From overseeing the maintenance, security, and overall functionality of a building and its grounds, the responsibilities of a facilities manager can quickly become overwhelming if you’re also dealing with external forces that impede operational efficiencies.
Alongside overseeing technical staff and building maintenance teams, facilities managers are often responsible for keeping outdoor grounds in good shape. On larger campuses, this can also involve supervising landscaping crews and making decisions about equipment purchases.
But the challenges of optimizing efficiency, protecting workers on the job, and dealing with a labor shortage in the landscaping industry are issues that can be addressed by considering upgrading to the right technology.
Advanced robotic mowers are one of the latest innovations in the landscaping industry, helping landscaping crews do more work safely with fewer employees.
Cover More Ground
For many years, the best and most efficient way to mow rugged or sloped terrain meant assigning several workers with string trimmers to the difficult terrain. While that method gets the job done, it can take hours to complete and the crew runs the risk of injuring themselves.
But with a purpose-built remote-operated robotic mower, tough terrain is no longer imposing. These mowers can handle steep slopes in areas like detention ponds, embankments, ditches, and perimeter zones.
They also cover more ground with less effort. Some robotic mowers can accomplish the job of five or more workers using string trimmers in far less time, especially on dangerous slopes. Mowers that use continuous tracks instead of wheels and that have a low center of gravity can mow in wet, soft, or uneven conditions where traditional equipment gets stuck or stalled.
Depending on the size of your campus, it may be more efficient to hire your own grounds keeping staff rather than rely on external contractors. A robotic mower can help your team handle specialized mowing jobs in-house, automate the mowing process, and optimize how you use your more talented crew members.
A Safer Way to Mow
Nearly 80,000 people in the United States receive treatment in emergency rooms, and another 90 die each year, as the result of injuries related to mowing, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Keeping operators at a safe distance from the mower while still retaining full control can reduce those numbers significantly. Since there is no longer a need to climb slopes, maneuver heavy equipment near traffic, or navigate overgrown areas, your crew can avoid high-liability areas.
In addition, using a robotic mower also limits your crew’s exposure to common safety issues like rollovers, repetitive strain injuries, and even heat exhaustion since it accomplishes the job more quickly, keeping your team out of the hot sun.
The best robotic mowers have several other built-in safety features such as emergency stopping and line-of-sight control that allows the operator to immediately stop the machine in the face of danger. These features reduce the risk of injuries and decreases insurance claims.
Put Your Talent to Good Use
Let’s face it: Standing in the hot sun mowing a steep slope with a single trimmer is no one’s idea of fun.
But robotic mowers don’t care. They can not only replace a string-trimming crew of up to seven people but also get the job done in a fraction of the time. This not only solves your hiring issues, but also allows you to put your more talented employees to work on the detailed and creative landscaping tasks that require their talents.
An autonomous mower that can be programmed to handle your standard mowing jobs lifts worker productivity and morale. The autonomous technology completes the “boring” and inefficient task of standard mowing, allowing your talent to focus on creating beautiful landscapes and improving customer service.
By adopting a robotic mower, you also broaden your labor pool. While you once needed to employ staff with less knowledge to simply do the work, you can now focus on hiring more experienced landscapers and more digitally proficient workers who will enjoy operating state-of-the-art equipment.
Bring Landscaping into the 21st Century
With the emergence of both robotic and autonomous mowers, the landscaping industry is poised to enter a renaissance period. Instead of hiring “bodies” to mow the flat, open areas or stand on slopes to trim vegetation, the savvy facilities manager can recommend the purchase of advanced robotic mowers to achieve more without increasing the headcount.
Autonomous mowing is entering a new era—one defined by mobility, flexibility, and seamless integration into professional operations. Some autonomous mowers are built for what’s next, using external GPS navigation to move easily between sites without the need for buried boundary wires or constant recharging interruptions.
As a facilities manager, improving your landscaping crew’s operational efficiency and safety increases your return on investment and allows you to better manage your facility and team.
The long-term gains of robotic mowers are compelling enough to win over even the most fiscally conservative decision-makers.
As vice president of sales and marketing for RC Mowers, Tim Kubista specializes in revenue growth, acquisition, sales training, and building dealer networks – helping transform small businesses into powerhouse enterprises. He has led three companies to inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list, including RC Mowers, and came to the company with vast knowledge of the commercial mowing and allied equipment industry.