This means we make a significant difference globally in how the world deals with waste and recyclable materials.
But when it comes to developing and creating a successful software solution as complex and comprehensive as ISB Global’s ‘Waste and Recycling One’, the partners we work with are key.
Here’s an interview with our CEO, Chris Williams to explore.
Chris, tell us a bit about the Waste and Recycling One and why our partners are so key to its success.
Sure. So, since 2005 we’ve been providing software which allows waste and recycling businesses to easily, and effectively, automatically track, measure, report and analyse waste and recyclable materials.
To be able to do this with one software solution, in 2005 we built Waste and Recycling One (WR1) for our clients.
From the beginning, it was apparent that for Waste and Recycling One to be truly effective it had to standardise, integrate, simplify, and automate all waste and recycling processes in an organisation – this then creates efficiencies throughout the business.
These processes included a world leading technical foundation, and also required seamless integration with all back-office functions – e.g. billing, accounts receivable and payable, accounting, and financial management.
Then we came to our clients.
They want to have a solution that they can have some control over, feel part of, and know that it’s not just our special Intellectual Property (IP) but it’s part of a world-class ecosystem.
Instead of re-building a finance system, or running on our own proprietary databases and software, our strategy is for our customers to ‘take back control’ of their software. This is gaining some real traction in the marketplace.
The benefits are clear in the way in which Waste & Recycling One is built.
Waste & Recycling One is fit for purpose and built for change. Customers can add more functionality, or take some of our functionality out, and replace it with their own special IP. They can develop their own apps, reports, dashboards and integrate seamlessly with their partners (Suppliers and Customers).
So, you had to create a product that was effectively one end-to-end solution, integrated into all required systems, including finance, banking, IoT, vehicles, payroll, asset maintenance, and which clients could add to at a later date. Anything else?!
Yes! It had to be in the cloud, run at speed and be totally secure.
Was it at this point that you chose the partner route for the technologies?
We’ve always worked with vendor software partners for a number of reasons. It’s highly beneficial for our clients and us, so we were always going to use partner technologies.
Clients need that reassurance that the technology they’re buying is going to work because it is proven and there are some of the best resources in the world behind it.
Using partners for the technology in Waste and Recycling One has allowed us to create a software solution that is the most advanced waste management software in the world, and which also uses the most advanced vendor software partner and technologies. It’s a win-win for our clients and us.
Can you tell us about the Technology Partners for Waste and Recycling One?
Yes, key to the application strategy of ISB Global are 3 pillars:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) for infrastructure;
- SAP for ERP; and
- OutSystems for the deployment of Waste & Recycling One.
First, there’s Waste & Recycling One itself, a software solution specifically designed to address the needs of waste and recycling businesses. This is key. We bring all our knowledge, expertise and leadership in this complex sector to this product.
We then chose to deploy Waste and Recycling One on the OutSystems Low Code Development platform.
OutSystems powers the ability to create new and innovative applications. It’s an advanced application platform, designed to accelerate the development of software applications while delivering unrivalled levels of flexibility and efficiency. All of Waste and Recycling One’s modules are deployed on OutSystems.
The global IT sector is predicted to use some form of Low Code platform in the next 5 years, as it’s quick to build, deploy and takes care of many activities which usually require large teams of IT specialists.
Using OutSystems means Waste and Recycling One is published to the customer in eye-readable format, so there are no secrets, no surprises. It also gives clients the ability to create new applications in a low code environment.
As they’re a global leader in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software, we’ve always been an SAP partner, helping clients in the waste and recycling sector deploy SAP for the management of business processes.
So, we’ve ensured that Waste and Recycling One completely integrates with SAP. SAP provides three world leading ERP solutions for the Small, Mid and Large Markets. SAP Business One, SAP ByDesign and SAP S/4 HANA.
Finally, secure, high speed, cloud hosting.
Waste & Recycling One uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for cloud services for offering industry leading computing, security, flexibility and scalability. We can of course also deploy on other infrastructure, but AWS is our preference.
These are all world-leaders in their technological solutions. What about other solutions?
Waste and Recycling One is the most advanced waste and recycling software solution, so we chose similar partner technology.
Tech never sits still and as we work with new clients, they might have another ERP or cloud provider. As long as they are using technologies that meet the same high standards and technological advancement of Waste and Recycling one, we can consider integrating with them.
Are there other partnerships for Waste and Recycling One?
Yes. We regard our relationships with clients as partnerships. They have to be.
Waste & Recycling One, has a wide-reaching and positive impact on our customers, and so we must work with their entire business to successfully plan, scope, test, train, deploy and support Waste & Recycling One.
Take our client, Rumpke in Ohio, USA. The Rumpke family has operated one of America’s largest waste and recycling companies for almost 100 years, providing residential and commercial waste and recycling services to the Mid-West. No other waste collection provider has as many customer focused offerings as Rumpke or provides their range of services.
We’re delivering for them a complete Waste and Recycling One solution from CRM, SRM, Bid Management, Contracts, Pricing, Work Orders, Customer Service, Logistics, Optimisation, Driver, Field Service, Weighbridge, Analytics, all tightly integrated with S/4 HANA. This solution will see Rumpke grow and well outpace their competitors for the next 100 years.
When you do something that affects a business with such significant improvements, it has to be a partnership. At every level of the business, we’re working closely with each other.
The partnership between Rumpke and ISB Global will be the foundation and continued catalyst for growth for both parties. It’s also an investment for a progressive industry that will shape sustainable business and the environment sector in the next century.
By applying best-in-class standards and processes to new and emerging technologies, our partners will advance waste, recycling and the use of materials in a circular economy to the benefit of the whole planet. Ultimately, with our partners, we’re making a difference globally and that is huge.
For more about our partnership with Rumpke, read our case study of working with Rumpke.
This article first appeared on Linked in at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/isb-global-partnerships-solve-waste-crisis-isb-global/
