Hi-tech system gets plumbing firm going

A Kerikeri businessman is tapping into technology to increase business efficiency and ensure clients are fairly billed.

Russ Louie owns BPS Plumbing, which covers Paihia, Kaikohe and Kerikeri as well as the wider surrounding region. He started the business 10 years ago and now has two full-time plumbers working for him.

Mr Louie began his move into modern business practice about three years ago when he bought the SmartTrade system which allowed his business to interface with his suppliers, providing efficient purchasing and invoicing.

Early last year he decided he wanted to expand the business further, and brought a business mentor on board. He added the Teletrac Navman (GPS fleet management technology) system to his hi-tech box of tricks which allows him to say, with some justification, that while he may not be the biggest plumber in the district, he's definitely one of the smartest.

"I'm now running a 21st-century business," said Russ. "Before the integration we were prehistoric, it was so clunky and time consuming. Now we are efficient, fast, and responsive. I can see where invoicing is going really quickly, so I can project cashflow much better."

BPS does irrigation supply, dam supply, pumps, water tanks, sewerage and septic tanks in the rural sector as well as urban plumbing work.

"I need to know what the margins are on any given job. If it's not profitable for the business I may have to either drop the job or re-look at charge-out rates.

"We're in the service industry. We may be putting out 40 invoices a month so we need to know where we are going. We need to know where or if we're losing money."

He has three vehicles averaging 1000km each a week and said installing and using Navman had many advantages to the business and staff.

"We get jobs in remote parts of the country which can be a safety issue. Now I can see when and where one of my staff has stopped driving and if he's still there at 4pm rather than on his way home I know there's a problem."

Having GPS tracking has also stopped a lot of speeding.

"We introduced a $20 fine if our guys go over a pre-determined speed limit on the GPS tracker. It's a great contribution to our social fund," he said.

Mr Louie said before the integration he was spending a lot of time working through bills and invoices and struggling with fleet maintenance as well as billing for travel, but the SmartTrade system has resolved those issues.