Implementing a CRM to Streamline Operations
Landscaping business adopts a CRM to improve workflows and act as a single source of truth for the business
For over 30 years, Garden of Eva has operated under Eva’s ownership, relying on minimal technology and primarily on her memory and printed paper. As Eva nears retirement and her daughter takes over the business, there has been an extreme challenge in the handoff and training of new employees due to the dependency on Eva for information. This lack of centralized information has caused delays in operations, inefficiencies, mistakes in customer service, and a lack of financial understanding of which services are profitable.
01
The Challenge
We conducted a workshop with the clients to understand their workflow, current systems, and tools, as well as their biggest pain points in operating their business. Through this exercise, several critical issues were identified:
Christina (daughter) assumed client accounts from Eva without documented information, relying on verbal communication and leading to repeated discussions until Christina could recall details independently, rather than accessing a centralized client notes system.
Vendors performed on-site work without documentation, complicating resolution of client complaints like damaged flowers, as Garden of Eva lacked records of site visits and completed tasks.
Eva hired a personal assistant for administrative tasks such as vendor scheduling and invoicing, but communication relied on paper notes and direct calls to Eva for service confirmation, instead of utilizing an efficient, asynchronous system.
The assistant lacked task prioritization, often forgetting essential follow-ups such as requesting work notes from vendors or seeking client feedback after service completion.
02
The Solution
The business needed a system as a central source of truth to manage:
Scheduling vendors to easily track who is at which properties on a given day
Documenting and tracking all client service work, such as:
Photos of before and after.
Any preferences or quirks about the property.
Dates of vendor visits fo service requests.
Instances when a service was not completed on a regular maintenance day due to weather.
Project profitability
Tracking all invoices and expenses in one place to understand job profits.
Consolidating financials to easily to see accrued costs, invoice amounts, and pending invoices.
Workflow Automation
Setting up automated task reminders for recurring projects and standardized services.
For example, recurring landscape maintenance should include a vendor report and photos of the completed work, a message to the customer confirming completion, and adding the work to the invoice.
These were the key features needed to manage their business operations in one system, resolving their pain points, improving efficiency, and enabling the business to scale.
03
Results
After reviewing several tools on the market geared toward landscaping businesses, we settled on Buildertrend as it met the key features the business needed within their budget. It took about one month to set up the system and transfer existing client information. An additional 2-3 months were needed to train Eva, Christina, and the personal assistant to adopt and use the system.
Six months later, the business fully adopted Buildertrend as their one source of truth. They now understand which projects are profitable, have photos of completed jobs to send to clients, and provide a better customer experience. All employees can easily find the information they need without waiting for Eva to provide it. With this tool, they are better able to understand their capacity and schedule and plan upcoming projects more effectively.
We're incredibly thankful for how Buildertrend has transformed our operations at Garden of Eva. Before, managing client info and vendor jobs was a bit scattered—lots of back-and-forths and things slipping through the cracks. Now with Buildertrend, it's like we've got everything in one organized hub. We can track client preferences, keep tabs on vendor visits, and manage projects all from one spot. Their reminders and workflows keep us on track and make sure nothing gets overlooked. It's made a huge difference in how smoothly we run things day-to-day. Buildertrend's support has been awesome—they've really helped us get organized and set up for even more success. Thanks, Buildertrend, for being such a game-changer for us!