Data analytics and App platform for landscaping

Data analytics and App platform for landscaping

App provides Donkergroen insight into green management and keeps the green administrator informed digitally

Green providers such as Donkergroen had previously lost a lot of time because of it: drawing up a scanning report of a green project, scanning it and sending it to the customer. This can now be done a lot faster: one App is enough to provide a customer and the internal organization with an overview of the green management results. Marco Spijkstra from Donkergroen: ‘With this App we are the eyes and ears of our client. This will benefit the transparency and quality of our services. “

Donkergroen maakt sinds een aantal maanden gebruik van FacilityApps in het veld

Tender coordinator Marco Spijkstra worked in the cleaning industry for a long time, but made a transition to the green sector a year ago. Both branches have a lot in common, he says. ‘In both sectors, you have a service provider with a client who wants to be informed with reportings and M.E. reports. This usually results in a lot of paperwork. After learning the FacilityApps app platform, from a cleaning company, he noticed it was a huge advance in terms of time and efficiency. So I contacted them again when I began working at Donkergroen.”

New playing field with Apps

Spijkstra his experience is exactly in line with Dirk Tuip his vision of FacilityApps: ‘Custom work, convenience and efficiency for the user, that is what we are talking about.’ He claims that green companies and gardeners need to record a lot of things at work, what results in a huge paper shop. “With the arrival of the smartphone and tablet, a new playing field has emerged. You can also pass all information on with an App: inspection, work order, hourly registration, day state, planning and checks in the area of flora and fauna. “About fifteen years ago, Tuip started developing custom-made software for companies, after which he founded FacilityApps. “I was already busy with software in the field around facility, such as water and sewage management. Then the transition to the cleaning industry and the gardening sector was logical. ‘

app donkergroen

Data analytics platform for landscaping with App Donkergroen

Tuip has a clear plan: “I believe in data exchange on the work floor. This means, on the one hand, the communication between work floor and office, and on the other hand the contact between the work floor and the client. The customer is getting more information on a platter. This App platform makes it possible for the customer to understand what you are doing. “After FacilityApps took over Krinkels as a customer three years ago, the ball began to roll, he says. Several greenhouses and gardeners were approached and they soon showed enthusiasm. Tuip: ‘People in the branch talked about this finding and one thing led another.’

Checking in text and image

On Spijkstra advocacy Donkergroen, a nationwide family company with eighteen locations distributed in the Netherlands and Belgium, also chose to try out the App system. Marco Spijkstra explains: “Both in the cleaning and the greens sector you have to deliver quality, which gets reviewed. In addition, you will have to submit your own review to the client. With this App, we can check ourselves – in text and image – and get checked by the client. “In practice it takes a lot less paperwork and formalities to achieve the same result, he says. “In the past, we were sometimes given the task of mowing the grass twenty times. In image frames, that is different and we evaluate the end result based on the footage. We capture the result in a M.E. report in the App and can add pictures to it. This way, we can show that a particular lawn has been mowed in a certain environment according to the pre-established standards. ‘

Flexible way of providing information

The flexible way of providing information makes the work in the green sector a lot more enjoyable, says Dirk Tuip. “The App provides a quick and flexible way of providing information regarding work info and the contract that has been concluded. The customer can accurately see and review what the gardeners have done. The entire information process from the gardener towards the office towards the customer runs much more efficiently and transparently. Evidence is immediately available to show you what exactly you have done as a Green Provider. This makes the business insightful internally and for the customer. ‘

Evaluate App pilot Donkergroen

At the moment, Donkergroen collaborates with FacilityApps based on a pilot, says Spijkstra.

“FacilityApps has held a presentation, after which we launched a pilot on January 1st. It is extremely positive for us and our customers. Everything is now fast and digital, which greatly simplifies communication.” Notifications, complaints, improvement points: all communication about this is via the App, says Spijkstra. “We involved FacilityApps with the implementation of this App. We sat down with our client to find out what is needed. This way, we have developed a survey form with the components and who is responsible for green maintenance. Based on the interview reports, we have identified which parts should come forward from us and our client. We are evaluating that at regular intervals. “

App for complaints and notifications

The App works as follows: client and contractor send each other notifications, complaints, and points of improvement via the App. If necessary, actions will follow. Spijkstra: ‘Those notifications will be collected and the complaint will be canceled if it was resolved. There is a logbook that records the notifications and follows the status of the notification. The message is digitally picked up and received, the log displays the status and will notify if the complaint has been resolved. In short, it is a very convenient communication and registration tool for us to see the status of an improvement point or a deviation.” Tuip believes that especially innovative employers and companies that change rapidly are excited about the App. “They save about two hours per user every day due to ease of use and reduced administrative hassle.”

Own initiative

The App also stimulates own initiative, Spijkstra explains: “If we notice loose tiles or other shortcomings, we will pass this on. We are the eyes and ears of the customer. We try to radiate a certain representativeness for the client that they would like to see. Our gardeners walk around daily and do their jobs, all whilst keeping track of what needs to be done. If they find a malfunction that does not belong to their daily tasks, they will also pass this on to the customer. In this way, they try to contribute to the appearance of the clients’ representative environment. “

Management on location

If desired, the application shows all relevant data regarding management in one glance: cutlery, area data, contact details, etc. Spijkstra: “The App makes it possible for us to keep up with the quality of our service and execution. Think about planning versus performance, internal and external scan results (including footage), deviations in performance and call reports. However, complaints and notifications for improvement can be reported in the App. In addition, the App offers an online ticketing system for different cases that are outside of our service, but that can serve as an additional service for the client. Here we can serve a client with photo material, so that the representativeness of the environment remains guaranteed. All of these items are stored and can be consulted while working on location at any time. “

Future for gardeners

As an innovative entrepreneur, Dirk Tuip looks at the future to see how FacilityApps can continue to renew the industry. “I expect that we can collect data with drones and machines from a distance one day. Consider, for example, the question of where a machine is located and whether maintenance is needed for it. By building GPS in the App, a green company knows where an employee is located and what he did. We are heading for a work process where data can tell an employer to an increasing extent what is happening on the work floor and to accurately demonstrate efficiency and quality. “