Sean Kramer

Sean Kramer began his career at SiteOne Landscape Supply in 2014 and is the current Chief Information Officer (CIO).

From a technology perspective, Kramer explains that the landscape industry has been a unique challenge. “When I joined, I came from the automotive industry where the technology was more prominent. They had technology in vehicles and online experiences for several years. At the time I joined SiteOne, the technology in place was to support the back office. Almost all the ways of interfacing with a customer was coming into the branch, looking at the products and buying while in the branch. We didn’t have any customer facing technology that we used to interact with customers regularly. But the industry is changing, customers are looking for new ways to interact with the wholesale distributor. 

“When I came over to SiteOne Landscape Supply, I brought my past experience on how technology can improve not just the back office, but customer experience and operations to the landscaping supply industry. Today, it’s a fun space to work in. Our customers are very hard working contractors that take great pride in their work. There are many new opportunities for SiteOne to support them in the future using technology.”

When it comes to the essential traits of an effective leader, Kramer believes that it's important to remain grounded. “What I've learned in the past is to build a diverse team of leaders that have different skills and traits. It’s important not to micromanage. No one likes a micromanager. The group we have on board today is a collection of many different backgrounds and skill sets. Most of our team members came from outside the industry and have brought their technology expertise to be adopted in landscaping. They remain close to our branch associates and the customers. That is the key to our success: learn the business very closely and apply our new technology systems and expertise to it for an better overall experience for both.”

Challenges faced due to COVID-19

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Kramer puts an emphasis that the top of the company's list of priorities is safety. “In this particular climate, the challenges we have been facing include social distancing. As a result, we have been harnessing technology in the form of our mobile point of sale application and SiteOne.com for customers to submit orders online for either delivery or pick-up.” 

Internally, Kramer adds that many of the workforce is working remotely. “We have increased video conferencing and online collaboration. The new normal is working together virtually. It took some time to get used to, but our team has adapted well. Again, the top priority is to service customers, so whether we’re in the office or working remotely, the mission remains the same.”   

Read the full story: HERE