The Edge June/July/August 2026

î COVER STORY

Why Process Is the Real Driver of Efficiency Chaos From to Clarity

By Jill Odom

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? YOU INVEST IN A NEW SOFTWARE TOOL THAT promises to make your team more efficient and provide better visibility into your operations. Yet once the tech is rolled out, you’re confronted with inconsistent usage, bad data and a frustrated team.

thinking the software would fix things on its own,”McDuff says. “Every software needs to have someone who owns the imple mentation and utilization.” WHY TECHNOLOGY FAILS LANDSCAPE COMPANIES When technology doesn’t provide the expected ROI, it isn’t typically due to the vendor failing to live up to their promises. Rather, landscape companies often underestimate the commitment and resources required to implement a platform effectively. “One of the biggest mistakes is too many companies think that technology or software is a magic button,”says Greg Malmberg, owner of Process Pro, LLC. “We bought the software, and this is going to solve all our problems. The software helps expose the problem; it doesn’t hold their teams accountable. Leadership is going to have to provide that accountability, so the team uses it.” Michael Prokopchak, president of Walnut Hill Landscape Company, based in Annapolis, Maryland, argues that if you are not using your current software 100% and know all its ins and outs, you’re wasting your time moving to a new platform. “It’s just going to carry over, and you’ll have the same issues or problems,”Prokop chak says. “LMN is our software. We’re not changing it. It’s up to me as the leader to make sure that we’re onboarding people

technology will magnify that confusion across your entire organization.” Doug McDuff, president and co-owner of Landscape America, based in Wrentham, Massachusetts, admits they’ve been guilty of purchasing software to solve a problem without assigning responsibilities and accountability to use the technology to its full capacity. “We’ve wasted thousands of dollars

This disconnect is because it is process es, not new platforms, that will determine your success. “Technology doesn’t fix problems — it amplifies them,”says Loren McIrvin, CEO of Allied Landscape, based in Livermore, California. “If you have a strong, clearly defined process, technology will scale it, standardize it, and make it more efficient. If your process is unclear or inconsistent,

Photo: Allied Landscape

22 The Edge // June/July/August 2026