JT’s Landscape Maintenance in Waterford Township, Michigan, is a small family business. The staff usually have more work than they have time to do. So saving time that can be used to pursue more jobs makes a real bottom-line difference.
In the past, the business relied on a mix of paper and file folders to keep track of work. But during a job visit one day, a potential customer asked for an estimate. Turns out that that day, the JT’s team member didn’t have the paper copy of the estimate form with them. It was a sobering moment.
In search of a solution, JT’s staff discovered Jotform via a Google search. When they realized they could digitize all their paper forms using Jotform’s PDF Editor, they replaced their manual processes with a combination of online forms, Jotform Apps, AI Agents, a calculation feature, and collaboration tools.
Since leveraging Jotform earlier this year, JT’s Landscape Maintenance has unlocked new revenue opportunities, saved time, and improved team coordination.
JT’s Landscape Maintenance + Jotform: Results at a glance
$120,000 per year in potential revenue
Staff used the AI App Builder to create a collaboration hub that frees up JT’s team to take on new work. They estimate the additional work will generate up to $10,000 in monthly revenue.
$3,000+ of savings per year
Digitizing estimates and invoices reduced office supply costs by approximately $260 per month — funds that are now used for employee lunches.
Improved team coordination
JT’s mobile workflows improved visibility, communication, and efficiency across jobs.
A growing business bogged down by paper-based processes
For years, JT’s Landscape Maintenance relied on paper forms, handwritten estimates, and manual coordination to handle daily operations. But as the business began to grow, the tight-knit team found it more and more difficult to
- Standardize pricing
- Quickly produce on-site estimates
- Keep office paperwork organized
- Coordinate field teams across multiple jobs
Jonathan Dickman, hybrid operations advisor and company “Swiss Army knife,” knew the team needed a more scalable system.
“We were paper-based,” affirms Dickman. “Everything [was] in file folders and manila envelopes…. It just got too cluttery for us.”
JT’s found that its dependence on paper led to inconsistent pricing and estimates, as well as disorganized customer schedules.
Below the surface were other related issues, like no easy way to train new staff, share institutional knowledge, or ensure security for customer information.
Centralizing operations with the AI App Builder
The decluttering process started with Dickman searching online for editable PDFs. That led him to the Jotform PDF Editor, and from there, he looked for ways to effectively integrate Jotform into other parts of the business.
He had a lightbulb moment when he realized creating an app could solve two problems at once: how to easily create estimates in the field and how to get all team members on the same page operationally.
Dickman used Jotform Apps to create custom internal apps that the team can access across mobile operations.
Among other resources for employees, the apps include
- Material calculators
- Estimate guides
- Employee timesheets
- Searchable client records
Using AI to streamline app-based estimates
Dickman discovered how easy it was to tweak the app he initially created (and workflows he and the staff needed) — without any coding knowledge.
Instead of sketching things out manually — like creating separate tabs within the app for different layouts and easier navigation — he just described the adjustments he wanted to Jotform’s AI builder.
“It’s just seamless,” marvels Dickman. “I’ll resort to actually listening to what [Podo] is saying and his refining recommendations. That’s how I got all the neat stuff.”
He found that the self-guiding nature of the AI builder helped him grow his apps from basic to advanced, including more sophisticated features like the material calculator.
A crucial part of estimate building, the material calculator helps the JT’s field team automatically calculate a custom landscape material cost based on soil volume, mulch requirements, sod estimates, and rock/granite tonnage.
Staff can then take that information to the supply store to get what they need, saving time and standardizing estimate creation at once.
Now, instead of relying on one person for estimates, routing, pricing, or project coordination, Dickman emphasizes that “everyone has access to the same resources in real time…. It aligns everyone simultaneously.”
Creating new business opportunity by replacing paper
By transforming paper processes into resource-rich AI-powered apps, JT’s Landscape Maintenance can take advantage of new (and significant) business opportunities, reduce administrative overhead, and give field teams the resources they need to work independently.
JT’s changed its business potential in two specific ways with the help of Jotform’s AI App Builder:
- Increased revenue potential: Reclaiming an estimated five hours per week enables the company to take on new jobs, equating to $10,000 in additional monthly revenue. Also, they save $3,000-plus by digitizing paperwork and workflows.
- Better team coordination: The company’s shared mobile workflows improved visibility, efficiency, and communication across jobs, reducing confusion across the board.
The company was also empowered to suggest onsite upsell opportunities, answer operational questions in real time, and guide newer employees — who are unfamiliar with typical sales conversations — using pointers from “Grizz,” its Jotform AI Agent.
The result of integrating an agent in the company’s day-to-day workflow is faster employee onboarding and support in and outside of the field.
A small business with enterprise-level workflows
JT’s Landscape Maintenance transformed its operations from paper-based coordination into a connected digital system powered by Jotform AI. Its digital ecosystem now helps the company leverage new business, simplify workflows, and empower employees.
As Dickman puts it, “It really is a beautiful thing.”
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