Computer Revolution

Five to ten years ago if you asked scrap recyclers what equipment was absolutely necessary to successfully run their businesses, it would have been unlikely that computers would have landed among the top five spots. Indeed, they may not have made anyone’s short list. But as the bard said, "the times they are a changing."

Today, computers are taking their place next to shredders, shears, balers and skid steers as equipment necessary to run a successful and efficient scrap recycling operation.

Among those Recycling Today spoke with, computers were almost universally used for accounting and office management. In fact, respondents mentioned accounting and office software programs as the ones most frequently used by staff. This is not surprising. After all, scrap recycling operations, as with any business, must track invoices, accounts receivable, payroll and so on.

Michael Kirk, manager, Golden Metals Trading, LLC, Littleton, Colo., is a strong believer in using computers for office applications.

"The purpose of using computers is to move towards a paperless office," says Kirk. "We want to have a system whereby anybody in the office can access information."

At City Carton Co., Iowa City, Iowa, Shared Logic is the main accounting software package. As with many other firms, City Carton uses a variety of Microsoft packages for various uses.

"We use Microsoft Excel for spreadsheets, Microsoft Word for word processing and Microsoft Outlook for e-mails," says Tom Rowland, City Carton’s chief financial officer. Importantly, City Carton makes use of a wide area network that connects computers among the company’s various facilities.

Computer software is finding applications not just in the offices of scrap yards. Ben Harvey, vice president, E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc., Westboro, Mass., notes his company is using a Dossier program to track maintenance procedures.

Harvey says the company is moving toward a system whereby parts inventory will be monitored by a bar code system hooked into a computer.

"The next step for E.L. Harvey will be for the company to integrate its scales into a software system," says Chris George, network administrator.

Recycled plastics processor P & R Environmental Industries, Inc., Youngsville, N.C., uses computer software to track inbound and outbound loads.

"Everyone has access to this software – Stay Organized Quick and Easy," says P & R’s Gary Pratt. "This helps us with materials requirements planning. We can, for example, determine if we have enough PET coming in to meet our needs."

The following is a mini-guide of computer software packages that may be of particular interest to scrap recyclers. By no means is this guide an all-inclusive one. It is designed to get you started in looking for software packages for your business. (Inclusion on the list does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by Recycling Today.)

Systems Alternatives Inc.

-SAI Executive Management Systems

This system is designed to meet the needs of buyers, traders and managers. These executive systems use windowing technology to give decision-makers fast, easy access to critical business information. Powerful features of these systems include: quoting customers, booking orders, checking financial exposure, searching freight rates and reviewing position status.

-SAI Recycling Management Systems

At the heart of this software for physical processors of recyclables is a unique system for truck and rail scale purchases, sales and yard transfer transactions. Posting to purchase and sales, contracts, cutting bills-of-lading and automatically integrating to the cashier function are just a few of its features.

This system is designed specifically for physical recyclers and management of platform scale transactions. Purchasing multiple item ferrous, nonferrous, paper and post consumer recyclables is fast and easy using SAI’s "hot keys" and "fast find" key.

This system provides the tools needed for handling of commodity inventory in the recycling industry. This system provides for transfers and adjustments of both weight and dollars as needed.

-Purchase Order, Shipment and  Histories

Provides for entry and printing of purchase orders.

Handles the unique demands of buying and processing nonferrous materials for the industrial and commercial recycler.

-Sales Order, Shipment and Histories

Provides for the creation of sales contracts and shipments, and produces the associated contract forms, shipping documents and invoices. It interfaces with the Electronic Scale System.

Manages non-physical brokerage and trading business. Provides consistent accounting and position information form both sides of the transactions.

Provides timely and accurate freight rate database to help select the right carrier with the best overall rate.

Streamlines supplier price management with flexible formulas based on published prices.

-Integrated Financial Management Systems

Builds and maintains a complete, flexible chart of accounts with multi-level consolidations and extracts. Integrates financial control and reporting.

Provides sales invoice integration, flexible procedures for cash application and detailed management reports including accounts receivable aging and past due exceptions.

Supports the efficient entry and payment of trade and non-trade vendor invoices and credit memos. Includes editing, balancing and forecast features to aid in the daily and month-end payable processes. Also included are freight invoicing, accounts payable histories and check reconciliation.

Provide efficient means to streamline the management and daily processing of computer information.

SAI has developed a file conversion utility. Executed on a batch or demand basis, this utility puts the power of custom report writing into the user’s hands.

A high-performance multi-user computer system specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of GENERAL LINE DISTRIBUTORS. Offers total management control of inventory, sales, quotes and purchasing.

Simplifies conducting periodic physical inventories. Tags and drop sheets are generated to record inventory data and upon completion, entry into the "DP System.

-Shared Logic Group Inc.

The Recycling Industry Management & Accounting System (RIMAS NT/P) by The Shared Logic Group Inc., Holland, Ohio, offers Windows/NT and Windows/95 (32-bit) compatibility, a true graphical user interface throughout the system, client/server architecture, Internet and Intranet Compatibility, SQL database on server and desktop and ODBC interface to PC reporting/financial/analysis tools.

Available software applications include: general ledger, account master, accounts payable, accounts receivable, commodity inventory, purchase contracts, scale receiving, material receiving, purchase history & analysis, sales contracts, sales history & analysis, dispatch, freight accounting, payroll, bank register, purchase settlements, sales settlements, brokerage shipments, purchase/sales pricing, material shipping and service invoicing.

The program is particularly useful because "many scrap companies get into brokering and need a program to meet this need," says Larry Smith, vice president of Shared Logic.Recycling Management System

This is a fully integrated accounting and inventory system designed for the recycling industry, according to its manufacturer, Uptain & Associates Inc., Chipley, Fla. This system includes modules for accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, payroll, fixed assets, general ledger and financial reporting.

The CANS module helps recyclers track containers placed in offices. It prints an appropriate inventory tracking sheet.

The BALERS module is for tracking baler revenue and cost by baler location.

These programs can be run on an IBM System/36, AS/400 or a personal computer.

-Recycling Sales and Tracking Program. A very easy to use Windows based program designed to track the sales and purchases of all materials in a single or multi-user environment. Features include customer database, custom material and sub category creation, receipt printing, reporting week, month and year to date totals, and customer billing summaries.

-Atlas Equipment Manager. This is a very easy to use Windows based program designed to control all equipment maintenance. It helps increase maintenance productivity and reduce equipment downtime. The program enables scrap companies to keep material costs down and reduce repair parts inventory. Features include detailed equipment information, periodic task scheduling, detailed inventory, labor monitoring, and work orders.

Datamaster Plus is designed to manage data for heavy capacity and light capacity weighing applications and is offered by Fairbanks Scales of Kansas City, Mo. It offers multi-tasking capabilities with Windows-compatible software. It is flexible enough to meet the data collection needs of heavy capacity and light capacity applications, according to the manufacturer.

The program allows the operator to enter new storage information right from the weigh screen. The information, which is stored in multiple tables, can be easily linked together to minimize operator keystrokes and speed up transaction processing.

-Recycling Management System (RMS)

The Recycling Management (RMS) system automates the daily accounting and management information needs of recycling industry businesses, according to its manufacturer, Four Lakes Business Systems, Inc., of Madison, Wisc.

The RMS software is designed to be modular and can be installed in phases. The system modules include: recycling account & management, sales contracts, inventory management, product profitability analysis, scheduling and container tracking, equipment maintenance, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and general ledger.

The RMS software systems are designed to run on a PC compatible DOS operating system having a minimum of 4 MB of main memory and 100 MB of available hard disk capacity, says Carl Williamson of Four Lakes.

-BestEdition Accounting Software

-Peachtree Office Accounting

This package enables you to work with Microsoft products such as Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook. It can be used for sales and receivables, purchasing and payables, general ledger, payroll, inventory/services, job and project tracking and related functions.

According to the software’s manufacturer, the Peachtree Office Accounting package is 100% IBM-compatible with Pentium 90 or higher. It is designed for Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 and above.

You don’t need to be told the scrap recycling business is getting more competitive. A computer system, with the right software package, can make the difference between being able to compete successfully or falling behind.

Selecting the right computer software package for your particular operation can be daunting. However, the time spent on researching which system is best for your business will be well worth the time and effort.

The author is a former editor of Recycling Today.