CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AT CRL
How we turn ideas into Better Ways.
Better Ways is how Creative Roots Landscaping identifies, tests, implements and shares improvements to the way we work.
See it. Share it. Make it better.
Purpose
Everyone at CRL is encouraged to notice opportunities to improve our time, cost, safety, quality, client experience, team experience and waste.
A Better Way does not need to be a big idea. Small improvements made consistently are how we make CRL better every day.
SHARE IT
1. Submit a Better Way
Any CRL team member can submit an improvement through the Submit a CRL Better Way Form.
Tell us:
- What is happening now?
- Where does it happen?
- How often does it happen?
- What does it affect?
- What do you think might make it better? (optional)
- Who else is affected? (optional)
You do not need to know the solution to submit a Better Way. Noticing the problem or opportunity is enough.
WE ACT
2. Review & Assign
The CI Coordinator manages the flow of Better Ways through the system.
Within 2 business days, the CI Coordinator will:
- Review the submission.
- Clarify information if necessary.
- Confirm the CI # and information in the CI Tracker.
- Assign the appropriate CI Owner.
- Acknowledge the submission.
The CI Coordinator owns the flow of the system:
Receive → Triage → Assign → Track → Follow Up → Communicate → Close
The CI Coordinator does not have to solve the improvement. The CI Owner is accountable for moving the specific improvement forward.
3. Decide the Path
The CI Owner reviews the Better Way and determines the appropriate path forward.
The goal is to establish a decision path within 7 calendar days:
- Do Now – Simple, low-risk improvement that can be implemented right away.
- Experiment – Looks promising, but should be tested on a small scale first.
- Project – Requires more planning, time, resources, coordination or approval.
- Parking Lot – Worth considering, but not the right time to act. A review date is required.
- Not Proceeding – Reviewed and not recommended to move forward. A brief reason is required.
Need more information before deciding?
If the CI Owner does not yet have enough information to select a path, the Better Way remains Awaiting Decision.
The CI Owner identifies:
What information is needed → Who will obtain it → By when
The CI Owner remains accountable for getting the item to a decision, although the information-gathering action may be assigned to someone else.
Once enough information is available, the CI Owner selects one of the five decision paths.
4. Move It Forward
If the decision is Do Now, Experiment or Project, we are moving forward.
The CI Owner identifies:
- Next Action – What happens next?
- Responsible – Who will do it?
- Due Date – By when?
The CI Tracker should always show a clear Next Action, Responsible Person and Due Date for an active improvement.
The CI Owner owns the improvement. The CI Coordinator tracks its progress and follows up to keep it moving.
5. Experiment
When the best solution is uncertain, use an Experiment rather than making a permanent change immediately.
Keep the test as small and practical as possible.
Before testing, establish:
Problem → Test → Expected Result → How We’ll Know → Review Date
Experiments will generally run for 1–4 weeks, depending on what is being tested.
After the experiment, the CI Owner reviews what happened and determines the appropriate next action.
SEE PROGRESS
6. Keep It Moving
The CI Coordinator reviews open Better Ways regularly and follows up on items that are not moving.
Our service standard is:
- Within 2 business days: Acknowledge and triage the submission.
- Within 7 calendar days: Establish a decision path or clearly identify what is required to reach a decision.
Every active Better Way should have a clear Owner and next step.
The goal isn’t paperwork. The goal is movement.
Team members can follow Better Ways progress through the Better Ways Scoreboard on the CRL Intranet and updates in the 🌱 CRL Better Ways Signal group.
CELEBRATE
7. Complete & Standardize
There is an important difference between Completed and Closed.
COMPLETED – The improvement or action has been carried out.
CLOSED – The loop has been fully closed and, where appropriate, the Better Way has become part of how CRL works.
Before an improvement can be closed, the result is recorded:
- What changed?
- What was the result or benefit?
The result is recorded in Result / Outcome in the CI Tracker.
Make the Better Way standard.
Where applicable, the CI Owner and CI Coordinator confirm whether anything needs to be updated so the improvement becomes part of how CRL works. This could include:
- SOP or checklist
- LMN, Google or another administrative system
- Form or template
- Vehicle, trailer or shop layout
- Training or employee instructions
- Another established CRL process or standard
The CI Tracker records Standard Updated? = N/A, Required or Complete.
A successful improvement should not depend on everyone remembering what changed. The Better Way becomes the standard way.
8. Communicate & Recognize
The person who submitted the Better Way should know what happened to it.
Before closing, the CI Coordinator confirms:
Submitter Updated? = Yes
Meaningful progress and completed improvements may also be shared with the team through the 🌱 CRL Better Ways Signal group and the Better Ways Intranet.
Recognition should celebrate people who:
- Notice opportunities.
- Speak up and submit a Better Way.
- Help test ideas.
- Improve a process.
- Help make the Better Way stick.
Recognition isn’t only about dramatic savings. Small ideas can have big impact.
9. Close the Better Way
Once the applicable result, standardization and communication steps are complete, the CI Coordinator closes the loop:
- Status = Closed
- Closed Date = Entered
The improvement is now part of CRL’s Continuous Improvement history and may be shared as a Better Ways Win.
See it. Share it. Make it better.
WHO DOES WHAT?
Simple Accountability
Everyone at CRL
Notice opportunities and submit Better Ways.
CI Coordinator
Owns the flow of the system: receives, triages, assigns, tracks, follows up, communicates and closes.
CI Owner
Owns the individual improvement: reviews, decides, acts or tests, evaluates, implements and standardizes.
Leadership
Supports decisions that require additional authority because of significant cost, risk, policy, staffing, cross-department impact or major system changes.
One improvement = one accountable CI Owner. Other people may be assigned actions without becoming the CI Owner.
OUR BETTER WAYS PROMISE
When you share an idea, we’ll close the loop.
When you submit a Better Way, we’ll acknowledge it within 2 business days and work toward a decision path within 7 days.
If we’re moving forward, it will have an Owner, next action and due date so you can see that it’s moving.
We’ll let you know what happened — and when an improvement works, we’ll make the Better Way part of how CRL works.
See it. Share it. Make it better.