ABSTRACT

For most types of landscape maintenance, machinery and transport is the next largest cost to wages, comprising 15—25 per cent of the total. It is therefore essential that the machinery is properly managed, not only to contain and control costs, but also to ensure that the right type of machinery is used and that it works reliably when it is needed. Poor equipment that is inadequate for the tasks, or unreliable or difficult to use, wastes valuable staff time but also causes frustration and annoyance and seriously depresses staff morale. Machinery therefore can be the key issue between an effective and efficient workforce or a demoralized disorganized rabble and false economies on equipment can quite easily increase overall costs.