Smart solutions for green professionals: how digitalization is changing work in gardening and landscaping

Smart digital solutions are finding their way into everyday working life. They are transforming the way projects are planned, implemented, evaluated and completed. If you want to digitize your company's processes in a meaningful way, you need to analyse, structure and clearly describe them in preparation. And those who consistently think and map workflows digitally from start to finish can document them seamlessly and automatically based on the resulting data - without any paper! This also makes them standardizable, traceable at any time, analyzable in detail and repeatable at any time.

Read this article to find out how digital innovations can positively change core areas of your business.

Planning, construction site management and digitalized machines

3D planning and visualizations of gardens and facilities help customers to better visualize the finished result and express change requests at an early stage. This saves the implementing companies unnecessary change work, accelerates project progress, and improves throughput.

Digital construction management apps make it possible to view construction plans, task lists and project progress paperless on a tablet or smartphone. Notes, photos, and comments flow directly into the document collection on site. Communication and collaboration between site management and employees on the construction site is significantly simplified.

Modern construction vehicles are increasingly equipped with integrated machine control systems. Older machines can also be retrofitted with them. Precise positioning and automated work processes increase the accuracy of site work, reduce machine operating costs, and help to improve costing.

The use of drones literally opens up new perspectives for surveying, documenting and monitoring construction sites. Aerial images, LIDAR models and 3D terrain profiles provide valuable information for the planning and precise costing of jobs.

Logistics, Supply Chain Act and verification obligations

Digital construction diaries and construction files simplify the complete and audit-proof documentation of all processes on construction sites. This makes it easier to comply with verification obligations - for example, the complex verification of the origin of materials in accordance with the Supply Chain Act. This creates transparency for all project participants and legal certainty.

Digital platforms for supplier management enable the efficient management of orders, deliveries, and invoices. Material availability can be viewed in real time, ordering processes are automated and communication with suppliers is optimized.

Modern warehouse management systems or industry software with corresponding modules and data interfaces to supplier systems ensure optimal stock levels and a smooth flow of materials. Stock levels are automatically recorded, delivery bottlenecks are identified at an early stage and orders are triggered in good time.

Time is money

Smart time recording systems enable employees to record their working hours and activities directly on the construction site using a smartphone or tablet. Manual transfers and incorrect data entry are no longer necessary, making billing more efficient and transparent.

Valuable insights into the productivity and efficiency of work processes can be gained from the recorded working times via the project time analysis. This data can be used both to optimize planning processes and to increase cost efficiency, as the average revenue per hour is made visible via the calculated project-related contribution margin. This also makes it possible to quickly determine which projects are worthwhile and which are not.

Customers are capital

Customer relationship management systems (CRM) enable the centralized management of customer data, projects and offers. This makes communication with customers more targeted and can be highly personalized.

Customer portals offer customers round-the-clock access to important project documents, construction progress and invoices. This increases customer satisfaction and transparency, thus also helping to build trust.

This digital service can save (personnel) costs, as many questions can be clarified by the customer themselves - regardless of office hours. In addition, further data and information is collected through customer entries in the portal, which in turn flows into the analysis and thus further optimizes the service.

Conclusion

Smart digital solutions can control, document, and standardize workflows - from operations and administration to business management and strategy development. This improves collaboration with all project participants, helps to ensure the quality of products and services and increase customer satisfaction, and supports the creative part of the work of entrepreneurs and their teams.

Before and during investments in hardware and software, it is important to review the corporate and working culture, actively involve employees in the transformation process and offer them training and qualifications. This prevents stress, increases acceptance of the upcoming changes, and represents an objective opportunity for professional development.

With a well-considered strategy and the necessary commitment from entrepreneurs and their teams, companies can use digitalization to improve their competitiveness.

Practical examples, tried-and-tested solutions and recommendations for action

Forum A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DIGITALISATION at GaLaBau 2024 in Nuremberg offers you the perfect opportunity over four days to find out about current trends and practical solutions in the field of digitization in gardening and landscaping companies and thus further develop your projects and strategies.

All topics and times of the forum on the individual days of the trade fair as well as detailed information on the practical talks, discussions and exhibit presentations can be found in the event schedule of the Forum A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DIGITALISATION.