The Hidden Cost of Using Outdated Technology in Your Landscaping Business

Running a successful business is all about making the right decisions at the right time. One of the most important choices landscaping business owners need to make is when to incorporate modern solutions, such as software, into their operations.

You know that technology offers many benefits for your company. But making the switch is expensive.

Is it worth the financial cost to invest in landscaping project management software? What about the time it takes to implement it into your day-to-day operations?

While those are important questions, one question is even more crucial: How expensive is it not to switch to a modern technology solution?

Here are some hidden costs and downsides of using outdated manual processes in your landscaping business.

Errors in manual processes

The day-to-day operations of a landscaping business involve thousands of processes. When those processes are inefficient, profitability suffers. 

On average, inefficient processes result in approximately 300 hours of lost time per year, which is equivalent to 1.5 months of time (and salaries). 

Another study indicates that inefficiencies contribute to a 26% loss of employee time. 

Inefficiency isn’t the only problem with manual processes. Human error is another one.

The best employees still make mistakes. And when all of your operations rely on manual processes, even a single error prevents your team members from doing their best work. 

Consider how errors and inefficiencies impact some of the most common processes in a landscaping business.

Scheduling

Daily schedules get complicated quickly. Assigning teams for estimates and jobs requires a strategic approach to optimize resources. 

Any unexpected changes have a cascading effect that impacts everyone’s schedule for the entire day or longer:

• A team member calling in sick

• A vehicle breaking down

• A last-minute client request

• A weather delay

Traditional schedule management using spreadsheets or calendars is slow and tedious. Making changes takes a long time, especially if team members don’t have access to real-time updates.

Manual scheduling often relies on familiarity — managers habitually assign certain teams to specific routes and jobs. There’s rarely interest in making changes for better efficiency. And even if a manager wants to optimize routes or assignments, they don’t often have the detailed, up-to-date information required to do so.

Inventory/equipment management

Maintaining your trucks and landscaping equipment seems straightforward until something unexpected happens. In addition to regular inspections and maintenance, your team must be able to react quickly to problems, such as malfunction.

Do you have a system to track inspections and repairs? Without a clear record of these activities, there’s a higher risk of injuries and delays.

You also need to manage inventory. It’s a delicate balance to keep essentials in stock without over-purchasing materials. Manually updating inventory lists is inefficient and creates opportunities for mistakes.

Drive Time

Do you assign teams and jobs based on travel efficiency? What happens when weather or equipment problems impact the schedule and crew routes?

Coming up with an alternative should involve figuring out a plan that minimally impacts the rest of your operations. But that’s extremely time-consuming and requires a big-picture viewpoint that not all project managers have.

Many managers choose the fastest or most familiar alternative route when the default schedule is compromised. However, those solutions are rarely the most efficient, costing time and resources that eat into profits. 

Employee management

Hiring and retaining employees requires several complex processes:

• Establishing roles and responsibilities

• Evaluating skills

• Building teams that work well together

• Regularly reviewing each employee’s performance

• Providing actionable feedback

• Tracking performance and disciplinary events

Keeping track of all the data to inform these activities is challenging, especially for businesses using paper files, manually updated spreadsheets, or multiple disconnected point solutions.

Challenges of paper documentation 

Paper documentation is another hallmark of an outdated business management system. This includes many types of paper records:

• Invoices/payment logs

• Receipts

• Equipment maintenance logs

• Timecards

• Job quotes/estimates

• Inventory lists

• Contracts

Paper documentation is familiar, but it’s also problematic. If team members want to access paper records, they need to physically go wherever documents are stored and hope nothing has been lost or misfiled.

Even if it only takes a few minutes to track down a paper document, that time adds up. Studies show that a poorly organized system causes employees to spend half (50%) of their time searching for information.

Disconnected data management

Using paper documentation makes data management more challenging. Even a computer-based solution like an Excel spreadsheet is outdated compared to the tools available in a modern landscaping project management platform.

Spreadsheets require manual updates, which are tedious and imperfect. Studies show that manual data entry causes a 40% chance of error. 

Incorrect data has financial costs, too. Recent studies show that bad data increases operation expenses by 30% or $12.9 million.

Poor data management also impacts customer satisfaction. Incorrect information about inventory and materials costs leads to inaccurate estimates. Data entry mistakes also cause billing errors and unreliable timelines.

Tech adoption saves time and money 

Modern technology solves many problems caused by analog data management and manual processes.

For example, picture a platform where every team member sees a comprehensive, live schedule so they know exactly what to do and where to go each day. Integrated tools automatically create the most time-efficient tasks and routes for each team based on job location and traffic data. This setup saves everyone time and frustration.

An advanced scheduling tool also enables faster changes. Project managers make and disseminate real-time scheduling updates, keeping every team member in the loop even when they are out on the job.

See how Aspire increases efficiency and profitability

It’s expensive to stick with outdated tools and processes. Although the initial cost of switching to a modern software solution seems steep, the cost of continuing to operate without one is much higher.

Investing in Aspire offers a significant return, increasing efficiency and profitability. Book a demo to learn more about Aspire.