How to tell if your waste & recycling business is ready for Waste Management Software

You may have become used to dealing with the same challenges in your waste & recycling collection operation day in and day out, but is there a more efficient and easier way to accomplish these tasks that can help you free up more time and cost you far less in lost efficiency?

Private sector SMEs and large contractors are increasingly turning to the implementation of waste management software to drive down cost and improve efficiency. Of course, you may not think there is much reason to do this; after all, everything may appear as though it’s running smoothly. Even so, you could be the ideal candidate for the installation of waste management software, and not even know it. The manual completion of tasks is quickly becoming a thing of the past in the environmental sector, and for good reason; it simply does not allow for the accurate recording, capture or assessment of data that today’s efficient operations engage in.

A Lack of Optimised Routing

Over time, as new contracts are signed and some lost, the assigned routes become increasingly uneven in terms of time, load and mileage. Unchecked this leads to increases in direct costs – fuel, overtime as well as increased wear & tear on vehicles. Route optimisation software ensures that workload is balanced, mileage kept to an absolute minimum and, more importantly, trucks are only dispatched from the depot when required: Far too often all vehicles are allocated collection routes every day, even on ‘light’ days – route planning software prevents such inefficiency. It is more efficient to have a truck and crew working just a half a day than ‘fill up’ their day simply to ensure that they are out of the depot!

Driver Needs

Breaks taken by drivers are necessary, but if breaks become too long or unscheduled or way off route or you don’t know the real cause, you may be missing out of on the benefits that data from waste management software can provide. A waste management solution can not only show you which drivers are taking extra long breaks, but pinpoint the exact location of those breaks (… usually the best café)! One point to note is that taking a break at a crews’ favourite café is not a problem when using route optimisation software: The software can still create optimal routes but simply account for the required break at the preferred location. When the route optimisation software is combined with vehicle tracking and/or Incab technology, managers can view in real time what is going on.

The Effect of Not Knowing the Number of Stops

Waste collection cannot run efficiently without a schedule. An inefficient waste collection process can mean that your business reliability and credibility is put at great risk. If you find that your drivers aren’t always arriving at their stops when they should, emptying the wrong bins, or going to the wrong locations, and client complaints are on the rise, then the chances are you would benefit from waste management software to schedule and manage client data, as well as the routes.

In case of Emergency… or bad traffic

Any weather event or accident can translate into delays for your collection operation, and consequently at your facility. Should you have no way of knowing where your drivers are, you are not in a position to react in an efficient manner. Software can show the locations of drivers and allow you to either warn them of impending weather and traffic delays, or to ensure that help is sent if or when needed.

Too Much Manual Entry

If you find that you or your drivers are spending the bulk of their time completing vehicle checks, forms and reports, it may be time for software implementation. As an operational, fleet or facility manager, your many responsibilities can leave you overwhelmed and overstretched. Implementing software can automate many of these tasks because it is responsible for the collection, processing and delivery of data, as well as the generation of reports.

Reviewing the above will give you a good idea about the need for waste & recycling software implementation in your business, large or small.