Q. Let’s talk about how Lyons’ is taking its landscape + snow operations paperless.
A. Our company used to do detailed job costing and reporting on paper. This was a tedious task that involved entering information into spreadsheets and I’ll be honest, a detail always got missed. These errors became more noticeable as projects and crews got bigger. This whole process was counterproductive and cost us money, because we would have to pay an employee several extra hours to re-enter the proper information and ensure it was done right, the second time around.
Q. Let’s talk about how Lyons’ is taking its landscape + snow operations paperless.
We started using LMN this year and we have noticed a dramatic difference in the consistency among our estimating department and the productivity and efficiency in our crews. We now know that nothing is being missed in our estimates; our crews are being more accountable and are taking ownership of their team and projects.
Q. Tell me more about how your estimating department is adjusting to the changes you have implemented.
A. We are proud to say that our estimators are now streamlined and the entire team is quoting with the same techniques and numbers from the detailed estimating catalogue found in the LMN software; this allows us to be precise and meticulous when we are estimating new projects for our clients.
Our field staff now have all the information they need at their fingertips, at any given time. The up to the minute time tracking, job reports and payroll, are particularly useful. With more estimates being made on a daily basis, the results are quite honestly speaking for themselves.
Q. Please describe some challenges that your company has recently faced.
A. Over the last several years, we have consistently grown without putting up up a stronger net profit. With growth comes several new challenges, especially being a seasonal service provider.
Since using the LMN software, payroll and job costing are becoming more accurate than ever before and there is much less wasted time in the field. And with the detailed reporting that LMN produces, we are now accurately able to identify areas of concern and deal with them and roll them into positive profit areas.
We also recently attended an LMN Snow Workshop in July (?!) held at the local CAT dealer in Toronto, ON. I’ll be honest, after only 5 minutes of sitting in the workshop with the LMN team, our thought process immediately shifted from summer to winter! The knowledge and experience that was shared with us was invaluable and some of the tips we received were even better. My Snow Ops Manager and I were astonished to discover that after reviewing what we learned in those two days and applying those best practices to our own business, I think we are going to save $5,000 a month this coming snow season.
Q. Sounds like a lot of change at Lyons Landscaping, how have you and the team coped with the transition and implementation?
A. LMN offers FREE support and training. The online training videos provided by the LMN team at www.learnlmn.com were completely seamless and they explained everything in detail. The support team at LMN was always available and willing to help if we had any questions. The live support chat was especially useful; it saves you from having to research online and look for an answer. Instead, you can go straight to the source and get the help you require right away from one of their ‘Super Heros’. Now, that’s great service!
Q. If you could ‘forecast the future’ – what do you see down the pipeline for your company? Is there any exciting news that you could share at this time?
A. Starting down the LMN road just this past spring, we no longer have the same start up and implementation costs we had before. LMN has made our net profit stronger without doing anything differently.
When it comes to what lies ahead, we are excited to say that we have had our sights set on opening up several satellite offices for the landscape division in new locations and expanding our service area. We are also working on developing a division of our company which involves general contracting, and pushing into the construction industry. The future outlook for Lyons is a very positive one.
Lyons Landscaping is a full service company encompassing all aspects of “Everything Landscaping”. Lyons has been providing professional landscaping services to the Kamloops area and the Interior of British Columbia since 1995. Their Landscape design and installation team are always available to assist customers in helping build their outdoor paradise. www.lyonslandscaping.com.
Developed by landscape contractors for landscape contractors, LMN’s online tools, systems, workshops and training modules offer one-of-a-kind access to drive productivity and profit. LMN proudly offers budgeting software, estimating software and mobile timesheet software, giving business owners the unique ability to convert their company into a profitable landscaping business. For more information please visit: www.golmn.com.
