By Michael Hess, President/CEO, Waste Harmonics - 6-10-2019
Whether you run small boutique hotels or a series of larger chains, you have a great deal of
responsibility to keep day-to-day operations running smoothly. You’re consistently looking to boost your
bottom line, enhance customer service, make sure your space is in tip-top shape and find ways to
streamline operational efficiencies.
One area that may fall to the back burner is waste management — but in an environment where a
merry go round of guests visit daily, it’s one area that should remain a top priority. Working with a
managed service provider can help save you time, money and stress by pinpointing waste needs, increasing waste efficiencies and utilizing the latest technology.
Evaluate and prepare
Before we jump directly into the technology that will help transform your waste management practices,
one key thing is to analyze your current processes.
When it comes to waste management, one size doesn’t fit all. Your hotel waste needs will greatly differ
from your other hotel locations and surrounding competitors. Take an inventory of your waste policies,
procedures and staff. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How much are you currently spending on waste and recycling? This includes fees associated
with equipment, hauling and disposal. - Do you have the appropriate equipment?
- If you have more than one hotel, how many different haulers are you using? Working with
different haulers in multiple locations means a variety of capabilities and procedures, which
costs you time and money.
Auditing your current waste management practices will help you understand where your system is
currently at and how it can be optimized for current and future needs.
Ready, set, TECHNOLOGY
It’s no secret that technology is changing the way we operate in our personal and professional lives.
Here are a few ways technology is gaining traction in the waste management space and can transform waste management practices at your hotel.
Track and analyze your waste usage. If you’re not consistently tracking your hotel’s waste output,
you may be missing opportunities to customize your waste management system. Implementing a
tracking system enables you to keep a close eye on your current waste management capabilities and
how much waste you’re generating.
A monitoring system can measure things like waste receptacle fullness and the status of the whole
power unit, including oil temperature, switching controls, safety features, container connections
and system operating performance. As a result, your hotel can maximize landfill diversion and
capture what waste can be recycled or beneficially reused.
Working with a managed service provider can help you choose a tracking system that is best for you,
and identify and evaluate key metrics to provide your hotels with customized solutions. This system helps reduce costs and provides reports that have detailed information into your waste
management program such as waste spend, ongoing program statistics and service insights.
The data generated from a tracking system will help you optimize and analyze waste needs based on
your usage. By digging deeper into your data, you can track and set goals based on your current
performance as well as continually evaluate where waste management efficiencies can be realized.
These efforts make your waste management program truly personalized to what works best for your
hotel while also complying with state, local and federal regulations for proper disposal.
Get your head in the cloud. Today, some managed service providers offer cloud-based ERP systems,
making it easier for you to stay connected and pay your bill.
Some managed service providers also use a similar system for vendor bidding, which is a network
that compiles a wide range of competitive vendor options to ensure that you get all your waste
management needs for a cost that fits within your budget. By working with a managed service
provider on this process, you can easily gain access to the bidding process via a customer portal
that’s designed to let you manage and monitor all available options. Get ready to say hello to cost
savings and waste management capabilities that are right-sized for your hotel properties.
Waste management meets IoT. Internet of Things (IoT) technology can help drive even more cost
and time savings. Think of it this way — once you have your waste tracking system in place, IoT
takes it to another level via remote access. That means you can monitor your small dumpster,
compactor and baler waste anytime, anywhere, and from any device to ensure everything is running
smoothly.
For example, if you’re looking a simplified way to keep tabs on your disposal machines at your hotel,
an IoT-driven, smart trash-compactor monitoring service can give you real-time access to your
equipment – providing you with a full run down on everything including equipment status, controls
and fullness. And the best part is that you can monitor the equipment at any time that is convenient
for you. These benefits directly translate to a streamlined process that reduces expenses and helps
you maximize your time and resources.
Whether you’re a regional hotel leader, a multi-national chain or a hotel management company,
waste management technologies can enable significant financial and environmental benefits. You
work hard to guarantee every guest has an exceptional experience every time they choose your
hotel and tuning in closer to your waste management practices will help continue to drive those
exceptional experiences.
Michael Hess is Founder, President/CEO of Waste Harmonics, which provides customized waste management services for businesses with single or multiple locations across North America. Before acquiring Waste Harmonics, in 2001, he served as Vice President of U.S. Operations for Capital Environmental Resource Inc., a $120 million in revenue solid waste collection and disposal company.
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