QUALITY CONTROL CASE STUDY

In this case study, we examine a client’s request in identifying why some of their recently bedded perennials were short-lived across their multiple properties and how we implemented a long-term solution to sustain their landscape.

A client recently hired local crews to add perennials to accent their portfolio across multiple states. However, after a few short weeks, their newly installed plants were dying at a high rate.

Concerned about the product’s loss and the dollars spent on their properties, the client reached out to our representatives.

We immediately set up multiple walkthroughs across 145 properties with our Territory Managers over one-week to figure out the situation and quickly identified and marked the problem’s cause in detail.

The client had settled on plants that could not handle the dry soil conditions at their properties and pointed out that some of their irrigation components were outdated and did not respond, causing insufficient watering that the previous company overlooked.

We executed a large-scale project to replace the original plants with a more drought-tolerant option that matched their soil conditions and repaired the faulty irrigation systems to maintain proper watering and drainage.

We installed a long-term solution, which involved several steps to ensure quality control audits for any future landscaping and out-of-scope services (according to the specifications listed in the client’s contract):

• Perform inspections of the properties

• Provide current photos

• Provide detailed reports of any issues

• Provide resolution to the deficiencies

• Final validation of service completion

By quickly taking action, we were able to save the client on their overall landscaping project compared to another competitor by an additional 22% on their out-of-scope services.

Quality control audits are crucial to ensure that the work performed or proposed meets your Brand’s standards.

These quality control audits need to include physical walks of the locations, photographic archives of any deficiencies, detailed report outlying conditions, and possible next steps.

By connecting with a national partner, your portfolio goes through a vigorous process that guarantees the proper communication, callouts, concerns, reviews, and issues that matter to your Brand’s aesthetics.

VENDOR PERFORMANCE CASE STUDY 

A multi-site client in the Senior Living industry with more than 500 properties had an on-going maintenance issue relating to their irrigation systems.

After 3-years in their current contract, they still lacked visibility into which properties had irrigation systems and which systems were operational. The client also wanted to streamline their spending to increase a more focused fiscal strategy for their entire portfolio.

When re-assessing your portfolio, the best advice is to engage with vendor partners who have the experience and resources to deliver a complete service solution. Taking this approach provides a more exact path to a long-term solution for your entire landscape program. 

When we first were approached, our preparation for evaluating the client’s situation involved setting up pre-RFP meetings with the Ferrandino & Son Landscape Team.

We outlined a more strategic approach to managing their irrigation system, including a more comprehensive site audit process.

Also, we developed a custom budget that outlined both capital repairs and on-going maintenance and included a more transparent reporting process that emphasized a higher cadence around each system’s status. 

Based on our preliminary strategic outline, the client awarded their entire portfolio for routine landscape services and irrigation management. 

Within 60 days of service startup, we identified 93% of the properties had irrigation systems, but only 68% were fully operational. 

We then provided a maintenance strategy that allowed the client to budget out the maintenance costs over the first season resulting in 92% of their properties being fully functional. 

The remaining properties required more extensive capital improvements. Thus we incorporated that workload into their more considerable capital landscape improvements as part of an overall remodel program.

The results finalized an improved Brand image through a healthier landscape objective.

Our program helped revamp the client’s confidence to reaffirm the correct quality of services they were paying for and supported a reduced total capital expenditure for their irrigation.

Due to an improved process of maintaining their systems by executing minor real-time repairs, the client re-assessed their portfolio with ease and strengthened their Brand’s appeal for years to come. 

LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION CASE STUDY

A client was having an issue with improper landscape water coverage. While inspecting their irrigation system, we found that the operating pressure was 63%, while their PSI was above 60.

The high PSI level was causing the irrigation heads to mist, creating insufficient water coverage. The client was also running their system longer to provide adequate watering to their landscaping due to the mist evaporating before reaching the landscaping.

The client also experienced trouble with faulty irrigation systems throughout their 200 sites, with each system having its own set of unique issues. Some of the problems included outdated or broken irrigation controllers, backflow components, irrigation heads, valves, and piping.

The client’s case presented a significant number of costly projects that needed to be handled by a national irrigation management company rather than managing each project on a site-by-site basis through local contractors with varying levels of experience, resources, and qualifications.

To solve the client’s problem, we installed pressure regulators to verify each irrigation system per zone was operating at its optimal pressure. Then, by rigorously testing each unit, we confirmed functionality until all zones were working correctly.

We then replaced any broken or inefficient heads and parts as part of our diagnostic check. Lastly, our specialists replaced any broken PVC piping with black polyethylene piping, a more durable and flexible material that can withstand chemical and environmental stress while being resistant to cracks. 

In addition to the repairs made on this system, we also leveraged our irrigation technicians and resources throughout the country to quickly set up a project plan to update all 200-sites with new controllers.

Since the repairs (and based on their historical spending analysis versus current trends), the client realized immediate and long-term savings.

By utilizing a national partner’s services, the client reduced their water usage by 20% for their irrigation and landscaping needs.

They also saved over $400,000  through upgrading their faulty controllers and outdated parts, which created better water efficiency and reduced reactive costs over the course of 20-years.

By connecting with a partner with specialized resources throughout your company’s footprint, you can extend your irrigation systems’ life span for years to come.  

Landscaping plays a critical role in your business brand, and irrigation issues could cost you hundreds – or even thousands – in unexpected costs per property if not identified and repaired quickly.

Trust your system maintenance to a leading national irrigation management company to start providing value and savings for your facilities today!

FERRANDINO & SON LANDSCAPE-CAPITAL PROJECTS CASE STUDY

Overall, landscaping is a growing multi-billion-dollar industry, impacting commercial sectors heavily in attracting business gains. Whether it’s a regional improvement for 75 sites or a multi-year initiative across 8,000 sites, the first kick-off into getting your ROI would be to partner with a national Subject Matter Expert (SME). SMEs will develop and breakdown your landscape project goals, layout multiple solutions for your portfolio, and cross-assess other important exterior areas while keeping your time management and capital budget in-check. Our program SMEs are your closest allies in terms of stretching the capacity of your projects. Think of them as the landscape whisperer where every dollar invested will deliver real returns into your ongoing maintenance budget.

One of the critical components that can’t be emphasized enough during your capital project, is the permit approval process. The speed at which approvals are made is a daunting feat. For instance, if you ask your landscaping partner in March to assess a property for a refresh, and wait until September to have it approved, you’re likely back at square one – as the property will not only need to be reassessed, but any permitting completed will need to start over. Don’t be the bottleneck to your success! Our program experts assisted clients in saving more than $4,000-worth of irrigation work at a single property by designing a more water-resistant landscape for their new store while reducing their overall Capital Landscape Budget by almost $20,000.

For many commercial businesses, your foot traffic is consistent and loyal. But your business can always attract more based on where your businesses are located. Location matters, and so does the locations’ appeal. So, how does this all fit in with your landscape projects and your net results? You see, the client is the one who picks the locations for their capital projects, and they’re also the ones who’ll set the budget. It should be noted that budgets are likely to be set through prior experiences of previous costs from other sites within the client’s portfolio. If you’re not sure of your portfolio’s track record, our trusted national landscape partners should be able to provide you with the information needed to structure a budget that can stretch across an array of portfolio sites.

Everyone has a budget. We know that. You also have an end-goal you want to achieve. You need to have them aligned before you start. If you’re working with a local landscaper or a company only in the landscape space, you may be limited on what you can do. However, a company with a bigger footprint can handle capital refreshes for exterior and even interior projects. If possible, try to align a complete refresh of all your assets. Remember, the point is to deliver a greater bang for your dollar, as the sum of all the parts is much greater than if completed individually.