The Edge June/July/August 2026

When designing your processes, involve your team early on so you can gather feed back and insights into where they think a system might fail or where to streamline. “We start by pressure-testing every new process with operations before rollout,” McIrvin says. “We’ll bring a draft to the team and say, ‘Here’s what we’re trying to accomplish, here’s how we’re thinking about structuring it — where do you see this breaking down in the field?’If the team can’t clearly understand it, challenge it, and explain it back, that’s an early warning sign the process isn’t grounded in reality.” Malmberg says too often landscape companies discount their field crews, be lieving they won’t adapt to the changes. “They’re some of the best problem solvers in the world when they’re out there doing landscape installs and maintenance,” Malmberg says. “Let them provide some feedback, and likely that’s going to get incorporated into the process, so they feel like they’re a part of it. We’re not just dump ing a new software on them and saying ‘Here you go.’” Gordon recommends starting with a small pilot team to test out the new pro cess, as it’s easier to pivot if a rollout doesn’t go as planned. “If you put a process out too fast, and you don’t think through it, and then it ends up not being just right, and you’ve got to take a few steps backward,”Gordon says. “We’re learning that if we go slower up front and we do more verification in smaller groups, that the process is right, and then we roll it out, we’ll actually go faster. So slow down on the front end, and then the rest of it will go faster.” McIrvin notes that if their early adopters don’t feel confident demonstrating the process or articulating how it works, they know they have a problem before they ever scale it. DRIVING ADOPTION Even once you’ve created a process that’s been stress-tested by your team members, ensuring true adoption is the key to an effective rollout. The first crucial step is to explain the ‘why’behind the change. “Everybody needs to understand the expectations of the software and technol ogy that we’re using, otherwise they don’t understand why it is that they’re doing what they need to do,”Prokopchak says. Prokopchak says they reinforce this by going over the whys during their spring kickoff training sessions. “It’s important that the guys fill their time

properly so they know the ins and outs.” Some of the common signs of mis alignment between your processes and technology are a lack of clarity, usable data and adoption. Rather than falling for the shiny object trap, first question if there is a true need for the new technology. “If you’re not disciplined about going through those processes and asking the hard questions, you’ll end up trying to implement four or five things at once,”says Brett Gordon, COO for Focal Pointe, based in Caseyville, Illinois. “And then people do get frustrated, and it does become a hindrance, and they all get implemented up to 60% and nothing actually does make a difference for you. Make sure that it’s not something that just sounds interesting. Make sure it actually is going to solve a problem.” McIrvin says they first ask if they can accomplish what a new tool offers within their existing platform. “Even if it requires an extra step, it’s often better than introducing another system,” McIrvin says. “If not, we evaluate how well the new technology integrates into existing workflows. The goal is not more technology — it’s simpler, more effective operations.” BUILDING PROCESSES THAT WORK Once you’ve determined if new software is truly necessary, then you must come to terms with the fact that your existing processes will have to change. Malmberg says while there may be some edge cases that justify trying to adapt the technology to your current processes, it’s almost always best to evolve to suit the software. “You change your process,”says Shayne Newman, president of YardScapes Land scape Professionals, based in New Milford, Connecticut. “Software is developed to work a certain way. You get certain com panies who say, ‘We’ve been doing it this way forever.’ I think that’s a hard thing as a business. It’s hard work. The lazy thing to do is to keep doing things the way you’ve done them. It’s scary having to change.” While changing processes is a daunt ing task, it is necessary if you want to see results in your company. “Strong processes create clarity around who does what, when, and how,”McIrvin says. “They establish accountability and consistency. When that foundation is in place, technology becomes a tool that reduces friction, improves visibility, and supports better decision-making instead of getting in the way.”

Photos: YardScapes Landscape Professionals

sheets out correctly, but the teams need to know why it is they have to do something, not just because I said so,”Prokopchak says. McDuff notes any time they imple ment a new technology, there’s pushback because it feels additive to employees’ workloads. “However, if we do a really good job explaining why it’s important and what we are trying to solve or improve, our team is generally very good about buying in,” McDuff says. Newman says he makes a point to explain how the technology is beneficial for his team members. “If they can get more done in a day and maybe work one less hour a day and spend more time on their family, then their quality of life is going to be a little bit better,”Newman says. “I frame it more about, ‘Hey, this is about making you guys more efficient and more successful, in your day-to-day work, and then ultimately, the company will benefit. But really, it’s got to start with them.” Malmberg suggests identifying who will likely be the chief resistor and getting them involved early on to try to pick apart the process. “When experienced team members adopt and demonstrate the process, it builds credibility and encourages broader adoption,” McIrvin says. Gordon adds that you shouldn’t rush the rollout. He recommends being patient

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