A blueprint for operational excellence

As landscape professionals, we recognize the impact our work has on the communities and customers we serve, as well as creating a natural beauty within our world that everyone can enjoy. We also know that there is no silver bullet that will set us apart from our competition. To excel in our industry, it’s essential to adopt basic strategies, processes and routines that will streamline operations, enhance productivity, create a safe and efficient work environment and culture for our teams; all while delivering a product or service that our customer can’t live without.

Let’s take a look at five practices that drive operational excellence and allow your team to grow and prosper.

Creating effective routines and processes

Simple routines and processes are the building blocks to excellence in everything you do. At all levels of your organization, break down complex projects into manageable tasks and procedures, creating a road map toward the overall goal. Each team member should understand the “why” of what they are doing and the importance of what they do and how it will affect the overall product or service delivered to the customer. A structured framework of established processes within roles, departments or divisions will minimize delays, increase efficiencies, enhance project coordination and create a win for you and your client.

Efficiency through Lean planning and thinking

Managing your company resources is a key component in your operation. Those resources include people, equipment and material. Is your staff thinking and planning in the most efficient way possible? Are you incorporating the five "S" steps of lean thinking? Are you discussing the eight forms of waste with your operations team? Repeated discussions and actions in these three areas will lead to great daily habits from your team that will produce noticeable results.

Safety comes first

Safety is non-negotiable when performing any landscape task. Your employees should know the dos and don’ts and proper operating procedures for all equipment they use. They should be trained by an experienced staff member that gives them a green light before they can operate any piece of equipment on their own. This goes for proper safety procedures when working without equipment as well. A solid safety plan with timely topics that are discussed weekly with your team encourages a culture of “we put people first” and “we need to look out for each other.”

Continuous training and development

Your team is your greatest asset. Find the right positions in which they excel and then invest in their continuous training and skill development. Keep your workforce up-to-date with the latest landscaping techniques, safety protocols and industry advancements. Encourage a culture of learning and innovation. This creates an environment in which team members can share ideas and discuss how to solve their challenges and those facing the company. As the labor force shrinks, we all need to embrace new technology and how it can help us continue to succeed.

Strategic planning on all levels

Short- and long-term plans and goals aren’t just for the company as a whole. An owner and/or executive team may create a strategic plan for the future, but it’s up to the individual team members to deliver on that goal. Just like an operations task, the plan should be broken down by branch, division, department or employee and everyone needs to understand their role and what specific part they have in helping to achieve that result.

Incorporating these best practices within your company will not only create a lean, safe and efficient work force driven to produce results and deliver on customer expectations; it will help create a company culture and environment where every team member feels valued, empowered and inspired to be their best.