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Blog May 2020 Updated December 2023

Municipality of Groningen has a 100% clear insight into performance

The municipality of Groningen has a 100% clear insight into the performance

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Lara van Rijswijk

Head of Marketing EMEA & ANZ

The municipality of Groningen has a 100% clear insight into the performance

A 100% clear insight into the overall operations is just one of the significant benefits for the Municipality of Groningen of using the integrated solutions from the AMCS Platform. The city, in the Northern part of the Netherlands, has digitized and automated all the operational waste processes with the integrated IT system, according to a recent customer video. The leading industry-specific platform for waste and recycling companies provides end-to-end integrated solutions. For the municipality of Groningen, the city benefits from the integration of AMCS CLEAR and AMCS Mobile Workforce solutions.

One of the major advantages of this is the real-time exchange of data enabling the municipality to have a 100% clear insight into performances of all operations at any location and time. As a result, during the execution of the orders, the drivers, dispatchers, and customer service representatives are always up-to-date on service and collection activities. This has resulted in 100% satisfied drivers while at the same time significantly reducing driver churn.

Video Groningen

Driver Ronald: “through digitalization things have changed for the best”

“In the beginning, it was a big change, but once you are used to it, you wouldn’t want it any other way.” Uplifted words of Yvonne v.d. Klei-Westermolen, dispatcher of the Municipality of Groningen. For over two years the city has automated and digitized the waste collection with the AMCS Platform. All onboard computers have been replaced by the AMCS Mobile Workforce solution which runs on an android tablet to support drivers during the day to execute orders and empty underground containers.

It made her life so much easier, according to Yvonne in a video AMCS made in the city. “I was used to working with paper lists, but I now send the instructions digitally to the drivers." When she starts work in the morning, Yvonne first makes the daily schedule for the drivers. During the day, through the real-time data exchange between the in-cab tablet and the enterprise management system, she is constantly updated with where the trucks are against the schedule. "I can quickly see which driver still has a lot to do and which truck could use a helping hand." Additionally, she can fit new jobs in real-time between the scheduled ones. “One of the main benefits of this is that we can spread the workload better among the drivers and trucks.”

Also for driver Ronald Wieringa, things have changed for the best. “We can drive directly from one container to the next, and, even new drivers can find all the locations easily. And if there are any problems, we can let the office know right away through the mobile device.” Through a digitized workforce, the city profits from many benefits like the reduction of fuel usage, mileage, and CO2 emissions. Additionally, other benefits are 100% satisfied drivers, dispatchers, and cost and time savings on administration.

Integrated system streamlines all operational processes

AMCS Mobile Workforce is one of the solutions of the industry-specific AMCS Platform the city of Groningen is using to digitize and automate operational processes. "In addition to the Mobile Workforce tablet solution, we also use AMCS CLEAR as the integrated system to streamline all operational processes, unmanned weighing at the waste recycling facility and Qlikview as our analysis tool”, says Richard Bakker of Groningen Operations.

"Over the years, we have automated a lot of waste and recycle activities. Household waste collection, emptying underground containers, collecting commercial waste with wheelie bins, but also cleaning streets and manholes, and graffiti removal, including personnel, timesheets, planning, and routes”, he cites. "Because the city has a ‘pay-as-you-throw system’, we also have a link with the Diftar, the local waste system to register how much waste we collect at each household.”

With this, the AMCS Platform provides the municipality with a complete and integrated range of waste-specific solutions to automate and digitize all their waste and recycle activities. It was specifically this complete end-to-end solution that was one of the main reasons why AMCS Platform was Groningen's first choice. Richard Bakker: “IT plays a key role at Municipality Groningen. It is impossible to imagine working without the various software applications from the AMCS platform. For more than 20 years, we have been loyal users of their software and we know how to get the best out of it. It has brought us many benefits. It is something you no longer consciously think about as it has become a normal part of the job. Our greatest challenge at the time was to centralize all branches of our service in a single system. Each service branch used to work with its own software. Obviously, a lot of effort was needed to integrate everything into a centralized system, but everything went very smoothly.”

AMCS Mobile Workforce provides the financial benefit of reduced costs

As a centralized and integrated system, the AMCS platform has enabled the city to improve efficiency all through the operational waste processes. This is evident from a comment by Gerard Vedder, Operations Manager at the Municipality Groningen. “For instance, the most significant benefit of the Mobile Workforce tablet solution is the possibility to schedule orders more quickly, which provides the financial benefit of reduced costs. Due to the more efficient use of equipment, fewer trucks are needed for waste collection which results in a reduction in our costs. Through the real-time data exchange, between the in-cab mobile tablet of the driver and the enterprise management system, information about the collection on the streets is immediately made available. In the case of faults, for instance, direct action can be taken; quicker repairs mean better service to households or users.”

Vedder also notes that online communications are significantly improved, "Households in the Diftar councils affiliated with the municipality can implement their own waste collection policies using their own personal digital ID (DigiD). Additionally, the integrated system has the possibility for online applications like environmental passes or containers and online notification of bulky waste. Automating the process through one centralized system also provides invoice benefits of one bill per customer or household. One of the other major benefits is the clear view this, the city of Groningen now has of their operations. To achieve this KPIs are monitored, for instance, hours worked on assets, both staff and equipment monitoring, turnover of work carried out versus work scheduled", he explains. “With this AMCS Platform has contributed to a clear and 100% insight into performance.”

The IT development at municipality Groningen is becoming increasingly important, Vedder says. “We are putting together plans in which forecasting and route optimization are key items. We also expect that with this development, there’s no telling how far we’ll go.”

AMCS’ Platform

AMCS Mobile Workforce is one of the six solutions of the AMCS Platform. The AMCS Platform offers a fully integrated and end-to-end portfolio of solutions to manage the waste and recycling lifecycle. Solutions include Enterprise Management, Intelligent Optimisation, Mobile Workforce, Vehicle Technology, Digital Engagement, and AMCS Analytics. These industry-specific solutions are developed to support the AMCS Platform strategy focussing on driving revenue growth, margin expansion, operational efficiency, and sustainability. AMCS lives up to those words with a product and development team of around 200 people, currently investing 20% of overall turnover in product development.

AMCS Mobile also available for legacy software customers

AMCS Mobile Workforce is one of the six solutions of the AMCS Platform. Each of the six solutions seamlessly fits like a jigsaw puzzle into each other, forming the unique end-to-end integrated SaaS solution for the waste and recycling industry. However, solutions like intelligent (route) optimization, the customer portal, and Mobile Workforce are also integrated into existing legacy software. This way all AMCS customers benefit from the innovative software solutions of AMCS Group.

AMCS Mobile is currently available for customers using:
• Clear
• Tower
• RMO

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