GHG

Green Horticultural Group (GHG) are a leading provider of horticultural services operating throughout NSW providing a range of horticultural services including:

• Turf construction;
• Sports turf management;
• Turf drainage; and
• Turf maintenance.

Originally founded in 1998 by turf experts Geoff and Sally Green, GHG won its first major contract growing turf for Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.  Since that time the business has continued to grow and increase its exposure to include local Councils, Airports, and Sporting Facilities such as Campbelltown Stadium and Football New South Wales.

As part of its growth, GHG realised that it needed to put additional rigour around the management of the business and its operation to ensure continued high levels of quality, safe working conditions and to minimise impact on the environment.

GHG engaged Rightstrategy to assist with the development of an Integrated Management System. One of the first steps was to perform a gap analysis against the requirements of the International Standards for Quality, Safety, and Environment and GHG’s operational activities.

The gap analysis determined that whilst GHG had many good practices in place it found that:

• The business was overly reliant on a key individual;
• Work practices were not being consistently implemented;
• Critical operational information was not always being recorded;
• The policies and procedures that existed were not centralised and difficult to locate;
• Various information was often duplicated leading to confusion and frustration; and
• The deployment and utilisation of resources and equipment was not being used efficiently.

A Project Team was established consisting of personnel from Finance & Administration and Operations.  Implementation meetings were facilitated by Rightstrategy addressing the issues that had been identified and to build an Integrated Management System that specifically met the needs of GHG into the future.

The team’s aim was to create a safe working culture where people were able to do their work properly, with a minimum amount of fuss, would produce improved employee performance and morale, and higher levels of customer satisfaction.

The team established an Integrated Management System framework which would later be replicated on SharePoint and eventually becoming affectionately known as GROW 2.0.

Rightstrategy assisted by mapping all of the business processes identifying critical steps, operational risks and establishing appropriate practical controls.

Policies and procedures were developed addressing regulatory requirements and operational expectations more formally, and to better communicate these expectations with employees and subcontractors.

The new work practices were put in place under the guidance of the team, with practical instructions and regular meetings with employees who now have an effective voice and have improved ownership in the system and the way in which the operation is to be run.

GHG have summarised key benefits as being:

• Improved organisation structure and performance;
• Clear roles, responsibilities and delegation of authorities;
• Assets are now better presented, controlled and maintained;
• The work areas are more organised and less hazardous;
• Operational risks are being identified and controlled more effectively;
• Operational recording is being consistently completed on-time every time;
• Accuracy of data on timesheets now provides insight into efficiency and profitability; and
• Employees are feeling more supported and motivated by the new standards in place.

As a further benefit, GHG were awarded independent certification by Global-Mark recognising achievement with the following international standards:

1. AS/NZS ISO 9001 Requirements for Quality Management
2. AS/NZS ISO45001 Requirements for Occupational Health & Safety
3. AS/NZS ISO 14001:2016 Requirements for Environmental Management.

The organisational improvements and certification have also improved GHG’s reputation and standing with both existing and potential customers.

The certification to the above standards now puts GHG in the top ten tenderers in the state and permits access to higher value horticultural work and will assist the business with further and ongoing growth opportunities.