Garrett Park Arboretum Workflow Management
The Team:
Aliyah Abdulmalek, Michael Hough, Marzena Hurtado, Nur Mulugeta, Samrah Shaikh
INST 490 (0105)
Lead Instructor: Prof. TJ Rainsford
Teaching Assistant: Jana Hijji
Fall 2021
The Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) administered
by the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland,
College Park (UMD)
PALS Director: Kimberly Fisher
NCSG Director: Gerrit Knaap
Garrett Park Arboretum Workflow Management
Abstract
In Fall of 2021, our team of five University of Maryland students enrolled in the
Capstone Project course (INST490) led by Prof. TJ Rainsford, embarked on the
consultancy assignment for the Town of Garrett Park. The focus of the project was the
Town?s arboretum workflow management. The project proposal and requirements were
determined under the patronage of the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability
(PALS), the UMD?s campus-wide initiative to engage faculty and students in projects
that help partnering jurisdictions address their real-world challenges (UMD NCSG,
n.d.).
After a comprehensive analysis of services and information needs related to
arboretum management, we have researched and identified actionable insights and
technology solutions that, as we believe, could bring significant improvements to the
current workflow. The following report is a summation of our findings.
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Table of Contents
Abstract.???????????????????????????????.?.2
Introduction????????.??????????????????????.4
Context Analysis???????????????????????...????..4
Project Goals and Deliverables .????????????..???....?.??5
Methodology?????????????????????..????????..6
Finding ????????????...?????????????...?????...8
Cost Analysis??????????????????..???????????..9
Recommendations for Future Actions...?????????????.??.10
Appendix A:  MOST Analysis??????????????????.??.?11
Appendix B: G.P. Arboretum Service Request Lifecycle.??????..12
Appendix C: TreeKeeper Software - online resources ?.?????.?.15
Appendix D:   Requirements Table ?..??????????.????.?..16
Deliverable Links: ???????????????????????????16
References ???????.??????????????????.???.?...17
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Introduction
The Town of Garrett Park is a historic community located in Montgomery
County, Maryland, just northwest of Washington, DC. The town?s population is around
900 and its land spreads over an area of 0.3 square miles (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019).
Since 1977, Garrett Park has held the official designation of an Arboretum (The Town of
Garrett Park, n.d.). Holding this status, the Town is responsible for planting and
maintenance of all existing trees and shrubs in its registered arboretum collection on the
town's public spaces as well as the right-of-way portions of private properties across the
jurisdiction. The current inventory of the town-managed trees exceeds 1,500 and the
management of related tasks is conducted using a series of spreadsheets and the online
ArcGIS map; the reliance on email, phone, and verbal communication between
participants is also prevalent. The Town?s Office manages Council-approved services in
collaboration with members of the town?s elective Arboretum Committee and contracted
Arboretum Consultant. In addition, much-concerted effort is made to promote and
educate town residents on the benefits of sustained care for the town?s arboretum with
the underlying goal to facilitate residents? engagement in the process.
Context Analysis
To gain a better understanding of the context for our project, we started by taking
a comprehensive look at the Garrett Park municipality from a wider perspective. We
wanted to know about stakeholders, the mission, and the general place the maintenance
of the town?s tree collection held in the town?s overall operational activities. To do that,
we conducted the MOST analysis, where we considered the mission, objectives, strategy,
and tactics as they related to the town?s arboretum.
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Project Goals and Deliverables
The main goal of the project is to reassess the current workflow at Garrett Park
Arboretum and implement a method that streamlines Arboretum-related management
tasks. This can be accomplished through the use of technology and a change in the
current workflow at Garrett Park. One of the deliverables that were listed in the scope of
work for the project was a project initiation document and project plan.  The project
initiation and project plan document allowed the team to create a plan for the project as
well as get a better understanding of the scope of the project. The next deliverable stated
a  requirement of having documentation of strategic services related to arboretum
management and associated workflows; information needs; and information technology
used, as needed.  The team gave a mid-semester presentation that summed up the needs
of Garrett Park and a workflow was presented during our midterm presentation that
captured the current workings of the Arboretum. As for a final recommendation, our
recommendations are highlighted in the forum of a workflow that was presented to the
client and is represented by The management workflow diagram (service request
lifecycle).  Another required deliverable is data visualizations of arboretum expenses.
This is shown in the cost analysis section below and was presented to the client. Lastly,
the final report and presentation on project outcomes. The final presentation was given
to the client on Monday, December 6, 2021. This presentation showed our
recommendations to the client as well as our process in completing the project.
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Methodology
I. Process:
After getting well-familiar with the project's objectives, we proceeded with a
data-gathering process which included meetings with the Town Office Staff as well as
reviewing of the Town?s website and examination of existing spreadsheets, tree
inventory map, and two reports, Garrett Park Comprehensive Arboretum Plan Part I
and Part II (Natural Resources Design, 2019). Having all the necessary background
knowledge, we aligned our approach with the Theory of Constraints (Blackstone, 2011)
and began identifying constraints that would guide us in subsequent research for the
most suitable software solution; the solution that would meet the constraints, thereby
eliminating them as the actual limiting factors. Our discovery process included:
1. Identifying workflow demands and decision-making sequence
2. Outlining general requirements regarding system components.
Our assessment has revealed that at the center of managing the maintenance of the
Garrett Park Arboretum is the lifecycle of each service request, as it is initiated by either
Town Office Staff, Arboretum Consultant, Arboretum Committee Member, or any
Garrett Park resident. Analyzing stages of a single service request helped us gain a better
understanding of WHO, WHAT, and the SEQUENCE in terms of actions performed
throughout the process. The final diagram is a conceptualization of sequential phases in
the management workflow of a single service request.
The second area of inquiry was to determine general system requirements of the
software that would meet the needs of the analyzed workflow. We concluded that the
cloud and subscription-based SaaS (System as a Service) would be the most viable
option that would assure seamless system updates and ultimately lower cost than the
maintenance of the custom-build technology. The access to continuous customer service
and ongoing training for new users would also be important aspects to consider.
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Furthermore, taking under consideration the outdoor nature of tree maintenance and
assessment tasks, the mobile entry point to the system, and the capability of direct
image uploads would also be useful functionality.
II. Challenges:
Although we were able to finish the project relatively smoothly, there were a
couple minor challenges. The first issue we came across was our access, or lack of, to the
software for workflow management. Since we were a student group, we could not get
direct access to the software or even something more ideal like a demo. This meant we
could only rely on the information that was available on the companies? websites and
other public information. We wanted to do as much in-depth research as possible before
making a recommendation that would require more advanced technology use due to the
nature of our clients technology background. While we were not able to have direct
access to the software, we used information that was publicly available such as webinars
and handbooks to the best of our ability. We also recommended that before the client
moves forward with our recommendation, request a demo with the software company to
best assess if this was a good software for their needs.
We also dealt with the usual misunderstandings between the student group and
client. There were misunderstandings of the limit we could go as a student group as well
as staying within the scope of the project. This required us to meet with the client and
reestablish our objectives. In addition, we had some internal confusion that required us
to seek out the professor for clarification.
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Findings
When researching different solutions, we narrowed our search using the
requirements of this project to pick a potential software. After thorough research on
what is currently on the market, we decided on recommending TreeKeeper because it
meets or is customizable to the needs of our client. The first requirement that had to be
met was version control. TreeKeeper has the ability to change records globally, which
means selecting a species and editing the records of that species. The next requirement
is the cost of implementation and software. The cost of using TreeKeeper is based on
subscription plans, for one year it costs $2,500, 3 years is $6,250, and 5 years is 10,000.
The software can also be used to streamline communication in workflow management
because there are different layers. This allows different levels of access, for example,
contractors can see what has been assigned to them through the calendar feature or
update their work orders. Residents can call in their requests and TreeKeeper will be
able to keep information about each call. Another need to consider was if training is
provided, training and support are available either through Davey?s support center or
through their only videos and manual. A need for a treemap was also in the scope of this
project and TreeKeeper has different mapping capabilities such as seeing the trees in
street view, putting each of the sites in quadrants, and providing a way to link a website
on the map. Importing data was another concern and on TreeKeeper, data can be
imported through excel sheets. There are multiple reports that can be generated from
the data stored in Treekeeper. For example, you can do a species summary which can
show you different areas the species are located and their conditions. Custom reports
can either be a summary that shows the count of the specific attribute or a listing report
which shows every record of the attribute. Matrix reports are similar to a pivot table in
excel where the user is able to compare different attributes, if the user clicks on a
specific attribute they will be taken to the map and view it there. There is also a
dashboard that allows a quick overview of what is happening in specific areas. The user
can view this information as a table or pie chart and can then export it as images or pdf.
Lastly, users are able to record data from the field using TreeKeeper. The user is able to
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take pictures and upload them into TreeKeeper as well as add new sites. To add sites
there is a center me feature that allows the software to see the user?s exact location and
add a site to that location.
Cost Analysis
The following bar chart shows the cost difference between different
subscription plans.
Note that the difference in cost between the 1 year and the 3 year plans is far greater
than the difference between the 3 year and 5 year plans.
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Recommendations for Future Actions
In order to gain the most complete understanding of the software, it is
recommended that the Town of Garrett Park would get in contact with Davey, the
software vendor responsible for the creation and distribution of the TreeKeeper
software, in order to request additional, detailed information on matters that the team
was unable to determine, such as how long the onboarding and training processes would
take, etc. It is also advised that the Town of Garrett Park would reach out to the other
organizations that currently utilize the TreeKeeper software in order to get the
perspective of an entity that is a current user of the software. A few of such
organizations were identified, and their contact information was forwarded to the Town
of Garrett Park previously.
With this new information in mind, if the Town of Garrett Park should be intent
on proceeding, the next step would be to schedule an in-depth demonstration of the
TreeKeeper software from the software vendor themselves. If TreeKeeper is identified as
the preferred path forward, then a potential future project team could assist the Town of
Garrett Park with integrating TreeKeeper into their arboretum workflow management
process.
Should the Town of Garrett Park have further questions or require any sort of
follow-up information, the project team can be reached at sshaikh2@terpmail.umd.edu.
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Appendix A
MOST Analysis:
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Appendix B
The management workflow diagram (service request lifecycle)
Without referring to any specific ?technology? the model establishes that each phase in
the service request lifecycle is characterized by the user type, performed action, and
required follow-up notice. The diagram also contains the fourth characteristic, our
tentative assignment of the color-coding on a status map, typically a useful component
in managing any field-related work.
The diagram shows that once the service request is activated, it goes through 7 phases.
It is worth noting that this model considers a difference between initiating and
activating a service request. For instance, any town resident can initiate the service
request via Resident Portal on the Town?s website or by calling the Town?s Office, but
the actual activation of that request happens when it is entered into the maintenance
management system (marked with the red label as FSM - Field Service Management).
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Appendix C
TreeKeeper Software - online resources
Main website:
https://www.davey.com/environmental-consulting-services/treekeeper-inventor
y-management-software/#contact-section
Webinars containing demos on the most up-to-date functionalities of the software:
1.
https://www.gotostage.com/channel/86a49f80873842dc9b91df62f2466ad8/rec
ording/83018c32c9124b4f924dc245540b1d57/watch?source=CHANNEL
2.
https://www.gotostage.com/channel/86a49f80873842dc9b91df62f2466ad8/rec
ording/782d5a9e30944678b2d18abc970da174/watch?source=CHANNEL
Shortlist of some of the municipalities/entities using TreeKeeper software:
1. Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York
https://www.prospectpark.org/learn-more/what-we-do/sustaining-environment
/trees/treekeeper-database/
2. Missouri State 417-836-5265 or 417-836-4904
3. LA parks 213) 485-4826
https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2015/january/digital-tree-ma
nagement-improves-l.a.-city-parks/
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Appendix D
Requirements Table
Comparison of requirements of the project with the abilities of TreeKeeper:
Deliverable Links:
Project Plan/ Initiation Document
Final_Presentation
Mid-Semester Presentation
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References
Blackstone, J. (2011, October 21). Theory of Constraints. Scholarpedia.
http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Theory_of_Constraints
Capterra Inc. (ongoing updates). Arborist Software. Capterra.
https://www.capterra.com/arborist-software/
Cawley, C. (2021, May 7). How Much Does Field Service Management Software Cost?
Tech.co.
https://tech.co/field-service-management/field-service-management-software-c
ost
i-Tree. (ongoing updates). Learn about i-Tree. i-Tree. https://www.itreetools.org/
Natural Resources Design. (2019). Town of Garrett Park Comprehensive Arboretum
Plan Part I: History, Policies, and Current Collection. Town of Garrett Park.
https://www.garrettparkmd.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/2915/6370734
38495830000
Natural Resources Design. (2019). Town of Garrett Park Comprehensive Arboretum
Plan Part II: Operating Procedures.
https://www.garrettparkmd.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/2917/6370734
39005200000
The Town of Garrett Park. (n.d.). Arboretum Committee. Garrett Park, MD.
https://www.garrettparkmd.gov/government/committees/arboretum-committee
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UMD NCSG. (n.d.). Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) ? NCSG.
National Center for Smart Growth.
https://www.umdsmartgrowth.org/programs/pals/
U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Census
Reporter Profile page for Garrett Park, MD.
https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2431525-garrett-park-md/
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