Docketbook is proud to support SAR Earthmoving, a small, family-run business delivering earthmoving services across their local community. Specialising in residential and small-scale civil works, SAR Earthmoving undertakes projects including excavations, driveways, retaining walls, turf preparation and tipper deliveries. Built on a reputation for quality workmanship and reliable service, the business reflects the hands-on approach typical of owner-operated contractors.
For SAR Earthmoving, running the business means balancing time on site with the demands of administration. Like many small operators, paper-based processes were quietly costing the business time, accuracy, and weekends.
“Before Docketbook, everything was paper-based. We were juggling dockets, notes and photos across different jobs, and it could get difficult trying to keep everything organised.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
Coordinating with field crews to collect paperwork was a constant interruption — and once dockets reached the office, legibility added another layer of friction.
“Most days or weeks were a struggle to arrange to meet with our teams to collect dockets. Sometimes understanding manual dockets was a challenge.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
With a small team, the admin load didn't fit inside business hours.
“It usually meant catching up on paperwork at night or on weekends, just to make sure everything was recorded properly.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
Docketbook was introduced as a practical tool that could support the business without adding unnecessary complexity. Adoption needed to be quick, intuitive, and survive the realities of a job site — and it was.
Docketbook automatically pulls all docket data into the invoice—eliminating manual entry and dramatically reducing the risk of mis-typed dates or values.
“Taking on Docketbook and integrating it into our day-to-day business has been super easy and hassle-free. From receiving orders to setting them up, to adding resources to a PO, to correcting dockets — it's easy to use and our teams love it.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
Capturing dockets in real time has removed the need for paper records and reduced the risk of lost or incomplete information. And when something does need fixing, the loop is fast.
“Correcting a docket is as easy as a phone call between admin and our teams.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
| Before Docketbook | After Docketbook |
|
Chasing teams in person to collect paper dockets each week |
Dockets captured in real time on phones from the job site |
|
Unreadable handwriting and missing details on manual dockets |
Clear, consistent digital dockets with all required information |
|
Catching up on admin at night and on weekends |
Paperwork done as the job runs — admin closed out during the day |
|
Chasing employees across three businesses for timesheets |
Timesheets captured automatically through Docketbook |
|
Manually entering each day's work into invoices line by line |
Reports downloaded by day, week, or month and used directly for invoicing |
|
Reports limited to whatever could be reconstructed from paper |
Reports filtered by operator, machine, or job site on demand |
Having job information in one place has simplified invoicing and improved overall organisation across the business. The biggest single win, though, has been timesheets — particularly given the structure of the operation.
“Docketbook has saved us so much time, especially in the admin department. With three separate businesses, the timesheet option has been by far the best investment. No need for chasing employees for timesheets.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
Invoicing — historically a slow, manual exercise — has been dramatically compressed.
“Time spent on invoicing and manually entering every day into an invoice has been cut by a tremendous amount. It's as simple as downloading a report for the entire day, week or month, which provides you with all the hours and details. We can even separate the reports by operator, machine or job site.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
With everything captured at the point of work, nothing is left to memory or paper.
“Everything is there when we need it. It gives us confidence that nothing has been missed.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
For SAR Earthmoving, the benefits go beyond time savings. The change is as much about stress and headspace as it is about hours on a stopwatch.
“It's taken a lot of the stress out of the admin side of the business. We can focus more on the work and less on chasing paperwork.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
That simplicity matters — for a small, service-focused business, it's what allows quality and responsiveness to be sustained.
“From a business perspective, taking on Docketbook has been a smart move — easier on all teams and departments. The support from the Docketbook team has also been exceptional. They've always been welcoming and happy to help with any questions. Docketbook has helped our business out so much.”
Alice Rhoades, SAR Earthmoving
While Docketbook is used on major infrastructure projects, its value is equally clear for smaller operators. For SAR Earthmoving, it means a more organised, efficient, and manageable business — while maintaining the personal service that defines their work.
“We're proud to support small, family-run businesses like SAR Earthmoving. They don't need complex systems. They need something that works, saves time, and supports the way they operate day-to-day.”
Mark Shepherd-Smith, Docketbook