The team at Central Queensland Exploration (CQE), formerly Capricorn Drilling, led by Director Don Irvine, has a modern fleet of rigs and a dedication to delivering quality services. CQE has been drilling water bores, open holes, and diamond drilling services since 2000. After more than 20 years in the industry, their focus has stayed set on quality services and client satisfaction.

Like most contractors, Don found himself wasting weeks trying to prepare invoices to send out , and then even longer waiting for clients to approve and pay them. While not exactly uncommon in the industry, this is the biggest pain for most contractors. So how exactly did CQE manage to implement a simple 2-step process to cut down on their invoicing times while still maintaining customer satisfaction?

End of the month anxiety

You and your team have gone above and beyond for the last four weeks trying to deliver your client exceptional metres.

You’ve taken every effort to hit your metres targets without sacrificing quality. All month the client has been happy - but then their bill arrives.

Nobody, driller nor geologist, enjoys the uncomfortable back and forth that tends to feel just about inevitable when it comes to billing. It takes the conversation away from performance and discovery and reduces what should have been a partnership into a transactional experience for both sides.

But for drilling contractors, this process can add an extra layer of stress. Staff need to be paid, rigs need to be serviced, and managers need to be able to ensure that there’s a solid pipeline of future business secured to keep heads above water. Things that are difficult to do with an unsteady cash flow or unpaid invoices.

Is this you?

You diligently send your exploration clients a spreadsheet at the end of each month, providing a detailed breakdown of costs for every completed shift. Maybe the client asked for additional data, and you invested significant time and effort painstakingly compiling a special report (but you don’t know if they even reviewed it…).

A few days later, the client comes back wanting to dispute charges from three weeks ago. But it’s been so long since the work has been done that everyone has forgotten what happened that day. This puts you in a tough position - on one hand, you believe that what you sent was correct, but on the hand, you need to keep the client satisfied - all while trying to maintain profitability on that contract.

So what you do?

Do you amend the invoice to appease the client, potentially compromising your bottom line? Or should you stand your ground, trusting the data entered onto the spreadsheet by your drillers is correct - even if it prolongs the payment process?

If this is typical of your experience with invoicing, you have probably wondered if there’s a better way.

Then you’re not alone. Don Irvine, Director of Central Queensland Exploration, also asked himself this question.

And in his search for answers, Don discovered CorePlan, and an easy 2-step process that enabled him to find a perfect balance between client satisfaction and the cash flow of his business by digitising his operations.

Easy 2-Step Process Invoicing

Step one: Give clients daily data

CQE provides their clients with drilling data at the end of every shift using a dedicated, secure-access client portal on CorePlan. This allows clients to review and download the data at their convenience, in easily digestible increments.

Rather than overwhelming them with a month's worth of data, this process keeps the client informed on a daily basis. This means that any client queries can be promptly resolved in real-time, significantly saving everyone's time.

This process was made possible because Don’s drillers use the CorePlan mobile app to enter drilling data directly at the rig, saving the admin team and the exploration team’s geologists from having to double-handle data and reducing the turnaround time to the client.

Step two: Send the bill

At the end of each month, CQE uses this approved data to instantly generate an invoice for the client using CorePlan’s cost automation.

The best part?

No disputes arise because the client has already reviewed and approved the data throughout the month, and any concerns were already able to be addressed, along with a complete audit trail of any changes made by either party for increased transparency.

66% reduction in time to pay

By adopting this seamless digital process, Don has reduced the average payment time from a nerve-racking 75 days to a mere 25 days from the invoice date—an impressive 66% reduction in just under 6 months.

Not only does this provide Don with increased certainty about the business's cash flow, but it also ensures that conversations with clients remain focused on the true essence of the partnership: discovery.

"When the clients see what we can produce in terms of data and statistics, there's no hesitation. They see the data, and then they sign the contract. "

Don Irvine, Director

A foundation for partnership and growth

built in less than 6 months

Today, CQE’s reputation in the exploration community is focused on the high-quality metres the company produces, not the bills they send.

Such is the demand for CQE’s services in Queensland as a rare CorePlan drill contractor, Don has purchased an additional two rigs to keep up with an influx of business - made possible by improved cash flow stability.

Work better with your exploration clients like CQE. CorePlan helps drilling contractors change the conversation from costs to quality with their exploration clients.

With CorePlan, CQE has reduced payment time from 75 days to 25 days to invoice - an impressive 66% reduction in just under 6 months

Don Irvine, Director