In many aspects of life and business, there’s this belief that more is better. But when it comes to the number of vendors you have working on your commercial property’s landscape, the opposite just may be true.
In the case of managing commercial landscaping partners (and the idea of single vs. multiple vendors), sometimes less is more.
We’re exploring some of the differences between working with a single vendor versus hiring multiple vendors for your commercial property. Ultimately, there can be a lot of benefits from choosing a single commercial landscaping provider that can handle all of your needs.
But don’t just take our word for it.
Let’s dig into why.
Cost Considerations for Single vs. Multiple Vendors
Many times we find a situation where a commercial property has multiple vendors handling different aspects of the landscaping is something that happened over time. They might have hired someone to handle mowing, then they hired a different company to handle irrigation, and yet another to handle the property’s tree work—and, over time, the list just kept growing.
Now, there are multiple companies handling all different aspects of the landscaping.
A property manager might feel as though they’ve built these different relationships and it’s hard to end any of them. But as the property’s needs change over time, it’s no longer efficient to have so many different vendors handling different aspects of the landscaping. As much as you may like each of the different vendors, it’s also likely that it’s no longer cost-effective to employ them all.
In our experience, piecing together a total landscape maintenance program with an assortment of different vendors is often more expensive than just having one company handle it all. This is because each vendor has to send out a crew on different days, rather than having one vendor possibly being able to schedule some of the services for the same day (meaning fewer trips out to the site).
In most cases, vendor consolidation should lead to cost reduction.
Communication Considerations for Single vs. Multiple Vendors
Aside from a cost standpoint, one of the biggest problems with having multiple vendors handling the landscaping for your commercial property is the potential for major communication issues. This can lead to two major concerns: scheduling nightmares and finger-pointing games.
Let’s look at both.
Scheduling Nightmares
As a property manager, are you going to make sure that all of these different vendors are aware of each others’ schedules? Frankly, it can become a scheduling nightmare to have more than one vendor working on your property.
Consider just a few of these scenarios.
The irrigation crew has come out to fix some irrigation heads on the same day that the mowing crew comes out to mow. They obviously can’t both work at the same time.
Or, maybe you have a crew out to do some palm tree trimming but the mowing crew is out there mowing the lawn around the trees. This can create a dangerous situation.
You might even have lawn care technicians out to apply product but the irrigation crew is getting in their way. Or, perhaps you need to ensure the irrigation system is working properly so that the product they’re applying is “watered in,” but the lawn care crew had no idea irrigation was in need of repair.
Honestly, the scenarios can go on and on. Not only can different service providers “get in the way” of one another, but many landscaping services really do work hand-in-hand. For instance, some lawn care products do need to be watered in. Or, if the lawn is yellowing it might not be that it needs more fertilizer, it could be that it’s being mowed too short.
But when you have different vendors from different companies, they’re not going to be able to communicate with one another effectively. Not only will it create those scheduling conflicts but it could prevent these services from working together as they really ought to.
However, if you were to hire one company to handle everything, they’d be responsible for the scheduling. This will avoid those scheduling headaches that could impede the results you’re looking for.
Finger-Pointing Games
Another major problem with having more than one vendor working on your property is the fact that it can lead to finger-pointing games.
Instead of anyone taking responsibility for problems that might be occurring, each vendor is likely to just point the finger at someone else. The mowing crew might say the lawn care crew applied the wrong chemicals. But the lawn care crew might say that the mowing crew is mowing too short and it’s hurting the health of the lawn.
This can prevent real progress from ever happening.
But when you have all of these services being provided by the same company, they’re going to work together. There’s no longer any finger pointing or saying who’s at fault, instead, everyone is committed to getting the best possible results.
More Effective Vendor Management with Consolidation
It also can’t be ignored that having a single vendor is a lot easier for you to manage. When you have multiple vendors providing different services, it can feel like you have a lot on your plate. As a property manager, you’re responsible for managing these different relationships.
But that can get time-consuming if you have more than one relationship to manage.
Vendor consolidation doesn’t need to be just an accounting initiative - it really can help you to simplify your workload. That means, as a property manager, you’ll be able to use your time on other projects. Instead of feeling as though you have all of these different moving parts that you’re trying to keep track of, a lot of that burden is removed from your plate and given over to that single vendor to handle.
With everything consolidated into one account, you get the following benefits.
- A single contract
- A single invoice
- A single point of contact
All of that adds up to a simpler and smoother process, and your time as the property manager is now freed up to handle other things that require your attention.
Enhanced Risk Management with Vendor Consolidation
Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that risk is better managed with a single vendor rather than many vendors being responsible for parts of your landscape care. With multiple vendors on your property performing various tasks, you potentially expose yourself to greater risk, including under-insured providers or even suppliers with no insurance. 
As we mentioned, multiple vendors just mean a lot more moving parts. There are different people and different companies on and off of your property and it’s just a lot harder to keep track of it all.
But you can simplify and ensure the responsibility for your landscape’s success falls on your vendor (as opposed to you) when you consolidate to just one company handling it all.
Choosing a Commercial Landscape Provider to be Your Single Vendor
We hope this article has given you some solid reasons to consider a single vendor. Having one company control all of your landscape services comes with some really important benefits to you.
In addition to cost-effectiveness, better communication, fewer hassles, and reduced risks, you can also count on better results. With a single landscape provider handling everything, you can ensure that all of the services your property needs are working together as they should for the best possible results. On the flip side, if the results aren’t coming out as they should, everyone can troubleshoot together. There’s no finger pointing or blame game. Everyone is committed to getting the best possible results and working together to do so.
Of course, all of this comes down to choosing a company that is able to handle this responsibility. Not all commercial landscaping companies are up to the challenge. They need to be able to handle the various services that you need in-house. They also have to be really good at what they do in every area.
While you might have more than one commercial landscaping company to choose from, take time to explore your options.
We can tell you that at Yellowstone Landscape, we understand the magnitude of the task involved in overseeing your property as a whole. We take that process seriously. In fact, we take it so seriously that we very rarely would agree to work with a client who wants to book out all of their different services to different vendors. We know that it’s not in their best interest and that it is likely to lead to some (or all) of the problems that we’ve outlined above.
As a full service commercial landscaping company, we want to be responsible for everything, so that we can ensure we help give you the best results. That’s what you deserve.
If you’re searching for a company that can help simplify the process for you, that’s what Yellowstone Landscape offers. Our clients enjoy all the benefits of having a single partner handling all of their landscaping needs.
Are you ready to feel confident in making a wise choice in a single landscaping vendor? Request a consultation today. We’ll meet to learn more about your property and its challenges and come up with a comprehensive plan to take care of all of the details for you.
