quotes, and manage admin tasks on the go—a major upgrade from their previous systems.
To further streamline operations, we recommended replacing SimTrack with Ascora’s built-in vehicle tracking, bringing fleet management into the same system as job tracking. Plus, since the team already had iPhones and iPads, no new devices were needed—just a simple setup and rollout.
Ray and I worked together and pumped out all the forms we needed to get up and running. Our guys couldn't believe that they would click a button and everything they needed: time sheets, safety forms, job plans, job forms, testing templates and lots more would all be on the same app, just a click away!
The Result
A Smoother, More Efficient Operation
Since teaming up with TradiePad, Refrigeration Services has completely transformed how they handle jobs, scheduling, and invoicing. What used to be a time-consuming mess is now smooth, automated, and easy to manage with Ascora.
Scheduling is quicker and no longer needs Sam’s direct involvement, freeing up the team to focus on more valuable work. Invoicing issues have dropped massively—clear reports and photos mean customers understand what they’re paying for, so there’s less pushback. The new digital forms system have also made compliance simple, even for the less tech-savvy team members.
With better processes in place, the business is running more efficiently than ever. They now have more techs and apprentices on the road, their biggest-ever project pipeline, and they hit their five-year target in just 12 months! By combining the right tools with smart planning, they’ve set themselves up for long-term success.
Getting rid of these repetitive, unskilled tasks really freed everyone up. We began looking at solving long term problems rather than just plugging away. People got to expand and grow in their roles like our scheduler began managing the car fleet and factory, which we always thought would require employing someone else.
Ready to Transform Your Business?
Refrigeration Services has seen firsthand how the right tech can cut down stress, improve efficiency, and make running a business smoother. If you’re sick of juggling multiple systems, drowning in paperwork, or struggling with scheduling, TradiePad can help!
Let’s chat about how we can simplify and automate to free up your time to focus on what you do best.
Get in touch today and let’s find the right tech solution for your business!
Before TradiePad and Ascora we felt trapped, like the business was running us and it took all our efforts just to keep up. Now honestly, it feels like we are back in the driver's seat even though we are busier than we have ever been.
