Predictive Analytics for Tree Care

We live in an age where computers increasingly play an ever-larger role in all facets of how we manage large amounts of information. Companies like Amazon and Apple use data to help forecast future decision-making and consulting firms such as Deloitte and International Business Machines help companies that manage data improve efficiency. There is no secret that analyzing large volumes of information has its benefits. Today, the rise in computer technology for managing data has even found a place in tree care. Anyone who is charged with the task of managing large populations of trees should consider a tree inventory and management plan with Bartlett Inventory Solutions.

A tree inventory is a customized service that gives you attributes of individual trees within a defined geographic area. Typical customers for tree inventories include property owners for residential apartment complexes, government agencies, municipalities, owners of large corporate campuses, or individuals who own lots of trees. Tree attribute data collected on individual trees are tailored from the goals and objectives of the property manager. Safety for people around trees is a common objective for property managers; therefore, the inventory team would do a tree risk assessment on trees that show visible signs and symptoms of tree defects. Another major objective among property managers for doing a tree inventory on their property is to assist in decision making for planning tree maintenance and care, budget preparation, and policy development. Property managers can make data-driven decisions for their trees as opposed to choices based on personal opinions that are not backed by International Society of Arboriculture best management practices.

Tree data attributes property managers find useful in decision making include: tree species, condition of the tree (dead, poor, fair, good), overall risk rating of tree, age class, defects, estimated value of tree, height, insect/disease presence on tree, tree pruning priority ranking, and tree removal.

The Power of Data

Bain & Company and the Boston Consulting Group have done research that shows companies who commit to capturing and collecting data, and who then draw insight from the data are outperforming their competitors financially. It seems the same could be true for property managers who own large populations of trees and commit to collecting tree attribute data on their properties. One of the most compelling arguments for doing a tree inventory is because of the financial incentives involved. A tree inventory gives a property manager a proactive position on several key factors that affect finances. Tree data attributes segment and more precisely tailor products and services to the property manager. A property is receiving information on what management actions need to be taken on specific trees. Decision making is substantially improved by minimizing risk and revealing valuable insight into what was previously hidden. All this allows for a more cost-effective strategy for managing populations of trees. Lastly, a tree inventory can help the property manager predict or forecast what management actions should take place in the future in order to keep trees healthy, safe, or meet specific objectives. The wait and see attitude of a property manager comes with a cost and is also a luxury that no competitive company can afford. Firms who invest in the power of tree attribute data will see stronger financial performance and better decision making on management of their trees.

After the field data tree attributes have been collected, there are two primary deliverables used by the Bartlett Inventory Solutions team:

  1. Bartlett Inventory Solutions Management Plan
  2. ArborScopeTM

Stay tuned in the near future for a new blog post on these two exceptional offerings from the Bartlett Inventory Solutions team.


More information on ArborScopeTM can be found at www.arborscope.com.

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Make an appointment with your local Arborist Representative to discover why Bartlett is the leader in professional tree care.