TapEffect: moving remote water sites in Cambodia to one stock view

INDUSTRY

Waterworks

COMPANY SIZE

11-50 employees

COUNTRY

Cambodia

PROBLEM SOLVED

Multi-site operations

REPLACED

Each site managing its own stock

FIELDEX FEATURES USED

Inventory, transfers between sites, job tasks

TapEffect is a social enterprise bringing clean, affordable tap water to hard-to-reach rural communities in Cambodia. The company designs, builds and operates piped water systems, run from a head office in Phnom Penh with remote satellite sites. As its pipe networks expanded, keeping track of hardware and stock across those sites became a growing challenge.

THE CHALLENGES

When every site kept its own stock

With each site managing stock on its own, no one had the full picture. During network expansions, that made it hard to know what was where, and to solve problems on time.

‍Stock Managed Site by Site: Each satellite site tracked its own inventory as a standalone operation, even though every site needed to hold a certain amount of hardware and fittings.
No Central View of Stock: The head office couldn't clearly see stock levels at each site, or where hardware and fittings were going.
Risk of Over-Ordering: Without visibility across sites, it was hard to know when a surplus at one site could cover a need at another.
Unclear Instructions for Remote Sites: Job tasks and instructions weren't captured in one place, which made it harder to keep remote teams accountable.

"Before FieldEx, we were operationally more remote-focused - each site was managing their inventory independently."

– Ajay Chouhan | Co-founder and Operations Manager, TapEffect

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Before and after FieldEx

Operational Area	Before FieldEx	With FieldEx
Stock Visibility	Each site tracked its own inventory, and the head office had no central view.	Central management monitors stock levels across all sites in one place.
Site-to-Site Transfers	No easy way to see where surplus stock or equipment could be moved.	Fittings, equipment and machinery are transferred between sites through the system.
Ordering Materials	Orders were placed without knowing if another site had a surplus.	Surplus stock can be checked and redistributed before new orders are placed.
Job Instructions	Tasks and instructions for remote sites weren't captured centrally.	Key activities are logged in FieldEx, improving clarity and accountability.
Management Approach	Remote-focused, with each site working independently.	Moving toward central-level oversight as more systems come onto the platform.

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THE SOLUTION

How TapEffect uses FieldEx

TapEffect needed a system that matched how it operates: a central head office managing remote satellite sites. FieldEx brought stock, transfers and job tasks onto one platform.

One Platform for Every Site: Central management can now monitor stock levels at each site from a single view.
Transfers Between Sites: Equipment, machinery and surplus fittings can be moved from one site to another and tracked in the system.
Smarter Ordering: With stock visible across sites, the team can check for surplus before ordering more materials.
Clear Job Tasks and Instructions: Key activities are logged in FieldEx, giving remote sites clearer instructions and building accountability.
A Phased Rollout: TapEffect is bringing its systems onto FieldEx step by step, starting with inventory.

"FieldEx enables us to manage our stock and inventory more efficiently. It helps us avoid over-ordering materials or fittings, because we may have a surplus in another site that we can transfer.”

– Ajay Chouhan | Co-founder and Operations Manager, TapEffect

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THE RESULTS

Results at TapEffect

TapEffect is still bringing its systems onto FieldEx, but head office already has the oversight it was missing.

25% More Efficient Inventory Management: Surplus fittings can be redirected to the sites that need them instead of being reordered.
9% Less Time on Field Service Operations: Key activities and instructions now sit in one system, which saves time and builds accountability.
Central Oversight: Head office can see stock levels across every site, not just its own.
What’s Next: As more systems move onto the platform, TapEffect expects further savings on purchasing and labor, and a full shift to central-level oversight.

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Real reviews from the people using FieldEx

FieldEx is reviewed by real users on Capterra, an independent software review platform. Read what other field service and maintenance teams have to say on Capterra.

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Technician beside an open water system control panel

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The deeper impact

For TapEffect, the ultimate reward goes far beyond operational efficiency. The real success is seeing clean water running through the taps of households that previously had to collect water from ponds or wait for the rain.

"When we started TapEffect and we connected our first households to piped water, and we saw the clean water running through the taps at households that had never received it before ... that was in itself a very rewarding experience."

‍– Ajay Chouhan | Co-founder and Operations Manager, TapEffect

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As FieldEx becomes fully integrated into their day-to-day activities, it will continue to support the foundational infrastructure needed to scale this life-changing utility network across Cambodia.

Children washing their hands at a school water tap