From paper trails to 30 hours back a week.

Fragmentation and a 50-page paper trail.

In EcoDrain's early days, founders Joanne Mitsikas and Tim Baxter managed the business with a disjointed mix of personal devices, software that wasn't suited to their growth, and physical paperwork. It created a significant bottleneck that threatened their ability to scale.

• Disconnected data. Important business information and client records were scattered across multiple devices, blurring the line between work and personal life.
• Manual compliance friction. Safety documentation — crucial in the plumbing industry — relied on handwritten forms. A single job could generate up to 50 pages of physical paperwork: an administrative "iceberg" of hidden costs.
• Zero real-time visibility. The office had no immediate insight into field progress. Information was trapped in the field until technicians returned or manually sent updates, delaying invoicing and client reporting.
• Administrative drain. Operations Manager Jess Petersen found herself managing devices and chasing paperwork rather than focusing on strategic growth — costing EcoDrain valuable time and eroding their professional edge.

For a business that specialises in creating safe, functional spaces, their own internal systems were neither safe nor functional for long-term growth. EcoDrain needed a single source of truth to bridge the gap between the office and the field.

A tech-first playbook for the field.

EcoDrain replaced their legacy processes with the Ascora platform. This wasn't just a software swap — it was a total digital transformation, built to give the team absolute visibility across every job site.

Centralised multi-crew dispatch

Using Ascora's multi-crew scheduling, EcoDrain's office team now manages the entire workforce from a MacBook Air. Work orders flow from a central inbox directly into the Ascora app, syncing instantly with technicians' iPhones and iPads in the field — so every plumber has the latest job details, site history, and navigation instructions at their fingertips.

The Field App & digital compliance

The most significant shift happened on the job site. With the Ascora Field App, technicians now handle every JSEA/SWMS and compliance requirement digitally.

• Integrated JSEA/SWMS — safety forms are built into the job workflow, ensuring 100% compliance before work begins.
• Real-time photo capture — more than 9,000 photos in the last year, auto-synced to each job as proof of work that builds client trust.
• Digital sign-offs — clients sign off on the device, so the office delivers a service report in under five minutes.

Data-driven office operations

Back in the office, Jo and Jess track every job in real time. Because Ascora integrates seamlessly with Xero and other third-party tools, the team has eliminated the double-handling of data and now works from one data-driven view — making decisions on live profit reporting and accurate workload visibility. They no longer guess their win rates or project margins; they see them in real time on the dashboard.

30 hours reclaimed, and a foundation for growth.

The results of EcoDrain's digital pivot were immediate and measurable. By removing the old inefficiencies, the team optimised profitability and reclaimed the time it needed to expand its reach across Victoria.

• 30 hours saved weekly — by digitising toolbox meetings, compliance reports, and administrative tasks, the team saved a combined 30 hours of labour every single week.
• Real-time synchronisation — the information lag between field and office was eliminated, so on-site data is instantly available for invoicing and the billing cycle is significantly shorter.
• Zero paper waste — EcoDrain eliminated roughly 10 kilograms of paper waste a year, moving to a fully digital ecosystem.
• Increased client trust — 9,000+ high-resolution photos and reports delivered within minutes of completion give EcoDrain a professional edge in a competitive market.

With every figure now centralised, EcoDrain leans on Ascora's reporting tools to pinpoint profitability issues the moment they appear — no more guessing win rates or margins. It's a foundation built to scale, and the team is on track to grow to a 15-person team, with a system that grows right alongside them.