The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Systems in Waste Hauling Operations
/Waste haulage companies need a specific workflow to make everything connect. There is a driver in the field and teams on site that all need to be on the same page, and when they aren't, there's a real possibility that systems will fail due to the disconnected systems that impact operations.
And for the most part, you don't need massive overhauls to the entire company; you need to know the inconsistencies and how they are impacting you.
With this in mind, let's take a closer look at the hidden costs of disconnected systems within waste haulage companies, so you can see the impact and how you can overcome it.
CREDIT: pexels.
Orders updated in one system but not reflected elsewhere
A huge problem you find happens more frequently with disconnected systems is that not all orders are being picked up.
For example, let's say your pickup is rescheduled in dispatch to accommodate a delayed site. But billing still sees the original date. The driver completes the job later than planned, but the invoice is still generating at the original time, as billing did not see the update. From here, each department is working from a different page.
This leads to a loss of trust from both the customer and between departments, as no one can rely on their colleagues to keep information relevant and up to date.
The fix here is one centralized system that removes excessive records on the same jobs, removes confusion, and introduces clarity.
Rental extensions not captured for billing
Dumpster rental revenue is earned by time. And when rental duration isn't captured correctly, you're losing time and money.
If you notice containers stay out longer than planned, or pickups are constantly delayed, the risks are building fast, and you're losing money. There is no quibble here. It indicates all departments are on different pages regarding operations, and that's not an enviable place to be in.
This is where order management for dumpster rental companies enters the picture. It's not optional, rather unavoidable if you're in this position. One effective management system can streamline orders, delivery, extensions, and all relevant information to ensure that nothing is overlooked and policies are billed correctly. Because in business, even one missed collection window is a huge cost to bear and impacts operations following this.
Containers showing incorrect status or location
Container visibility is only useful if it reflects reality. If it's not, then why is it there?
Say you have a container that appears on one system in one place but is collected in another. What happens here? Is the job marked as completed or still active? It's things like this that create confusion, not clarity, when what you need is the latter, not the former. Because once you lose track of containers, you lose trust, and lost trust is much harder to regain than errant containers or misaligned systems. And the impact of it happening even once is huge, never mind if it's a frequent occurrence.
Real-time tracking can resolve much of your location dilemmas for containers. Knowing what's been picked up and where things are at that moment using GPS software gives a clearer picture of what's going on at all times, meaning you can schedule operations better, and capital isn't tied up because you have no idea what is where.
Invoices created from incomplete job records
Billing depends on accurate job records, the moment invoices are created. And if your order records don't line up, you have a problem. But you already know that.
Examples of inaccuracies include billing missing extensions or additional services, invoices including work that was removed or changed, and customers pushing back, creating more work. And again, a loss of trust… see the pattern?
You need things to move forward with ease and to be correct. You need to make the adjustments before a customer is billed, you need to know what has changed and when, and for this to be accurately reflected, so customers know their timeline and experience matches what you're charging them for.
You don't want to move billing into a negotiation with customers. You want to solve problems before invoices go out, not when you're balancing figures or addressing margin loss.
Admin time spent reconciling conflicting records.
Disconnected systems don't remove work, it's the opposite in fact. They create a new category: correction.
If admin staff are spending too much time comparing screens, checking notes, calling dispatch, or chasing drivers to manually confirm what actually happened, the result is wasted hours and mistakes, and the cost of this won't be cheap, far from it.
As volume grows, this work will increase faster than revenue, and you end up adding admin capacity instead of finding what's failing. And suddenly your labor costs are exceeding output.
And while it might seem “part of the job,” it isn't, and you need to take a step back and ask why it's taking so much admin effort to do what should be simple steps. Again, centralized systems, technology, and tools can remove excessive tasks fromthe admin and eliminate conflict at the source.
Revenue not matching container utilization
Most waste haulage companies notice this immediately. Why are all my containers tied up, yet the figures don't show this?
Disconnected systems are often the reason here. You might have trucks out on the road and containers constantly moving, but if systems aren't connected properly, then you're likely noticing a mismatch between revenue, workload, and capacity.
This is because the loss is spread out in many gaps, not one place. Meaning it's harder to isolate and harder to spot at a glance. And for the most part, the bulk of the loss is only found when you compare activity and income side by side and track patterns and behaviors right through from booking to completion, step by step, action by action. Then it becomes glaringly obvious.
The cost of disconnected systems can be high across the company. You'll feel it in multiple ways, and none of them will be positive. But stripping it back, knowing what the signs of this issue are, finding the right tools to overcome it, and adapting how you operate are key to transitioning from a company working at a loss to one that is efficient and thriving.
This is a collaborative post.
