Recent article featured in Essential Arb Magazine 2011

1. M anaging trees is generally no problem but managing a tree care business
can be an altogether different matter and much more difficult task even for
the best arborist. The best business management ideas are invariably conceived
and developed by those with ‘hands-on’ expertise and experience in the field,
and so it was for Mark Hines at Digital Green Solutions who developed ‘ARB Pro’,
a dedicated PC software package that enables tree contractors to manage their
business more easily and effectively.
Dr Terry Mabbett went to see Mark Hines at Hythe in Southampton to learn
first-hand of his journey, from tree surgeon and climber, in the early 1990s, to
the development of a unique software package with real potential to make the
management of any arboriculture business a whole lot easier and effective and
much more profitable.
M ark’s story is a prime example
of what can be achieved by an
observant worker/manager who sees
Tree Contracting Software,” says Mark.
According to Mark the average
Mark Hines with the Tablet version of Tree arboriculture business only has access to
gaps in the management tools available standard computer programmes such as
Contracting Software
to keep complete tabs on what has Microsoft Word, Excel and Publisher and
happened, is happening and could has to use these tools to try and manage
happen, to the benefit of a business, in all data collected and collated by the
this case arboriculture. company on a daily basis from jobs and
“I first began my tree surgery career in clients. “There was absolutely nothing on
1992, working as a groundsman and the market,” says Mark, “so I invested
progressing to climber until 1994 when time and money to train up in Access
I enrolled at Merrist Wood College for Database Development and achieved
the National Diploma in Arboriculture Advanced Certification in the subject.
(NDArb), completing the 3-year course “Previously I had been ‘playing around’
on schedule in 1997,” said Mark. After in the field but with this dedicated IT
Merrist Wood, he continued to work training I was able to bring ideas together
in a freelance capacity as a climber and realise my first stage ambition by
for various companies in and around structuring the databases and building
London, as well as spending time as several different formalised versions over
a climber and tree surgeon in San the following years.”
Francisco, California, on the west coast of The next major milestone happened when
the United States. external accreditation bodies, who were
Mark set up his own small tree coming in at Christopher Hoare Tree
contracting business in 1999, running it Services, expressed amazement at both
successfully for four years before joining what he had already achieved and was
New Forest Council as Tree Preservation doing with the company’s data. Many
Order (TPO) Review Officer. Promotion said they had never seen anything like it
was rapid and within one year he was before and these were people who were
High tree crane assisted arb work. Picture courtesy
Writtle Park
Corporate Tree Manager, responsible visiting and appraising all manner of
for the council’s tree stock including businesses. “It was at this point I realised
implementation of structure (policy and the absolute novelty of my ideas and their
procedures), managing the entire tree potential for application to a wider range
stock and all the contractors used by the of business,” says Mark.
council.
Getting started
But he already had other things on his It was 2007 when things really took off
mind, like filling the void in dedicated with the construction of his first working
software tools available to arb companies database management system. A year
to effectively run and manage their later and Mark was confident enough
business. So he re-entered the industry at to show these models to arboricultural
the ‘sharp end’ as contracts manager for companies who were now on the verge
Christopher Hoare Tree Services Limited of becoming prospective clients. Many
where his ideas began to take shape. responded with positive feedback which
An idea is born Mark incorporated into his fledgling
Whilst the seed had been sown while systems.
Mark was working for New Forest Council This feedback allowed Mark to see
it germinated at Christopher Hoare Tree first-hand the sorts of practical problems
Services when Mark realised there was companies were facing and to go back
absolutely no specific IT dedicated to to the computer and ensure future clients
running this type of business. “It was this would have at their fingertips software
particular sequence of employment events that could overcome these problems.
Climbing tall trees in safety. Picture courtesy Writtle Park
which enabled successful development of Mark’s system was now at the stage
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2. Feature: Managing the business of tree care
where information gathered and work. Another useful dimension is the reports and manage and print data
collected by users could be captured introduction of new sales approaches associated with each individual quote.
and integrated to generate quotations and ‘patters’ based on and enabled by From the Action Platform he/she can
and invoices. With a pool of clients improving the presentation and content also manage tree protection information
created and lodged in one place users of quotation packs. With the monitoring – is the tree protected and if so make a
could manage their work via a specialist tools you are able to view sales’ highs planning application and subsequently
‘booking calendar’. Until this point and lows at different times and compare monitor its progress; work programming
information collected had been static as this to any changes you have made in and logistics (what do we have to do and
dead information sitting in a folder but your sales techniques. how are we going to do it?) associated
now fluid and dynamic data working for with the job, such as tools, equipment,
the user. • Sales team member comparison machinery, transport and labour. This
– Where there are many salespersons includes a comments section relating
Sales and enquiries the system can monitor an individual’s to site-specific information such as
monitoring sales and therefore target his or her MEWP access; risk assessment for each
success rate. “You may be doing well as job, which digitally captures all risks
“We are now in the realms of proactive
a company,” says Mark, “even though associated with the work and produces
marketing potential and creating
one particular salesperson has a poor a Site-Specific Risk Assessment (SSRA)
opportunities,” says Mark, enthusiastically
success rate.” form. SSRA procedure begins with a
listing areas of arb marketing
opportunities that can be monitored and • Historic acceptance rate pre-work (quotation stage) assessment
exploited by the Arb Pro system: – Monitoring and description of of the risks then complemented by the
acceptance rates according to different crew on the day of the work to establish
• Business generation – Use of pie a complete and final SSRA form. Risk
times of the year with comparisons year
charts to display sources from which issues may include: emergencies, public-
by year, month by month and even day
enquiries are generated which means and environment-related risks, tree work
to day are now all possible.
users know those areas working for their operation, machinery movement and
business Tracking tree work working at height.
• Client base and work type – Monitoring sales and enquiries is a Following completion of the work and
Division according to tree pruning, basic essential but there are many more submission of paperwork by the crew the
hedge cutting, fruit tree management aspects to the Arb Pro system which system will produce a ‘Quality Control
etc, so you know exactly how many enable all manner of analyses of data Form’ used in the ongoing management
clients and jobs there are in each collected from clients and jobs. There is and maintenance of a correct and
category. “You are now in a position,” the Tracking Section, which enables close consistent risk assessment process.
says Mark, “to generate letters and accurate monitoring of, for instance,
target a particular work type at existing invoices, quotes sent in the last 28 days, Managing work load
and potential clients.” A good example work in progress and issues which have The hands-on benefits of the Arb Pro
is hedge cutting which is best carried out been recorded i.e. a ‘must do this’ system can be highlighted by going
once in spring and again in autumn. “If category. “Essentially anything that you through a real-time working situation in
you want a hedge which always looks have noted or recorded as requiring the office. The telephone rings and on
reasonable and aesthetically pleasing attention (e.g. risk assessments, site the other end of the line is client who is
then you must prune twice a year,” says visits, incomplete jobs and complaints) accepting a quotation.
Mark, adding that pruning only once will be ‘flagged up’ as a reminder,” says
in spring gives a gangly hedge. Having Mark. • The client provides his/her account
your client base divided by work types and/or quotation number and the
Catering for every client system navigates to the account.
means you can now select hedge cutting The Arb Pro system allocates each
clients and write to them all during client his/her own account number, • The user ticks the ‘quote accepted’
the two identified optimal times of the allowing users to assign any data to that box, which triggers presentation
year, as well as keeping them informed particular account. A typical quotation of the ‘Tree Protection’ box,
regarding articles of interest or for any identifies each tree by number and and proceeds if the tree is not
chosen topic. Keeping in regular touch species, description of the work required
with your clients is the key to maintaining and value against each work item which
a healthy active client base to target and is finally totalled with VAT to give a
generate/increase your annual work price.
load. This same thinking and procedure
can be transferred to all work types,” he With all the information entered
says. the user proceeds to the ‘Action
Platform’ to create
• Success rate monitoring – “It is
essential to know how successful your
selling is,” says Mark, “by monitoring
sales on a monthly, quarterly and yearly
basis. Alternatively you can combine
years of sales and even look at lots
of years. This is especially useful for
identifying and forecasting ‘lean times’
to ensure you have enough money
in the bank to tide the business
over during such periods. With this
achieved you can change sales
techniques and price structure by
dropping prices to bring in more Mark Hines in Hythe, Southampton, with Tree
Contracting Software at his fingertips
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3. Feature: Managing the business of tree care
protected. If the tree is protected and recently installed
you stop, make an application to his latest version. It has
the local authority and advise the been of immense help in
client. the organisation of our
business and streamlined
• The system now presents a colour- office tasks. Mark’s
coded ‘booking calendar’ with next software is enabling the
available date and team which is company to carry out
confirmed with the client as ok. proactive marketing and
• Book the work: update the system assisted us in making full
with start and end date for the use of our client base. The
work; allocate staff, produce work management tools
invoices and payment due date. and booking calendar
Payments that have passed due have helped organise and
date are flagged up. mobilise our staff and
tools/machinery more
The booking calendar is additionally used efficiently. Management Ensuring sufficient transport is on site to safely and efficiently remove logs and
to produce and generate ‘work packs’ of quotes and invoices debris. Picture courtesy Writtle Park
covering forthcoming work for use by including overdue invoices
staff. They will include (for each job) a requirement is to record all information
is now a simple task. I would recommend gained on site into a system that is
works order, a schedule of work and a it to any tree contracting company.”
site-specific risk assessment. immediately available and applicable
The latest user, Writtle Park (Chelmsford to each and every job, in relation to risk
On the job with Digital Green in Essex) with the ‘Arb Pro Elite & Tablet’ assessment, invoices, questionnaires
Solutions version, has put most into the system, and indeed anything associated with
purchasing a completely bespoke administration,” says Oliver. It was from
The Arb Pro system is sold for a fee
software system showing Tree Contracting this fusion of ideas and developments
depending on the system chosen plus an
Software is not just ‘off the shelf’ and ‘out that the tablet version of ‘Arb Pro Elite’
annual licence fee (ALF) covering after-
of the pack’. Writtle Park has the desktop was born. “Over the last few months, in
sales support. This may include telephone
version and the tablet version for field conjunction with Mark, we have been
support and on-line remote access
use, the latter being a small, compact, looking over and trialling the system
support and includes upgrades as the
portable and all-touch mobile computer which will be operational within our
systems evolve. Potential users require a
with the ability to sync data when the business by May 2011,” said Oliver
Microsoft Windows operating platform.
salesperson returns to the office following Booth.
The Arb Pro system is brand new and site visits. “Writtle Park is proving key to The system and its widespread capability
already used by four arb companies driving the system on, especially in its in its current capacity has developed
representing a range of size and spread mobile dimension,” says Mark Hines. massively from the original inception
across southeast England (London, Essex
Oliver Booth of Writtle Park told back in 2005. This is largely due to
and Hampshire). The first user with
essentialARB, “Through Essex Business the sharing of an idea with other arb
the ‘Arb Pro 1’ version is Shawyer Tree
Link we became aware of entitlement contractors. Involving contractors in the
Specialist of Eastleigh in Southampton,
to a 40% grant towards upgrading our early days provided invaluable feedback
an AA approved contractor enthusiastic
computer systems. We put together all in the development of the software
about the system and making full use
the procedures we had in place and were packages available today.
of it. Edward Payne Tree Specialist of
about to recruit a software company to As the system continues to grow and
Wimbledon, the smallest user with two
develop a suitable programme. At this users increase, so in turn will the system
crews, followed on closely also with the
point we met Mark Hines who already capabilities and features improve year
‘Arb Pro 1’ version. Christopher Hoare
had a system that would do all we after year. These improvements will be
Tree Services Ltd of Southampton came
wanted and more besides. We sat down made available to existing users as part
on board soon after in February 2011
with Mark and told him exactly what of their annual subscription fee, ensuring
with the ‘Arb Pro Elite’ version. Chris
we needed and he adapted his system the original building blocks of success –
Hoare at Christopher Hoare Tree Services
accordingly. sharing ideas – is continued throughout
said, “We have been using the software
developed by Mark for a number of years “As an ISO-registered company our main the lifetime of the products.
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