Waste management to get a digital transformation facelift

ISB Global and SAP aim to digitally transform waste management with a focus on recycling, sustainability and zero waste across global supply chains. 

At present, a lot of waste management providers still use legacy IT systems, making it extremely difficult to track where waste is going, and in most cases, more recyclable waste is sent to landfill as a result.

ISB Global is already a certified SAP partner and global application development partner for Waste & Recycling One (WR1), ISB Global’s flagship integrated software platform. WR1 brings together specialist, integrated business processes in a single solution, using the same data for accuracy, compliance and reporting, allowing instant control and complete visibility across the business. This enables businesses to plan, track, capture and control their waste management and recycling operations more efficiently and effectively.

Similarly, SAP’s ERP solutions deliver control and visibility of key governance and compliance management processes for companies of all sizes – small, mid and large. Companies use SAP solutions to manage a broad range of complex business processes, including large-scale waste management and recycling.

“If the world is going to achieve limiting global warming to 1.5°C before 2030, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions from supply chains. An essential part of this process is to move away from our current linear economy, which is based on extraction, consumption and waste,” says ISB Global co-founder and CEO, Chris Williams.

“We must instead embrace a system that redesigns, reuses, recycles and reprocesses materials already in circulation – what is known as the circular economy. One of the key ways to persuade companies and supply chains to make this move is to develop, provide and support the technology that makes it easy to do so.”

Replacing legacy systems

According to Williams, growing companies tend to have multiple software systems in place, systems that may have seemed like a good idea when the business was smaller or were bought to plug a gap. Technology has moved at such a rapid pace over the last ten years and, as a result, software older than five or ten years is often classified as a legacy system. Therefore, it is easy to see why so many waste management and recycling organisations find themselves stuck with fragmented, outdated software.

“The trouble with legacy systems is that, in the end, they cost too much money. They are inefficient, expensive to maintain and they do not talk to each other. Ultimately, they are no longer fit for their original purpose, and they cannot scale up as the business grows,” explains Williams.

“These legacy systems are typically a mix of different applications, manual processes, and excel books. For years, businesses build up ways of working on these systems, so the concept of transitioning to something else can feel like a big step – and in fact, it is.

“In replacing legacy systems, companies are transforming key ways of working digitally. Digital transformation is about more than converting documents from paper to computer. It involves re-thinking how your organisation operates, updating business models, refining processes, and looking for more efficient ways to operate. This is no small feat and requires investment in time and money and commitment to see the change project through.”

Prioritising zero waste and sustainability

Through its Vendor Relationship Management Programme (VRM), ISB Global says they have developed partnerships, technologies, scale and presence to drive waste, recycling, environment, sustainability and circular economy solutions across every aspect of the supply chain technology eco system. ISB Global designed the programme with SAP and other software partners, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and low-code enterprise application development platform OutSystems.

The two companies have designed and engineered their solution suites to facilitate low code development. This enables organisation to quickly and easily create and add new features and expanded functionality to their SAP and ISB Global-based IT systems as soon as they are ready.

The WR1 platform integrates with existing, upgraded and new SAP ERP solutions. It is also engineered and deployed on the OutSystems low code platform and hosted and integrated to Amazon Web Services. Multiple industry supply chains such as manufacturing, oil and gas, chemicals, automotive, consumer products, fashion, mining and mill products – producers – and their waste can be managed far more effectively.

“Companies and industries must do their part alongside national governments to reduce waste and reduce emissions,” explained Williams. “ISB Global and SAP’s advanced technologies gives organisations the means and the know-how to implement waste management and recycling processes that are more effective and sustainable. They can radically improve their systems and infrastructure to eradicate waste, mitigate carbon impact and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We will continue to work closely with SAP to provide to waste and recycling providers and other innovative companies within the supply chain pioneering solutions that prioritise zero waste and sustainability, while also boosting productivity and efficiency.”