With ever-increasing amounts of waste and decreasing resources, escalating environmental concerns and rising input costs – the waste industry faces some tough challenges.
And whilst the waste industry is in the business of getting rid of other people’s refuse, shouldn’t participants examine their own operations to eliminate sources of waste.
An integrated approach to waste management could be the key to unlocking myriad benefits and developing more sustainable solutions over the long-term, especially where weighbridge operations are involved.
There are generally multiple companies involved in the waste management process, and each one of them is likely to be looking to manage their resources better. Collaboration among partner companies in the supply chain doesn’t mean giving away trade secrets or opening up vulnerabilities for others to exploit – business-to-business communication can lead to increased efficiencies, more streamlined reporting, improved decision making capabilities and savings in terms of both money and time.
Today, advanced software and technological developments also enable operations to do business in dramatically different ways – even develop new business models. Digital communications make it possible for data to be captured and shared wirelessly and remotely (e.g. from an unmanned weighbridge to a central processing system or between truck drivers in the field and their home base) – and waste companies should be actively pursuing ways of exploiting technology for financial and operational gains.
To illustrate some of the opportunities that are out there for waste companies to save, let’s look at weighbridge integration.
An integrated weighbridge software solution makes it possible to centrally manage all your weighing operations, whether you operate a single weighbridge or have installations at several different sites. It can also be used as comprehensive vehicle management system, a traffic management system (capable of reducing bottlenecks and streamlining the flow of vehicles) and an on-site security system (capable of controlling security cameras, entry and exit barriers and checking number plates automatically). Systems can be fully configurable for each application, producing digital records of each and every vehicle entering and leaving the sites and providing operators with comprehensive data that can be used for a range of functions.
Integration takes much of the paperwork (and consequently, the likelihood of human error) out of the weighing operation and can provide operators with a wealth of information that can be used to optimise business operations From data on the number of vehicles entering the site each day, volumes (on an hourly, daily or weekly basis), vehicle turnaround time and revenues (by customer and sector) to profitability and resourcing, there are many areas where businesses can turn knowledge into operational and resourcing – and possibly revenue – improvements.
The waste industry has historically been characterised by multiple operators along the supply chain, but a worldwide trend is for larger operations to achieve economies of scale through mergers or acquisition. Advancements in weighbridge integration enable much more productive outcomes among the partners in the waste process as well as enabling these larger merged operations to marry the systems of their multiple divisions together to achieve substantial savings in time and costs.
If you’re in the waste management industry and are looking for a weighing solution that will unlock a range of benefits for your business, talk with the experts, AccuWeigh. With a portfolio of over 1000 weighbridge installations throughout Australia and New Zealand, we have the experience to identify your weighbridge needs and provide you with the best integrated weighbridge solution.