The approach of a new year gives businesses an opportunity to consider new ways to meet the competitive challenges of the future. In our last blog, we explored two New Year’s resolution scrap metal recyclers could make in 2025 to improve their efficiency and profitability. Specifically, we discussed increasing employee retention and going paperless as two projects’ firms could undertake in the new year. In our second installment, we explore a third possible New Year’s resolution for scrap metal recyclers; 2025 software.
Get industry specific software
The beginning of a new year presents a great opportunity to get ahead of the game with industry specific software. For those without a solid software program, huge benefits can be reaped by installing state-of-the-art software. For companies that already have software, it might be beneficial to evaluate if your software can do any more for you.
There are numerous benefits of recycling software, but most fit into three primary categories: profitability, regulatory and anti-theft compliance, and inventory management.
1. Profitability
Managing pricing and contracts and optimizing fleets of trucks and their routes are just a few of the areas in which software can help make decisions that impact the bottom line. Software can manage materials, cash, shipping, sales and inventory. Software can enhance recycling business owners’ ability to make choices and set up systems to enhance profits and facilitate business growth with the use of better data. Here are some of the ways software can help profits and efficiency:
Managing Purchases, Quotes and Contracts
Nothing impacts the bottom line like the purchasing process. With software keeping track of purchases, recyclers can have quick access to an assortment of pricing methods. With the software’s insight, recyclers can improve productivity and adapt purchase and sales decisions according to the ever-changing market conditions.
Route Optimization and Fleet Management
With GPS and route optimization software, incredible efficiencies are available to recycling businesses by making sound decisions about fleet use. Fleet dispatching software optimizes precision scheduling for container movements and vendor servicing. Using this software, recyclers can get an overview of total composite costs.
2. Regulatory and Anti-theft Compliance
As the popularity of recycling programs has increased, so has the regulatory burden on recycling businesses. Much of the regulation, especially in the scrap metal recycling business, has to do with cracking down on the theft.
Here are some of the features good recycling software packages should have to help recycling businesses comply with a state and local laws.
License scanning – License scanners allow recycling businesses to scan vendors’ drivers’ licenses and immediately and permanently associate those with a purchase ticket. These can be filed and accessed for law enforcement inquiries.
Signature and thumbprint capture pads – These can be used to link a thumbprint or a signature to a purchase ticket. The data can be reproduced for any ticket requested by police.
Network digital camera interface – Cameras can be linked with a scale interface to take photographs of incoming material. These photos can be printed, saved, emailed or uploaded to compliance websites, like Leads Online.
Tag and Hold – As theft of valuable material has become more common, some state and localities have passed “tag and hold laws.” Many software recycling systems include a mechanism to print tickets that comply with these laws and avoid a shut down.
Payment method – The use of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and other cash dispensers allow recyclers to choose payment methods that are most appropriate for complying with state and local laws. A good recycling software package will integrate with ATMs and cash dispensers.
Anti-theft reporting – Most recycling software generates a variety of reports to help comply with state and local anti-theft laws. These reports can be uploaded to law enforcement or kept on file to retrieve whenever they are requested by police.
Date files – Leads Online, BWI, Texas DPS. These are just some of the places recyclers upload data files to comply with local laws targeted at anti-theft measures. A good recycling software system will allow recyclers to upload files to these organizations and others from different states and of different formats.
3. Inventory Management
Recycling is an inventory-based business. Recyclers need to have a firm grasp of what they have in stock, at what yards and at what costs. Software can put this information at a recycling business’s fingertips, giving them visibility over all inventory in real time.
ScrapWare’s inventory management system allows you to set up, maintain and manage your inventory in three ways. The first way is to “Regrade” it, which allows you to regrade a purchased raw material to a finished good and/or one or more commodities. Secondly, they can “transfer” inventory, which lets them move material between yards or from one division to another within the same yard, without cost information. Finally, the inventory can be moved to “finished goods.” This classification enables them to place processed, packaged finished goods, such as bales and boxes, into inventory.
Following Through on Resolutions Key to Success
A key part of making a New Year’s Resolution is planning for follow-through. ScrapWare software makes it easy for scrap metal recyclers to learn more about and implement its software solution. Visit our website and schedule an online demonstration or call 301-517-8500. You can even do a demo of ScrapWare online. ScrapWare works side-by-side with customers to ensure their success with utilizing its software. With ScrapWare’s premier installation and training, companies that move forward now can have new recycling software up and running by early 2025. In this way, they can experience the operational benefits of recycling software to gain a competitive advantage in the coming year and beyond.
About ScrapWare Corporation: Since 1989, Rockville, Maryland-based ScrapWare Corporation has been the software of choice for the recycling industry. Its ease of installation and simplicity saves users time and money while helping them achieve compliance and maintain accurate business insights. With state-of-the-art functionality tailored to each organization’s unique requirements, ScrapWare is an advanced dynamic software solution that alleviates the most pressing recycling industry worries. For more information, please call (301) 517-8500 or visit https://www.scrapware.com/.