Scaling Snow and Ice Management: How a National Retailer Gained Control with Lessen

Overview

Winter weather can disrupt operations across even the most well-run national portfolios. Delivering reliable and efficient service at scale demands real-time visibility and strong operational support.

A major national retailer with thousands of locations across the U.S. partnered with Lessen to bring consistency and accountability to their snow and ice management program. Prior service efforts had left many sites neglected or in inconsistent conditions, with limited visibility into actual work performed and unclear lines of responsibility. The retailer was looking for a smarter, more accountable approach to site management, especially during high-impact winter months.

Challenge Implementing services across a large and diverse portfolio came with several complexities. Many locations had experienced gaps in affiliate coverage, unclear service scopes, and inconsistent historical records. The client needed to regain control of site conditions and clarify what was being serviced, when, and why, so they could ensure operations aligned with site-level needs and budget expectations.

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Solution

Lessen leveraged One, its centralized service management platform, along with built-in auditing capabilities and dedicated operational support to deliver immediate structure and visibility to the account. Key steps included:

• Comprehensive Site Audits: Property conditions were assessed at the start and end of the season, which included curb staking and recording damage or access concerns to set clear service expectations for the season ahead.
• Automated Event Review: Lessen’s proprietary audit tool reviews every service event against scope, timing, and weather conditions. It flags any instances of duplicate or inconsistent services, manual work order discrepancies, or billing mismatches to allow our team to proactively correct potential issues before they impact site performance.
• Weather-Based Billing Integrity: To support the client’s invoice auditing process, Lessen provides detailed service documentation including site photos and localized weather data to validate services and confirm billing accuracy.
• Adaptive Service Logic: The platform dynamically accounts for location-specific factors such as landlord responsibilities, sidewalk-only services, service level changes (ex. a full plow to deicing) and snow accumulation thresholds. Automated

rules helped adapt service execution while maintaining consistency in cost, scope, and documentation.

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Results

With this foundation in place, the client saw marked improvements across multiple areas of their snow and ice management program:

• Program Growth with Consistency: Over the course of the partnership, the program has scaled significantly, with a 27% increase in locations serviced and a 38% rise in services completed due to the expanded footprint. Operational speed improved in parallel, with average vendor response times climbing by 58% and service completion times accelerating by 48%. These gains in volume and efficiency were achieved while maintaining a 93% service execution rate – meaning 93% of locations received service without any action needed from the client, reinforcing the program’s autonomy and scalability.
• Reduction in Escalations: Service escalations during major storms dropped significantly – a result of both proactive site management and audit-driven accountability.
• Improved Invoice Clarity and Trust: By aligning service records with site photos and localized weather data, invoice review cycles became more efficient and easier for the client’s internal team to reconcile charges with their own reporting standards.
• Smarter Seasonal Planning: Lessen used historical service and weather data to help forecast spend scenarios, enabling more strategic decisions based on projected snowfall and risk tolerance to maintain predictable costs without sacrificing responsiveness.

Snow and ice management isn’t just about clearing surfaces – it’s about protecting operations, controlling costs, and maintaining a safe, seamless experience for customers and employees across every site. With Lessen’s integrated platform, dedicated support, and proactive auditing, this client regained control of their program and built a stronger foundation for planning and adapting to the challenges of each winter season.

Let’s talk about how Lessen can help your team bring order and performance to your snow and ice management strategy.

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