Operational Excellence & Efficiency

Does your company have the right blueprint for operational success?

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.

Operational efficiency is the cornerstone of our success, whether you’re managing large-scale projects or maintaining commercial properties or residential estates for clients. Performing the routine simple tasks correctly and efficiently each and every time is what creates a winning team that delivers on a client’s expectations.

What are some key practices that drive operational excellence, help you achieve your company goals and allow your team to grow and prosper? Here are five to get your started.

1. Creating Effective Routines & Processes

Operational efficiency begins with well-structured routines and processes. These form the backbone of any landscaping project, ensuring consistency in service and results. Creating clear, documented workflows—from initial client consultations to job completion—helps teams work more systematically, minimizing wasted time and effort. Standardizing tasks such as equipment checks, site inspections, and maintenance routines can reduce delays and eliminate redundancies.

All employee roles and levels within your organization should understand the “why” of what they do, and those roles should have daily and weekly processes and procedures that are followed to achieve maximum jobsite benefits as well as customer and employee satisfaction. Routine processes are the building blocks to excellence in everything we do.

2. Efficiency Through Lean Planning & Thinking

Is your staff thinking and planning in the most efficient way possible to manage your company resources? Are you incorporating the 5 S steps of Lean thinking? Discussing the 8 forms of waste with your operations team? Teaching the 4 M’s of Lean problem-solving. Lean principles, which focus on maximizing value by reducing waste, can be highly effective in landscaping.

By eliminating unnecessary steps, consolidating tasks, and using resources wisely, you can complete jobs more quickly and at a lower cost. Lean thinking involves continual assessment of workflows to identify inefficiencies and adjusting the process again and again to achieve the optimal result.

Repeated discussions and actions in these three areas will lead to great daily habits from your team that will produce noticeable results.

3. Safety Is a Top Priority

Safety is non-negotiable when performing any landscape task. 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”. Safety is paramount in any landscaping operation. Promoting a culture of safety not only protects your team but also prevents costly delays and accidents.

Incorporating regular safety drills, on-the-job hazard assessments, and proper equipment handling protocols ensures that safety remains a top priority. Well-maintained equipment and personal protective gear (PPE) also play a significant role in keeping operations smooth and uninterrupted.

4. Continuous Training & Development

Your team is your greatest asset. Is your organization working on their continued growth and development? In a dynamic industry like landscaping, continuous training is essential to maintain operational efficiency. Training enhances employee skills, keeps teams up-to-date with the latest industry techniques and technologies, and promotes innovation. Regular workshops on plant care, new machinery, or sustainable landscaping practices can help teams work more efficiently.

Providing growth opportunities also increases employee retention, which in turn reduces the costs associated with high turnover. Find the right position in which each team member excels and then invest in their continuous training and skill development.

5. Strategic Planning on All Levels

Strategic planning ensures that every job and operation aligns with your company’s goals and long-term vision. By setting clear objectives for both individual projects and overall business growth, you can allocate resources, set timelines, and measure progress more effectively. Developing a yearly or seasonal business plan also helps anticipate demand and adjust workflows accordingly, ensuring you stay ahead of your competitors.

These short- and long-term goals for the company’s future need to be created and then broken down by branch, division, department or employee. When each individual team member understands the plan and goal, it’s easier for them to deliver on their specific piece within the plan.

Conclusion

Operational efficiency in landscaping isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. By embracing effective routines, lean thinking, a safety-first approach, continuous training, and strategic planning, your landscaping business can thrive in an increasingly competitive market.

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.

These strategies not only enhance daily operations but also position your company for sustainable growth and long-term success.

Ready to up your operations game? Visit www.wilson-360.com for expert insights, resources, and strategies to streamline your business and drive lasting success.

About the author: Brian Brueggemann, with a BS in Landscape Horticulture from SIU-Carbondale, formerly directed landscape operations at Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions. Now an Operations Consultant at Wilson360, he excels in enhancing productivity and service quality within the green industry. Connect with Brian at brian.b@wilson-360.com.