Level Green, a commercial landscaping company based in the Washington Metro DC area, has built a reputation for its high standards and dedication to service in the competitive landscaping industry. With revenue projected at $30+ million this year, they continue to expand their presence across the region.
James Kole, Branch Manager of Level Green’s DC branch, oversees the operations of around 15 crews and 55 employees. As his team took on more clients and complex projects, James recognized a growing need for efficiency in scheduling, reducing travel time, and improving overall productivity across the branch’s operations.
Starting with Overscheduled Jobs and Efficiency Goals
Initially, Level Green adopted BomData to address overscheduled jobs, particularly during the busy spring season. However, in 2024, James and his team committed to optimizing operational efficiency across all aspects, honing in on reducing travel time and unnecessary hours spent on tasks. Since then, Level Green’s DC branch has seen a 10% year-over-year increase in efficiency.
One of BomData’s unique tools that James found particularly impactful was its ability to display branch metrics in a transparent and accessible way. For example, a screen displaying team hours and accuracy data was installed next to the branch’s key station, ensuring that every crew member could easily see and discuss these critical insights.
James noted, “Everyone looks at it, is talking about it, and no one wants to be last. The team cares more now.”
Level Green has used BomData’s leaderboards to create a culture of accountability without adding incentives or penalties but by encouraging the crews to better understand and own their hours. Crews that focus on tasks like watering, for example, can now communicate their time more effectively when conditions, such as a dry spell, require longer hours. These insights lead to more productive conversations with schedulers, ensuring that estimates and actual hours are aligned.
Building Better Scheduling Practices
James’ team uses BomData to closely monitor scheduled versus actual hours each week. By dedicating just 30 minutes weekly to review non-maintenance tickets, they pinpoint discrepancies in hours and cost estimations and engage in ongoing dialogue with schedulers.
This proactive approach means his branch can continually refine its scheduling practices, review its pricing for materials, and eliminate inefficiencies due to seasonal shifts. For instance, in drought conditions, his team knows they can skip tasks like grass-cutting when it’s not needed, further contributing to labor efficiency.
These weekly reviews have also pushed more valuable conversations between crews and operations managers, allowing the team to strategize ways to minimize drive time, adapt to seasonal changes, and improve overall workflow.
Bringing Data Insights to the Forefront
While Level Green has utilized Aspire, a powerful operational platform, BomData has helped simplify the process of extracting and understanding key insights from Aspire’s extensive data. James appreciates BomData’s user-friendly approach to data. As he put it, “It took me four years to figure out everything in Aspire, but BomData just helps me get my job done faster because I have enough going on.”
With BomData, James can quickly catch errors related to crew assignments and address gaps in data integration, a process that could otherwise take significantly longer. BomData’s reporting helps James create fair, data-driven reviews for his operations managers by accurately tracking metrics like year-over-year performance. This data-focused perspective has proved invaluable to keeping team assessments efficient and equitable.
Driving Continuous Improvement with BomData
The integration of BomData has created a ripple effect across Level Green’s DC branch. The transparency BomData brings to hours, tasks, and scheduling errors enables James and his team to address challenges quickly and ensures that crews are on the right track, driving continuous improvement. BomData not only supports day-to-day operations but also strengthens strategic decisions that directly contribute to the company’s bottom line.
Ready to take your own landscaping business to the next level? Discover how BomData can provide your team with the same high-level data insights that have been transformative for Level Green. Visit BomData.io to request more information or start your free trial today.