Project Theme
This specific multi-location retailer was exploring a process for landscape improvements across its portfolio. However, they needed to develop not just a potential scope and a workflow but also a long-term budget plan (10-15 years) to address their entire portfolio.
This would require local knowledge around permitting, local ordinances and pricing. With a portfolio dispersed across the country, the retailer needed somebody who could leverage a national approach while at the same time be willing to develop a program that would eventually include other suppliers in addition to us.
Executive Summary
Ferrandino & Son was recently tasked with transforming multiple retail locations’ landscaping back to its “brand” level while confirming to local requirements.
The three goals of the program were defined as:
- Scope, price and execute more than 300 sites as a pilot for their remaining portfolio
- Complete all of the projects in less than 6 months from scope to completion
- Properly navigate municipality mandates and restrictions
Project Challenges
The retailer had not had a formal capital landscape program in more than 30 years so the degradation of their assets (turf, plants, irrigation systems, etc.) was significant and widespread. They had no formalized budget and no project plans and needed guidance on how to manage the workflow.
Through the initial workshops, we identified 3 critical steps:
Step #1: Planning: Identify the sites without landscaping plans and create new plans based on the sites that already had plans provided from a third-party vendor.
Step #2: Communication: Communicate with local management, vendors, and municipalities to ensure site maintenance is up to code and local standards.
Step #3: Budget: Reduce cost of maintaining locations moving forward.
Ferrandino & Son’s Solutions
With a short timeline and multiple locations in different territories, it was important for Ferrandino & Son to create a plan that brought all the locations back to brand level while also staying within the budget.
Ferrandino & Son first executed site walks at each property. For each site walk it was necessary to first contact each location to explain the project and potential work. Then, each one of our project managers scheduled their initial site survey walk with the vendor completing the capital work.
It was important that Ferrandino & Son kept budgeting at the forefront of the end goal. Part of the plan to reduce cost moving forward was to reduce ongoing maintenance. This could be accomplished either by installing low-growth plants or removing mulch. This goal required working with local & corporate management.
Additional landscaping suggestions included ground cover or sod and River Rock for drought restricted areas. To complete this project is was necessary to work with each municipality to understand if there are would be any restrictions with the proposed changes.
Once each site survey was complete and local management’s questions have been answered, a proposal was developed and sent to Corporate for approval. Once approved, Ferrandino & Son was able to schedule a time to complete the approved services with a local vendor partner. Ongoing project management included: conducting weekly calls for progress updates, maintaining and updating estimated completion dates and following+ up on any municipality issues.
Ferrandino & Son was able to suggest even further cost and time saving tactics once the proposal was accepted by corporate. Ferrandino & Son suggested the client include locations with similar geographic locations to utilize the same vendor for multiple projects and use the economy of scale for additional pricing discounts.
We were also able to suggest a new communication path which included more lead time to local managers. This suggested a more focused group of stakeholders at the client level to approve the scopes of work, ultimately reducing a significant amount of back and forth correspondence.
Summary
Communication was paramount to completing this project on time. There were numerous parties involved that caused many additional phases to be rolled out following this model. Even with some of the initial capital investments that were made to the project, a measurable savings was achieved on routine maintenance within the first landscape season with a complete ROI on spending and increased sales in less than 18 months.
The attention to detail and support Ferrandino & Son displayed resulted in an increase of 80% more projects that were approved the following fiscal year.
Interested in Learning More?
To learn more about property maintenance or comprehensive landscape programs for your multi-site portfolio, give Ferrandino & Son a call at: 866-571-4609 and ask to speak to someone in our Business Development Team. You can also reach us at: sales@ferrandinoandson.com
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