Dean Cane runs Brightserve Plumbing, a fast growing Plumbing business serving commercial and residential clients with offices in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Dean started his career in hospitality as a restaurant manager in 1995. His cousin was a plumber and used to come to the restaurant to work anything that needed repair and maintenance. Every time he came it looked like he was having the best time wearing shorts and laughing whilst Dean was stuck in the restaurant. When Dean shared he wasn’t loving his job - his cousin replied “come for for me” and that was it!

Dean learnt fast and put together his plumbing and management experience to help grow the business from a team of 4 to a large company he eventually sold in 2008 and exited in 2010. From there he started again, getting a job as an Operations Manager in a large plumbing business where he stayed up to 2018 before being retrenched.

Brightserve was born. Dean went back to basics and got back in the van after 15-20 years looking to get his hands dirty and find his way. He borrowed some tools, borrowed a van and found his first customer.

At the start of his experience in plumbing things were managed with paper and manual processes. A work order book was the centre of operations where paper job cards were attached to clipboards and handed out to teams for the day. Blue stickers were used to mark if the job had been assigned and when the job was done it would get a yellow sticker. Dean watched this and saw it wasn’t working.

Paper was everywhere. The process was slow and cumbersome. We had to go through four or five people to just get an invoice out. If you’re slow to get invoices out - you’re not getting paid. You wanted to pull your hair out.

In the 90s and at the time there was nothing off the helf to solve their problem. So they built a solution for hundreds of thousands of rands. Life changed - and Dean saw the power of technology on his business.

When Dean started Brightserve he did some research and went with an Australian job management software. Unfortunately they only worked on Apple devices and he found many things on the system weren’t familiar or relevant to South Africa. On top of that he wasn’t able to have a direct line to a local support team he could talk to in real time to solve his problems.

Dean was introduced to ServCraft and was surprised to have not heard about it before. ServCraft was able to offer him all the the things he’d been using on the Aussie software - but at a much lower price and supported by a local team who really got the local challenges he was having to overcome on a daily basis.

ServCraft worked with Dean and his team to design the job card and ServCraft that worked for him and his business. ServCraft listened deeply to Deans suggestions and used them to build features that all ServCraft plumbing customers could benefit from.

ServCraft’s people and their passion to help him with the change made a big difference to the impact ServCraft was able to make.

Dean's journey as a plumbing entrepreneur and the game-changing software that transformed his Business

Case Study: Brightserve Plumbing



TJ Botten runs ENERGEY, a solar solutions business with a focus on commercial and industrial solutions alongside domestic, retail and information solutions. ENERGY is a fast growing solar business with offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

TJ was working for a technology company before he spun out his own business based on his interests in solar and renewable energy and IOT (internet of things). In 2019 he started Power Dot Data and in 2022 he started ENERGEY.





In the beginning operations were chaotic. TJ didn’t know what systems and processes we needed to optimise his ways of work - especially how he managed billing. Everything was paper and email - except for the accounting software.

As the teams grew he was dropping the ball constantly. He never knew which client needed to be followed up with. Jumbled emails and whatsapps were impossible to keep up with. Nothing connected ENERGEY with their clients and suppliers.

Opportunities were lost. Billing was missed. It was painful and expensive. He was losing thousands of Rands a month that could have been avoided.

TJ needed a job management software to join everything together - at a reasonable price of course.





TJ started looking around for job management software - initially looking at a wide range of international job management software providers. They all had bits and pieces of what he needed but couldn’t find anything that fit the South African space. By chance he was doing a solar job when someone in the house suggested he looked at ServCraft’s job management software.

ServCrat’s local South African team reached out and showed him a demo that ticked all his boxes for managing a solar installation business.

TJ loved the fact that the local team understood what it was like running a solar business in South Africa - and were so committed to helping improve his operation.

ServCraft’s integration with Xero was also a big plus. Now TJ could integrate his financial management and operations management powering productivity and saving time.

ServCraft worked with TJ and his team to design the job card and ServCraft that worked for him and his business. ServCraft’s people and passion to help him with the change made a big difference to the impact ServCraft was able to make.





TJ and his team were contacted by a ServCraft expert who took the time to understand the specific problems and processes in the solar installation business - as well as the experience TJ wanted his customers to have.

From there they sat together and designed a ServCraft that worked for them. There wasn’t too much adaptation needed.

It didn’t stop there. ServCraft’s Implementation Coach collaborated with ENERGEY’s team to design, plan and implement ServCraft across the business. This involved training the teams, testing the processes, and making sure they got the results they needed. TJ chose a date and went live.

ServCraft’s local team is in touch regularly with TJ - responding to questions, sharing how new features could help and providing training to TJ’s growing team.
The results

TJ felt the impact of ServCraft’s job man as soon as he switched it on across ENERGEY.

Invoicing straight from ServCraft means that things only need to be captured in one system - saving TJ huge amounts of time and making sure that things don’t get dropped between systems.

The biggest thing for TJ is scheduling. Planning and managing what his teams are doing from one place is powerful and gives him complete control of his operations so he can manage risks before they turn into issues.

TJ’s customers love the notifications. Emails, SMS giving customers a view of the jobs cards and pictures make it real for his customers and really add value. Now TJs know what his customers think after every job with ServCraft’s feedback function.

TJ isn’t losing money any more. ServCraft makes sure nothing falls through the cracks.





TJ runs ENERGEY, a solar solutions business with a focus on commercial and industrial solutions alongside domestic, retail and information solutions. Learn how TJ Transformed his Solar Business with ServCraft's Tailored job management Solution.

Case Study: ENERGEY


Ricky Solomon runs Pool Squad - one of the leading pool development, maintenance and repair companies in Gauteng, South Africa, managing pools across commercial and residential properties.



As the business grew, it became harder to manage their paperwork and teams. Jobs slipped through the cracks and customers weren’t getting the experience they signed up for. Ricky was spending his time running around after information and redoing work - rather than thinking about growing the business.

It was a customer who nudged Ricky to look at technology. He realised that without it, he’d never be able to grow Pool Squad. After dipping his toe with an international job management software, he was introduced to ServCraft, a job card management system, and never looked back.

ServCraft has transformed his operations, saving him time and money, alongside giving his customers a slick and professional experience. Now he’s able to grow with complete control, higher productivity, and with nothing falling through the cracks.




It was easy enough when he started. A5 branded job cards were handed out to technicians who scribbled on them during the day and handed them in the next day for quoting and invoicing. A whiteboard was used to document the issues and manage the teams on the road.

As business picked up, it became clear there was a problem. Lost cards, bad handwriting, delayed quotes and invoices. The whiteboard quickly became too small and changed so often that not enough information was available for the office or the teams to understand and solve problems for customers.

Things began falling through the cracks. Lost job cards. Delayed quotes and invoices. Customers complaining about work that was or wasn’t done. All whilst the team worked even harder to stay on top of things. Something needed to change.







Ricky was introduced to ServCraft a few months after using an international job management software. He wasn’t getting what he needed from the job management software he was using.

The local South African team showed him a demo that ticked all his boxes for managing a pool repair and maintenance business he was in.

Ricky loved the fact that the local team understood what it was like running a pool maintenance and repair business in South Africa - and were so committed to helping improve his operation.

ServCraft’s integration with Xero was also a big plus. Now Ricky could integrate his financial management and operation management powering productivity and saving time.

ServCraft worked with Ricky and his team to design the job card and ServCraft that worked for him and his business. ServCraft’s people and passion to help him with the change made a big difference to the impact ServCraft was able to make.




Ricky and his team were contacted by a ServCraft expert who took the time to understand the specific problems and processes in the pool repair and maintenance business - as well as the experience Ricky wanted his customers to have.

From there they sat together and designed a ServCraft that worked for them.

It didn’t stop there. ServCraft’s Implementation Coach collaborated with Pool Squad’s team to design, plan and implement Pool Squad across the business. This involved training the teams, testing the processes, and making sure they got the results they needed. Ricky chose a date and went live.

ServCraft’s local team is in touch regularly with Ricky and the Pool Squad - responding to questions, sharing how new features could help and providing training to Ricky’s growing team.
The results

ServCraft’s job card management system has changed how Ricky and his team spends time on his pool repair and maintenance business.

Instead of fighting fires and looking for information in the business Ricky gets to work on the business using the information at his fingertips to make better decisions faster and focus on growing the business even more.

Ricky and the team are in control of their jobs from the moment the customer reaches out to the moment they pay. ServCraft’s job management software means nothing falls through the cracks. Leads. Quotes. Jobs. Invoices. Everything is managed tightly with less time and effort than it was previously.

More productivity means that Ricky and his team can do more with less thanks to ServCraft’s job management software. Teams can get to more jobs and the office can focus on solving customer problems, winning work and getting paid.

The customer experience has also been transformed. Now customers get a detailed report with pictures and readings of the job as soon as it’s closed.

No more question marks about what Pool Squad did whilst the customer wasn’t there.

Quotes and invoices pop into customer emails almost as they close the door to the team to make a cup of tea.

Ricky is winning maintenance work from repair customers who are impressed with the experience they have.


Discover how Ricky Solomon, owner of Pool Squad, overcame the challenges of managing a growing pool development company. Learn how ServCraft's job card management system helped Ricky save time, increase productivity, and deliver a superior customer experience. 

Case Study:  Pool Squad

In South Africa, the demand for security installation services is on the rise. Speaking to hundreds of customers a month we know first hand that operating a security installation business can be challenging - especially when it comes to managing customers, people, processes and technology efficiently. Margins are in constant focus, whether you’re discounting to win business or looking to increase profit. In this article, I’ll discuss five strategies that you can implement to improve your operational efficiency and increase your profitability.





Having a process doesn’t mean having a good process. Streamlining your process involves identifying inefficiencies in your current operations and finding ways to eliminate them. Start by mapping out your process on a board from the moment a customer reaches out to the moment they pay. Bring the team together to challenge each other on what can be cut or consolidated. Think about the controls you need and your customer experience. You may want to consider automating certain tasks or using technology to improve your workflows. By streamlining your processes, you can save time and money, reduce errors, and improve customer satisfaction.





Your people are your business. Making sure they have the right skills and tools to work smarter and not harder is a key lever for improving operational efficiency. This could include providing your teams with regular training on new technologies and products, as well as offering leadership and management training for your managers. Whilst it’s important the team knows the technical elements of security installation - ask yourself who (besides you) is thinking about how to run a better business. Investing in people improves their skills and knowledge, reduces turnover, and increases productivity.





In a world where Chat GPT is passing MBA exams and we’re sending people to Mars - this one should be obvious. By embracing technology, you can automate your processes, improve your communication with customers, and increase your efficiency. You may want to consider using job management software tools to manage your jobs, track your inventory, and analyse your efficiency. Accounting software helps you make sure you’re making money and not losing money on jobs and across your business. Payment portals help you get paid faster. FYI using emails and WhatsApp isn’t embracing technology! (see Streamline your process above).





Getting it right the first time saves you doing it a second one. Building in checks and controls in your processes will reduce the risk of your teams getting it wrong - and customers getting upset. Your business is built on trust. Quality Assurance can include regular quality checks, customer surveys, and feedback mechanisms. By focusing on quality assurance, you can improve your reputation, reduce rework, and increase customer loyalty.



Build Strong Relationships with Suppliers



It’s impossible to stay on top of all the developments of security hardware and be an expert on all things. By developing long-term partnerships with your suppliers, you can benefit from their expertise and experience, as well as their economies of scale. This can help you to reduce your costs, improve your delivery times, and ensure that you have access to the latest technologies and products.



Running a security installation business in South Africa can be challenging, but by implementing these five strategies, you can improve your operational efficiency and increase your profitability. By streamlining your processes, investing in training and development, embracing technology, focusing on quality assurance, and building strong relationships with your suppliers, you can take your security installation business to the next level.


Running a security installation business can be challenging, especially when it comes to managing customers, people, processes, and technology efficiently. 

5 Strategies to Improve Operational Efficiency and Profitability for Your Security Installation Business .

In the highly competitive HVAC industry in South Africa, running a successful installation business requires effective management of customers, people, processes, and technology. Margins are constantly under scrutiny, whether it's about winning new business or maximising profits. In this article, we will explore five strategies that can help you enhance operational efficiency and boost profitability in your HVAC installation business.

Having processes in place is essential, but having efficient processes is even more crucial. Start by mapping out your current workflow, from initial customer contact to project completion. Involve your team in identifying areas of inefficiency and brainstorm ideas for improvement. Automating certain tasks and leveraging technology can streamline your operations, save time and money, minimise errors, and enhance the overall customer experience.

Your employees are the backbone of your HVAC business. Investing in their skills and providing them with the right tools can significantly improve operational efficiency. Offer regular training sessions to keep your teams updated on the latest technologies and industry practices. Additionally, consider providing leadership and management training for your managers to ensure they can effectively optimise team performance. By investing in your people, you enhance their capabilities, reduce turnover, and increase productivity.

Technology plays a vital role in modernising and optimising HVAC installation businesses. Adopting job management software tools can streamline your job scheduling, inventory tracking, and performance analysis. Utilising accounting software helps you ensure profitability across your projects and overall business operations. Explore payment portals to expedite payment processing. Embracing technology allows you to automate tasks, improve communication with customers, and achieve greater operational efficiency.

Delivering high-quality HVAC installations not only ensures customer satisfaction but also reduces rework and enhances your reputation. Integrate quality assurance measures into your processes, such as regular quality checks, customer surveys, and feedback mechanisms. By focusing on quality assurance, you establish trust, minimise errors, and foster long-term customer loyalty.

Staying up-to-date with the latest HVAC technologies and products can be challenging. Building strong, long-term relationships with suppliers can provide you with invaluable expertise and access to cutting-edge solutions. Collaborate closely with your suppliers, leveraging their knowledge and benefiting from economies of scale. This partnership can result in cost savings, improved delivery times, and a competitive edge in the market.

By implementing these five efficiency strategies, your HVAC installation business can thrive in the South African market. Streamlining processes, investing in your team's development, embracing technology, prioritising quality assurance, and cultivating strong supplier relationships are essential steps to achieve operational excellence and drive profitability in the HVAC industry.

Discover effective approaches to enhance operational efficiency and drive profitability in your HVAC business.

Boosting Operational Efficiency and Profitability: 5 Strategies for Your HVAC Installation Business

Pam Kruger runs ACCM, an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) business serving commercial and residential across Gauteng. ACCM is a fast growing HVAC business with offices in Pretoria, South Africa.

Pam started her HVAC career at 18 as a receptionist and quickly rose through the ranks to office manager. When the owner retired she got together with Shaun Botha to branch out on their own. Working from an office in her garden they grew their business to 16 people and run a thriving business providing HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) services to leading brands - alongside people in their homes.

In the beginning operations were chaotic. An excel job book captured and managed all the jobs. Manually managing multiple tabs, complex drop downs and duplicated fields was labour intensive - and full of the risk of missing something. Pam was re-typing information across job capture, job cards and invoices. Every day was a run around trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together to work out what was going on and how to keep momentum going.

As the business grew and Pam delegated the role to an administrator she lost control of the process and had to trust someone else would give the same level of scrutiny to the systems she’d set up. She realised that if things were falling through the cracks with her in control - the risk of things falling through the cracks was even greater now she didn’t have control.

Pam reflects on the time it took to try and stay in control of the information and manage the manual and paper systems she’d built. It all took time. Time she and the team could have been spending on keeping up with the demand her business was attracting.

Pam knew that as technology enabled her customers to tap into her competitors faster - she needed to find a way to get quality quotes out faster to win more work.

Pam needed a job card management system to put her in control and save time so she could work more on the business - and not in the business.

Pam first thought about digitising her job cards with job card management system from a Facebook advert. She started looking around for job management software - initially looking at a wide range of job management software providers. After trying something else that didn’t work out as promised - she came across ServCraft.

ServCraft’s local South African team reached out and showed her a demo that ticked all her boxes for managing an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) business.

Pam loved the fact that the local team understood what it was like running a HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) business in South Africa - and were so committed to helping improve her HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) operation.

ServCraft worked with Pam and her team to design the job card and ServCraft that worked for her and her business. ServCraft listened deeply to Pam’s suggestions and used them to build features that all ServCraft HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) customers could benefit from.

ServCraft’s people and their passion to help her with the change made a big difference to the impact ServCraft was able to make.

Pam and her team were contacted by a ServCraft expert who took the time to understand the specific problems and processes in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) installation business - as well as the experience Pam wanted her customers to have.

From there they sat together and designed a ServCraft that worked for them. There wasn’t too much adaptation needed.

It didn’t stop there. ServCraft’s Implementation Coach collaborated with ACCM’s team to design, plan and implement ServCraft across the business. This involved training the teams, testing the processes, and making sure they got the results they needed. Pam chose a date and went live.

ServCraft’s local team is in touch regularly with Pam - taking on new ideas, responding to questions, sharing how new features could help and providing training to Pam’s growing team.

Pam felt the impact of ServCraft’s job card management system as soon as she switched it on across ACCM.

Pam now has all the information she needs to run the business at her fingertips - whilst having complete control and visibility of the day to day operations. Instead of looking for files manually it’s all there - and accessible with the click of a button.

ServCraft’s scheduling feature and jobs list has transformed her control of her teams. Planning and managing what her teams are doing from one place is powerful and gives her complete control of her operations so she can optimise routes and manage risks before they turn into issues. The team is so much more productive with ServCraft.

Customers love signing off on the tablet and getting job cards and reports with details of the work that was done. It really helps us show them the value we add - and gives us a wow experience. The automatic feedback function helps us stay on top of what customers really experience - so we can celebrate success or manage issues.

Now Pam wins work faster - and gets paid faster. Quotes and invoices go out as soon as the job is signed off on ServCraft - she doesn't have to wait for the job card to come back to the office. Pam uses ServCraft to manage regular follow ups on quotes and invoices as well as automating follow ups on service and maintenance work after an installation. Customers now get a proactive service (that generates revenue for ACCM) vs the unit breaking down because it wasn’t maintained properly.

ServCraft is helping ACCM grow from strength to strength.

Learn how ACCM, an HVAC business in South Africa, overcame the challenges of manual and paper-based systems with the help of ServCraft's job management software. 

Case Study: ACCM

Sheldon Pawson runs Active Motion, a security solutions and installation business serving commercial and residential properties nationwide. Active Motion is a fast growing security installation business with offices in Johannesburg.

Sheldon started Active Motion with no car, no staff and no capital. Grit and resilience helped him win his first customer who took a chance on him. Today he employees 52 staff, manages 12 teams and serves over 3000 clients.

In the beginning operations were chaotic. Sheldon didn’t know what systems and processes he needed to grow - especially how he managed billing. Carbon copy job cards, paper, email, spreadsheets, word documents, whiteboards. Every morning was a run around trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together to work out what was going on and how to keep momentum going.

All of this took time. Time the team could have been spending on keeping up with the demand his business was attracting. Sheldon knew that as technology enabled his customers to tap into his competitors faster - he needed to find a way to get quality quotes out faster to win more work.

When a customer called he’d run to the file room to try and find a file which ofter wasn’t there - turning a five minute query into a two hour team effort.

In this time balls got dropped. Jumbled papers, emails and whatsapps were impossible to keep up with. Job cards got lost and left on site. Information wasn’t correctly captured and jobs weren’t signed for. Nothing connected the different parts across Active Motion with their clients and suppliers.

Sheldon needed a job management software to join everything together.

Sheldon started looking around for job management software - initially looking at a wide range of international job management software providers. They all had bits and pieces of what he needed but couldn’t find anything that fit the South African security installation space. Unit he met ServCraft.

ServCrat’s local South African team reached out and showed him a demo that ticked all his boxes for managing a security installation business.

Sheldon loved the fact that the local team understood what it was like running a security business in South Africa - and were so committed to helping improve his security installation operation.

ServCraft worked with Sheldon and his team to design the job card and ServCraft that worked for him and his business. ServCraft listened deeply to Sheldon’s suggestions and used them to build features that all ServCraft customers could benefit from.

Sheldon and his team were contacted by a ServCraft expert who took the time to understand the specific problems and processes in the security installation business - as well as the experience Sheldon wanted his customers to have.

It didn’t stop there. ServCraft’s Implementation Coach collaborated with Active Motion’s team to design, plan and implement ServCraft across the business. This involved training the teams, testing the processes, and making sure they got the results they needed. Sheldon chose a date and went live.

ServCraft’s local team is in touch regularly with Sheldon - taking on new ideas, responding to questions, sharing how new features could help and providing training to Sheldon’s growing team.

Sheldon felt the impact of ServCraft’s job man as soon as he switched it on across Active Motion.

ServCraft’s scheduling feature and jobs list has transformed his control of his teams. Planning and managing what his teams are doing from one place is powerful and gives him complete control of his operations so he can manage risks before they turn into issues.

In security installation trust is everything. Emails, SMS giving customers a view of the jobs cards and pictures make it real for his customers and really add value. ServCraft helps his customers trust him even more by delivering a highly professional experience and keeping them in the loop across the job.

ServCraft is helping Active Motion grow from strength to strength.

See how ServCraft's job management system helped Sheldon grow his security installation business from selling out the back of his car to employing 52 staff serving over 3000 clients.

Case Study: Active Motion

Small businesses face numerous challenges, from managing limited resources to dealing with a rapidly changing market. In order to succeed, small businesses need to find ways to streamline their operations, boost efficiency, and stay competitive. That's where ServCraft job management software comes in.

ServCraft is a powerful software solution that can help small businesses increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve overall success. Here's how:

ServCraft makes it easy for small businesses to manage jobs and tasks more efficiently. The software allows users to create and assign tasks, track progress, and manage schedules all in one place. This helps to eliminate confusion and ensure that everyone is on the same page, reducing the likelihood of errors and delays.

Effective communication is essential for any business, and ServCraft can help small businesses stay connected with their teams, clients, and vendors. The software includes features like messaging, file sharing, and real-time notifications, which make it easy to communicate and collaborate with others. This can help to reduce misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.

ServCraft's job card management system also includes features that help small businesses manage their finances more effectively. The software allows users to create and send invoices, track expenses, and manage budgets. This can help small businesses stay on top of their finances and avoid costly mistakes.

By streamlining job management, improving communication, and enhancing financial management, ServCraft can help small businesses boost productivity. When employees have the tools they need to work more efficiently, they can get more done in less time. This can help small businesses take on more work and grow their operations without sacrificing quality or customer service.

Finally, ServCraft can help small businesses improve customer satisfaction. By streamlining operations and providing better communication, small businesses can respond more quickly to customer requests and deliver projects on time and within budget. This can help to build trust and loyalty among customers, which can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

In conclusion, ServCraft job management software can provide numerous benefits to small businesses. By streamlining job management, improving communication, enhancing financial management, boosting productivity, and improving customer satisfaction, ServCraft can help small businesses achieve greater success and thrive in today's competitive marketplace.

ServCraft Features Built For Everyone