July/August 2005
Recycling-focused software is becoming more user-friendly and increasingly sophisticated. Here’s an overview of major products aimed at helping scrap recyclers electronically manage their operations.
By Lynn R. Novelli
It has never been easier to harness the power of the latest, state-of-the-art recycling software to improve your business. Technological and hardware advances in the past five years have yielded a new generation of user-friendly software with the sophistication to manage the most complex scrap recycling business with ease.
The sky’s the limit as far as software capabilities. Need dispatch and routing? No problem. Container tracking? Easy. Inventory management? Sure. Depending on your needs, you can purchase a program to handle a single business function or select a complete scrap recycling operation management program.
With a few exceptions, most of today’s recycling software runs on Microsoft SQL Server in a Windows environment. Hardware requirements may vary slightly, but generally these programs require a PC to act as the file server and workstation PCs at various locations around the facility.
Dispatch and container tracking programs also require some type of handheld terminals onboard the trucks for data recording and communications.
Scrapyard Computing
Inventory management is the heart of a scrap recycling operation, and a wide variety of programs are available for tracking material purchases and sales. They all rely on some form of electronic weighing and grading at the scale, with this data then transferred to the main server to create real-time inventory records.
The scale management program often interfaces with an automated teller machine (ATM) program for payment. These programs eliminate cash transactions by generating magnetic payment cards for scrap suppliers that are redeemed at the on-site ATM machine. Other options include cash management and check-writing capabilities.
Security continues to be a hot topic, and several vendors offer programs that visually record transactions at the scale, cashier, and ATM. These all involve some variation on taking and storing digital images of the driver and the material as part of the transaction record. Some programs also scan the driver’s license for added security.
Contract packages are popular, either as separate modules or integrated into the main system. The coolest new versions not only generate the contract and store the contract history but also allow customers to access the database to view their own sales data, update information, and view the status of contracts and shipments. This information is held in a nonactive file to protect the integrity of the recycler’s database.
Several vendors offer container management software for tracking container deliveries and pickups based on container barcodes that drivers scan with a handheld computer as they make their rounds. These programs are easy to use and gaining in popularity for the advantages they offer in managing container inventory.
Here’s a look at some of the software products available today for recyclers, reviewed alphabetically by vendor name.
21st Century Programming
Brothers George and David Kane developed their Recycling Operations Manager (ROM) program based on their personal experience working in and around scrap recycling companies. Starting in 2000, 21st Century Programming has installed 74 products nationwide, with 30 more planned for this year, the company reports.
“Our greatest strength,” says David Kane, “is our ability to translate geek-speak into scrap-speak.”
ROM is a point-of-scale inventory system that tracks inbound and outbound scrap at the scale, thus eliminating the need to enter information by hand. The system employs touchscreen technology to capture customer name, commodity type, weight, and grade, then issue an inspection slip. ROM is certified by the U.S. Department of Weights and Measures, which allows the scale indicator to connect directly to the corporate database and issue certified weight receipts, the firm says.
When a load crosses the scale, the material is entered into inventory and posted to accounts payable. ROM does not have its own accounting package, but it integrates with all Windows-based accounting systems, the company states. Automatic cash dispensing and a camera system are integrated into the software, and customers can be paid by cash, check, or a combination.
ROM also includes truck dispatch and bin tracking using handheld computers. Data is transferred to the main file server, allowing the dispatcher to pull any tracking report at any time and view real-time data.
ROM’s newest enhancement is Total Operations Manager, which allows multiple satellite facilities to be managed with the same database from the main location.
The program, which can accommodate an unlimited number of sites, costs $55,000 to $95,000 based on the number of sites (with receiving, shipping, and accounting, for example, each counting as a site).
A typical installation involves five to seven scales and a 10-person office staff, the firm notes.
Call 562/981-1030 or visit www.21stcenturyprogramming.com.
Anderson Essentials Inc.
A recent entry to the marketplace—launched in 2003, with one installation so far—Scrap Force is a complete enterprise accounting system based on Microsoft Navision but adapted to the specific needs of recyclers, says Kevin Anderson, vice president.
Using a touchscreen interface, the system allows users to create scale tickets in a matter of seconds and add customers simply by scanning the driver’s license, the company notes. Scrap Force can also record and maintain images of each load and driver’s license for every transaction.
Scrap-focused features include the ability to make multiple payments (in cash or checks) per scale transaction as well as the ability to establish multiple price books based on various factors. Scrap Force can also automate bank
reconciliations and allow writeoffs for weight differences when applying cash, the company notes.
Among its other functions, the system can:
• record information on the vehicles delivering scrap, including whether the material arrived via a company truck, contract driver, or someone not affiliated with the recycler;
• track commodity inspections and generate an inspection ticket;
• notify the recycler when CFC agreements expire; and
• record deductions for trash, water, mud, and other problems.
A dispatch module includes the ability to track driver performance and CDL status; record when containers were picked up or dropped off; and compare the mileage, fuel, and other costs associated with a particular driver.
In addition, the system helps schedule preventive maintenance, tracks maintenance inventories and costs, and even tracks the work record of the technicians, with direct and indirect costs.
Scrap Force prices are based on the number of users and modules selected, with a 10-user system ranging from $70,000 to $100,000, the company says.
Call 888/437-9699 or visit www.scrapforce.com.
Mayer Information Technology
Mayer Information Technology says its Materials Manager business tool is in use by 23 customers worldwide. The product, designed to run on a central server but accessible over the Internet, can be used with equal effectiveness by small recyclers or those with multiple locations, the firm says.
Billed as a total business management tool, Materials Manager offers inventory management, purchasing, pricing and freight control, container management, billing and payment, and production tracking.
A condensed version of this is the Small Business Edition (SBE), which allows customers to add modules as they require them. “The software is designed to allow each customer to customize it to perform the same way they run their business,” says Marion Bays, director of applications development and support.
All transaction details are stored in real time. Though Materials Manager does not offer an accounting package, it interfaces easily with most standard accounting products, the firm says.
Both Materials Manager and Materials Manager SBE include a scale management system. This program captures scale data immediately and inserts it into the main database. In a polled environment, scale data is collected locally and uploaded to the main database at specified intervals.
“Capturing data in real time makes it immediately available through the company’s database,” Bays explains. “Running the polled version maintains the integrity of the scale data in the event that the server connection goes down or is interrupted. The ease of use of the scale program in conjunction with massive functionality allows the user to move material on and off the scale quickly and with maximum information.”
Operations Manager, a software package that tracks shredder productivity and downtime, can be purchased as a separate module. Document Manager, also available separately, is used for communicating with customers on contracts, tickets, and invoices.
Mayer is developing handheld terminal software to enable yard employees to regrade or make deductions to incoming material from the field, Bays says. The company is also considering developing an ATM package as well as motion scale processing to allow a number of railcars to be weighed in sequence.
Pricing for Materials Manager starts at $21,000 for the small business edition, which includes three corporate database users, one scale program, one accounting interface, and five days of on-site training and support. The full-scale edition includes dispatch, freight, brokerage, and cash advance capabilities as well as material requisition planning and pricing.
Mayer charges an annual support fee equal to 15 percent of the user license fees. This fee includes telephone support and access to a customer support Web site.
Call 905/943-7733 or visit www.mayerglobal.com.
PARADIGM SOFTWARE L.L.C.
Paradigm Software’s CompuWeigh system is designed for any weigh-based business including recyclers, landfills, transfer stations, MRFs/RRFs, container tracking firms, fleet maintenance companies, and other operations. The system has more than 600 installations across the United States and Canada, notes Jackie Barlow II, vice president.
The Microsoft Windows-based CompuWeigh offers users a choice of Access, MSDE, SQL Server, or an Oracle database and can operate in real time without relying on a constant network connection by utilizing Message Queuing. Notably, CompuWeigh is NTEP-certified by the National Conference on Weights and Measures, the firm states.
The system can interface to a number of peripheral devices such as RFID readers, proximity card readers, barcode readers, gates, lights, and external printers. In addition, it can interface to video recorders to write transactional information to the screen, with that information recorded along with the video for later access, explains Barlow.
CompuWeigh features an integrated accounting module and the ability to interface with any third-party accounting package that has importing capabilities, he adds.
Prices range from $8,000 and up.
Call 410/828-9223 or visit www.paradigmsoftware.com.
RECY America Inc.
RECY America is part of German-based RECY Systems AG, which this year marks its 20th year in the recycling software market. The product has been installed in more than 450 operations with 5,000-plus users worldwide, the firm says.
“RECY was one of the first packages for the recycling industry with accounting integrated into the system,” says Frank Bosco, sales director for RECY America. RECY’s core product, which supports 19 languages, includes 12 applications that are key to running a scrap operation, the company says.
These include price management, contract administration, scale programs, cash purchases and sales, purchasing, sales, brokerage, claims, stock control, freight control, reporting, and system administration (encompassing printers, users, and security). Separate modules are available for dispatch and container tracking, archiving and image storage/retrieval, customer contact management, non scrap purchase orders, and fixed assets.
RECY has expanded the system’s financial reporting features and recently introduced a fixed asset management module that allows fixed costs and cost of operation to be uploaded directly into accounting. This module tracks all components of an individual asset for more accurate depreciation and costing.
Instead of SQL Server, RECY runs on Progress, another relational database. “It’s very simple to use, very stable, and does not require constant changes and fixes,” says Bosco. “Companies running Progress typically do not require a database manager.” Technical support is available by phone or e-mail, he adds, with most problems resolved quickly.
Progress runs on most of the operating systems in use today, such as Linux and Windows. RECY requires one database server, a terminal server that manages the communications between the PCs and the database server, and workstation PCs.
Prices start at $15,000 for a four-user package, though the cost of a typical RECY installation, including 15 to 25 users, averages $60,000 to $100,000, according to Bosco. Buyers pay a software license fee for both the server and the client users. Each new module purchased also requires a server fee and a client user fee.
Call 610/489-4903 or visit www.recyamerica.com.
ScrapWare Corp.
ScrapWare is a comprehensive recycling management package that includes 11 different modules covering every aspect of scrap operations. It has been installed at more than 200 locations in North America, the firm says.
ScrapWare2000 has almost unlimited customizability, with each installation designed specifically for the customer. Despite this, the system is “very easy to use,” says Joe Floam, vice president. “The out-of-the-box product meets the needs of 95 percent of the industry.”
The most popular modules include retail and industrial purchases, sales contracts, and shipment and sales, which provide all of the essential front-end purchase and sales functions as well as inventory management. The purchase and sales of material and associated reporting are almost totally automated based on data input at the scale.
Dispatch and container tracking are the second most popular modules. “Trucking is the bane of the industry,” Floam says. “We try to tame it by capturing the information that lets recyclers know what it costs to operate their fleet.”
ScrapWare2000 supports multiple users and one or more locations via a dedicated Windows server. The system can also run on a standalone Windows PC. ScrapWare2000 has the following interfaces: digital camera, electronic scales, ATM, barcodes, GPS, and touchscreen. The system also interfaces with popular ledger software packages.
Prices start at $18,000 for five users.
Call 301/517-8500 or visit www.scrapware.com.
The Shared Logic Group Inc.
The Shared Logic Group Inc., one of the original recycling software companies, has served the scrap recycling industry for 24 years. The company says it has more than 250 installations nationwide, with its Recycling Industry Management and Accounting System (RIMAS) one of the most widely used recycling software packages.
“Over the years, the program has undergone major revisions as technology has evolved and customers have made requests,” says Larry Smith, president. Today, RIMAS is a complete scrap company management system that includes accounting, inventory, dispatch, purchasing, shipping, and much more.
Smith is particularly proud of the system’s purchasing capabilities. “Purchasing is the key to any scrap program, and we spent many years developing systems to handle this important function,” he says.
The purchasing capability includes a complete contract system that electronically establishes prices, quantities, descriptions, shipping terms, and other important details based on data input.
A total of 250 different reports and 35 forms are standard, plus customers can design their own custom forms.
Optionally, RIMAS has the ability to send reports, forms, and contracts to customers via e-mail or fax, and it stores images of all produced documents. E-Doc Executive, the document storage and retrieval program, is powerful but easy to use, Smith says, noting that any stored document can be called up on the screen with a few keystrokes.
The optional Mobile NT/P software provides dispatch and trucking management capabilities. Drivers use handheld computers to input trip data and scan container barcodes at customer locations. At the scale, the scalemaster performs grading and inspection with a handheld device that interfaces with the scale receiving systems.
ID Scan Shell—the latest upgrade to RIMAS—uses an optical scanner to scan the customer’s driver’s license at the scale. The driver’s license, photos of the material, and key data about the purchase are stored in the database as part of each transaction record.
To keep technical support simple, Shared Logic maintains and supports one version of RIMAS so that all customers have the same functionality. When a customer requests an enhancement, Shared Logic programmers design it and make it available to all customers as part of their normal weekly update. “Existing customers all have access to and can download any new features we introduce that they would find useful,” Smith explains.
An entry-level Shared Logic package sells for $20,000 to $25,000, which includes accounting, inventory, purchasing, and sales. With the options that customers choose, most of the company’s installations cost $40,000 and up.
Call 419/865-0083 or visit www.sharedlogic.com.
Synergistic Systems
ScrapBoss, a total trucking management system for the scrap industry, was developed by Synergistic Systems in cooperation with Systems Alternatives International L.L.C. Since 2002, ScrapBoss has been installed at three scrap processing operations, Synergistic Systems reports.
“In the scrap industry, the cost of goods is partially related to transportation costs, so it is critical for a processor to be able to track those accurately,” says David Lee, vice president for sales and marketing. “That’s the whole purpose behind ScrapBoss.”
ScrapBoss includes automated trip entry, container control, and trip and driver data that interface with the company’s accounting system. This allows all trip and container data to be shared without requiring any reentry, the company says.
The dispatcher electronically sends trip information to the driver’s handheld computer, including the trip type, location, and driving directions as well as the type of container to drop or pick up. Truck locations are monitored by a GPS, which updates truck positions every 10 seconds and creates automated state line crossings, fuel tax reporting, and odometer readings.
When the driver has picked up a container and scanned the barcode, the system transmits the data to the scale software system. This helps minimize wait times and congestion back at the scale because the scalemaster knows exactly what is inbound and can view the trip record or print a ticket prior to the truck’s arrival. At arrival, the load is weighed and graded, and the information is transmitted directly to the main computer.
“Drivers were cautious at first when the system was introduced, but now that they are familiar with it they love it,” says Lee. “It’s so much easier, there’s no paperwork, and they don’t waste time sitting in their trucks waiting at the scale.”
ScrapBoss is priced on a sliding scale based on the number of trucks, and its average time for return on investment is nine months, according to a customer’s prepurchase analysis.
“In scrap operations, trucking is a cost center, not a profit center,” Lee states. “By managing drivers and containers, ScrapBoss decreases the cost of scrap and increases profitability.”
Call 904/249-0201 or visit www.syn-sys.com.
Systems Alternatives International L.L.C.
Systems Alternatives International L.L.C. (SAI), founded in 1981, offers several software products for recyclers. With more than 300 installations worldwide, SAI’s customers include many of the scrap industry’s largest players, notes Jerry Martz, senior consultant.
The company’s flagship product is the Commercial Recycling Enterprise System (CRES), which is designed for recyclers with multiple locations but which can be scaled to firms with a single plant, he adds.
CRES is currently available in Linux and UNIX versions, and soon will also be offered for Microsoft, Martz says. CRES’s key features include a full range of operations management systems such as truck and rail electronic scale and retail scale management as well as integrated financial management systems, SAI says.
CRES includes corporate and branch controls, real-time audit trails, automated daily financial balancing, and other advanced functionality, the manufacturer says. It also features touchscreen interfaces, RFID tag reading, wireless handheld inspection systems, and barcoding.
In addition, CRES is designed to integrate with SAI’s new Mill Buy Plan system, which tracks a mill’s purchases of scrap, scrap complements, and other commodities.
CRES also integrates with Synergistic Systems’ ScrapBoss dispatch management system for the scrap industry.
Other SAI products for the recycling industry include:
• Email Alert!s, which deliver e-mail notification regarding items such as settlements, overdue accounts, shipments, and credit-limit concerns;
• XSight Business Analysis, which runs in a Web browser and provides managers with information on purchases, sales, inventories, and other key data, with advanced “drill-down” capability, SAI says; and
• the Scrap Information Portal (SIP), a secure Web-based system that allows a processor’s or broker’s scrap suppliers to review information on payments, shipments, and contracts as well as enter shipment notices online.
SAI products are licensed based on the number of concurrent users. A basic CRES package costs roughly $50,000 to $80,000, with an additional charge for options such as XSight, SIP, or Email Alert!s. Call 419/891-1100 or visit www.sysalt.com.
Transact Payment Systems Inc.
Transact Payment Systems Inc. offers three products for the scrap recycling industry: ScrapDragon for buying and selling scrap metal; an ATM cash payment system; and Jpegger, an imaging product. Established in 1996, Transact says it now has more than 100 scrap recycling installations, including some of the largest multinational companies in the industry.
ScrapDragon is a total management system for buying and selling scrap metal. “It’s based on a scale system so that when your drive the truck off the scale, the transaction is complete,” says Ken Gruber, president.
Originally developed for purchasing, the software now includes contracts, inventory, and dispatch.
The process begins at the scale with a touchscreen monitor that displays the different types of commodities. The operator selects the appropriate one, then the screen displays gross and tare weight, price, and the total amount of the sale. When the truck weighs out, the ticket is retrieved and the data are permanently stored in the system, including contract information, special pricing, or deductions.
“Our goal is to increase productivity at the scale,” Gruber says. “The software is flexible enough to adapt to any company’s business practices and improve its efficiency.”
Transact’s cash payment system generates a magnetic payment card from the scale data. The card is then redeemed at the recycler’s on-site ATM. To simplify the system even more, Transact is developing a new software release that will issue rechargeable cards to scrap suppliers. The card would be loaded with the correct amount of the sale after each transaction, and the supplier would redeem the card for that value then retain the card for the next sale.
Transact’s Jpegger, a sophisticated imaging product, is integrated with the security and scale system and connects with the ATM to take and store digital images of transactions, the company explains. Entering the transaction ticket number into the system allows every detail of that account to be retrieved, including photos of the transaction and material.
Transact is working on developing self-serve scale kiosks, Gruber reports. In this system, trucks would be barcoded, and the scale operator would use the touchscreen to input data as with the current system. But the driver would sign electronically on the screen and receive a payment card right at the scale, eliminating the steps in between.
Each ScrapDragon module (which includes purchasing, sales, and dispatch) sells for $10,000, with a lease-to-own plan available. A standard, turnkey ATM package runs roughly $45,000. Jpegger software starts at about $2,000, though a typical setup runs $20,000 to $30,000 including all camera purchases and installations.
Call 727/894-5035 or visit www.tranact.com.
WILLIAMS SOFTWARE
Developed by Greg Williams, owner and manager of a Los Angeles-based recycling operation, Williams Software is a powerful enterprise software that is integrated with cameras, barcode readers, and scanners to allow scrap processors to capture both necessary financial information and required information for regulators, while also reducing the threat of employee or customer fraud and facility vandalism.
Based on the concept of “disconnected computing,” Williams Software is designed to meet the needs of business executives who travel, managers and salespeople who may not work from a single desk, and customers who need continuous access to their sales information, the company notes. Williams Software has been installed at several West Coast facilities.
Pricing starts at $18,000.
Call 323/564-9969 or visit www.williamssoftware.com.
Lynn R. Novelli is a writer based in Russell, Ohio.
Recycling-focused software is becoming more user-friendly and increasingly sophisticated. Here’s an overview of major products aimed at helping scrap recyclers electronically manage their operations.