You do not need to configure everything before you start. Set up the essentials first, then introduce optional settings and workflows when you are ready. The steps below follow a recommended order, but you can return to optional settings later.
1. Configure the basics in Account settings
Start with the company-level settings in Account settings.
Check that your company name is correct.
Add the address or addresses of your own offices.
Decide whether you will use geofencing for time tracking.
Set up your standard opening hours for the relevant region.
You can also add your branding settings now, but this is optional. You can configure branding later, when you are ready to prepare externally shared customer reports.
2. Review Job settings
The settings in Job settings are optional and can be configured later.
But if you have time now, review the options below and set up the ones that match your company's processes:
Contract expiration reminders.
Default ownership of Plants and Planters.
Overtime settings.
Unplanned activity types.
If you plan to use money-based budgets, make sure you return to the overtime settings before setting up your budgets.
3. Decide on user roles and permissions
Before inviting your team, think through what each type of user should be able to see and do. Review the available options in User roles and permissions and configure the roles and permissions accordingly.
Consider the responsibilities of your Admins, Managers, and Field team members. Give each person access that fits their work, and remember that only Admins can see sensitive financial information, such as hourly rates.
4. Add your Service Sites and Services
Create your customer locations and set up the Services you provide at each Service Site. You can add them manually, one by one, or use an import.
At this stage, you can leave visit frequencies and assignees blank. You will fill in those details as you start scheduling visits.
5. Add the field inventory for each Service
Add the field inventory associated with each Service. Choose the method that best fits the size and format of your existing data:
Create the inventory manually.
Import the inventory from a spreadsheet.
Use photo import with AI identification, then review the generated information.
If you are working with a large portfolio, validate a small sample first to make sure the inventory structure and information are correct.
6. Invite your team
Invite your team members to One Big Green and assign each person the appropriate user role. Check that their permissions and site visibility match the decisions you made earlier.
7. Start scheduling visits
Begin scheduling your Service Visits and assigning them to the right people.
When OBG asks whether you want to update the technician and the visit frequency on file, select “Yes.” Keep doing this as you schedule the relevant visits.
This will automatically fill in the technician and visit-frequency fields that you left blank earlier.
8. Onboard your field team and test the workflow
Run one or more practice rounds with your field team before relying on OBG for everyday operations.
During the trial, practice how to:
Log working time.
Open and close Issues, Assignments, and Replacements.
Complete Service Visits and record the work performed.
After the trial, review how the field activity appears in the Back Office. In particular, check the Service Visit reports and timesheets. Confirm that the information is recorded as expected, and adjust your team instructions if anything is unclear or inconsistent.
9. Set up your budgets
Choose whether you want to budget in time, money, or both.
For money-based budgeting, you also need to add hourly rates for all relevant people and double-check the overtime settings in Job settings. Remember that only Admins can see this financial data.
Once the settings are in place, review whether the budget information reflects the way you want to monitor your operation.
10. Set up externally shared customer reports
If you have customers who need externally shared reports, configure the reports for them. This is when you will need your branding settings, if you have not set them up already.
Start in manual mode and add yourself as the recipient. Check the report and make sure it looks and behaves as expected. Once you are confident, add the actual customer recipients and, if appropriate, switch to fully automatic mode.
Quick checklist
Use this checklist to confirm that the essentials are ready before your team starts using OBG operationally.
Company name, office addresses, opening hours, and geofencing choice reviewed in Account settings.
Optional Job settings configured where needed.
User roles and permissions reviewed.
Service Sites and Services created.
Field inventory added for each Service.
Team members invited with the correct user roles.
Visits scheduled and assigned; relevant technician and visit-frequency updates confirmed.
Field team has completed a trial run and understands the workflows.
Service Visit reports and timesheets checked in the Back Office.
Budgets configured if needed, including hourly rates and overtime settings for money-based budgets.
Externally shared reports tested manually before adding customers or enabling automation.
Practical tips
Do the setup in stages. Get the essentials in place first. Optional settings and advanced workflows can wait until you need them.
Use a small test group. A trial with a few Service Sites and team members makes it easier to spot issues before a wider rollout.
Keep inventory tied to the right Service. This makes it easier for field team members to find the correct information while working.
Use the scheduling prompts. When asked whether to update the technician and visit frequency on file, selecting “Yes” helps populate the fields you skipped earlier.
Check what the Back Office receives. Review the resulting Service Visit reports and timesheets rather than stopping at confirming that a technician completed the work in the mobile app.
Protect financial information. Only Admins can see the hourly-rate and budget cost data, so assign Admin access thoughtfully.
Test external reports before automating them. Start with yourself as the recipient in manual mode. Add customers and enable automatic delivery only after you are confident in the result.