Necessity is the mother of invention, and this well-known proverb can be put into play when it comes to ASK Waste Management Consultancy and its Cooee software.
The software was designed after ASK principal Giles Perryman saw a need for a waste facility data management and reporting system suitable for smaller waste facilities. While there are a few such systems available for high-end enterprises, Perryman found that they could be prohibitive for those facilities that were of a smaller scale.
Cooee came about after ASK had spent more than a decade producing waste strategies for regional and rural local councils. Giles and his team asked the question, “where’s the data on the waste you are collecting?” The councils typically didn’t have any, which was problematic. It also became apparent that any type of data collection software was out of the price range of the smaller waste processing facilities.
“There were a few systems already in the market, which were generally focused on the bigger 100,000 tonnes-plus facilities,” said Perryman. “And these smaller facilities just couldn’t justify that cost. After about 10 years of finding this being a common issue with several councils and facilities, we just thought, ‘well, how hard can it be to invent our own?’”
ASK’s initial foray into the space wasn’t that successful due to the system being undeveloped, but after a few hits and misses, the Cooee system came into being. One of the key initial findings was how the information needed to be presented to the client so they could not only interpret it quickly, but also input it and get access to it easily.
“It was a little frustrating initially, but we had to get over it because the way we were reporting it back to the customers, they needed to access the files through a server,” said Perryman. “And that meant going through local government firewalls, which could cause issues. That’s why we decided to use a web-based system so the customer can log in through their browser and they’re not pushing data into their system. They’re seeing it online. They do have the ability to download the data if they want to.”
One of the key attributes ASK incorporated into the system was its ease of use. Because a lot of the managers who would be using the system within a small council wear several hats in terms of their job descriptions, it was important to have something that could offer a quick overview of what’s happening in the waste space.
“They spend maybe a day a week – tops – looking at waste,” Perryman said. “We’ve set Cooee up so that it’s got dashboards where it’s already presenting the key information and graphs visually. Users literally flick it open and within two minutes they get a good overview of what’s happening at the facility – what revenues there are, what waste classes are being used, and what quantities have come in. That’s it. Then they shut it down again and go into what they’re doing next. We’re aware they’re very time poor.”
Other features include the ability to convert units into tonnages, as most of the facilities that use the system do not have weighbridges. For example, it can give a reasonable estimate of what three fridges, or a trailer of greenwaste, etc might weigh instead of gatehouse staff having to guess the weight. This, according to Perryman, gives the councils a much better handle on what is going through the facility.
“Also, when it comes to invoicing, when they have account holders, the information can get reported straight through to finance so they can issue an invoice that day,” said Perryman. “Our customers have said the ability to invoice promptly is great. In the past, it could be they would issue the invoice six weeks after the customer had put through the waste.”
The system also allows a council to manage, count and monitor who is using tip passes and who isn’t.
One of its best features is the biggie at the end of the year – their reporting to the regulator; the information is there in front of the user. There’s a special dashboard just for that purpose, which offers up the key information that needs to be reported.
As for ease of use, it is similar to a plug-and-play system – that is, the simplicity of how it works is integral to the reason why ASK developed it in the first place. Perryman said the company has spent a reasonable amount of money on R&D to get it to where it is. He said it takes about an hour of training to get those at the coalface to use it properly. If there are any issues, ASK has a helpdesk for customers. So far, they have had interest from major markets in Australia.
“Cooee is used at eight facilities in Western Australia, with another six coming on line soon, and we’ve got eight facilities in Victoria,” Perryman said. “We’ve got interest in Northern Territory and New South Wales. Hopefully, we’ll be getting more interest.”