AMCS Platform Winter Release 2023

New Master Route Management work center

The new Master Route Management work center has been transformed for the Platform UX, including a modern, responsive interface, improved digital mapping functionality and new analytics support to allow planners to filter, group and sort data such as routes and visits. It allows users to avail of the features and benefits of our Master Route Optimization suite (via a separate subscription) for periodic route optimization.

New Transport Validation work center

This new work center (available January 2024) has been transformed to take advantage of the Platform user experience. The initial delivery available in January focusses on commercial route work only and provides a means to view high level summary KPIs (e.g., planned vs. actual) with the ability to drill down to exceptions requiring corrective actions. The transformed user experience makes it easy to complete route validation and to identify and resolve exceptions, thus protecting against revenue leakage.

Enhancements to Smart Dispatch

These enhancements include:

Improved control of stacked containers and trailer jobs - When planning scheduled (Roll-off or Skip) trips with multiple jobs (drop, exchange, return), the dispatcher has new controls to allow for container stacker only for appropriate container types (e.g., no stacking for Roll-offs.) This allows the dispatcher to plan more accurately where there are possibilities to stack containers.

Re-allocation of skipped or rejected jobs - This allows the dispatcher to readily re-allocate skipped or rejected jobs to a new route. This improves both dispatcher and driver productivity.

Enhanced visibility on driver job confirmations - For scheduled Roll-Off jobs, there are new color status codes to show whether job completion was triggered automatically by a geo-fence or manually by driver confirmation on the mobile. This provides the dispatcher with a more granular and faster understanding of job completion status.

Automatic scheduling of standing (recurring) Roll-Off jobs - This allows the automatic scheduling of standing jobs (recurring jobs) on a Roll-Off route. It will also allow the sequencing of each job in the route depending on a priority sequence number e.g., a one sequence number takes priority over a two-sequence number. This will save the dispatchers planning time, reduce the potential for errors and maximize service.

Fleet Maintenance Enhancement – Smart Inspection Option

This new option provides technicians and drivers alike with a customizable solution to record all required vehicle and safety checks including those required for regulatory (such as DOT) compliance:

• Pre-trip (typically driver/operator)
• Post-trip (typically driver/operator)
• Inspections as part of a PM (typically mechanic/technician)

Using a tablet or phone (Android or iOS), the driver/operator/technician can step through the inspection while doing the asset walkaround, and the data is posted in real-time, so there is no lag between the inspection and initiation of corrective action if needed.

Fleet Maintenance Enhancement – AMCS IoT Hub

The new AMCS IoT hub collects data from various sources (e.g., telematics, sensors) as well as performing analytics and seamlessly feeding this data into AMCS solutions. It acts as a single connection point and central data store for both AMCS applications and third-party vehicle and container sensor data providers. 

Once a meter reaches the appropriate threshold level, AMCS Fleet Maintenance will automatically initiate the workorder workflow to perform the appropriate maintenance. 

Fleet Maintenance Enhancement – Multi-lingual support

AMCS Fleet Maintenance now supports French and Spanish language (including full VMRS translation) with the preferred option selectable at the user level.  This supports ease of adoption and productivity for multi-lingual staff and driver teams. 

Because VMRS is translated along with the Fleet Maintenance UI, the actual Work Order details will automatically be translated. This means that, for example, a Spanish-speaking and English-speaking technician could both be active on the same Work Order, and each would see the data in their own language.

Vision AI: Improving driver safety with automated insights

Vision AI users now can access a new camera safety module where operators can view live video stream from any vehicle and in addition have ability to view recorded safety events (initially harsh braking) and associated video recordings from the on-vehicle cameras on that vehicle.

This provides a single dashboard where users can view exceptions such as safety, overfill and contamination exceptions that have been generated by Vision AI. It surfaces highlighted video images on the portal to allow transport supervisors to coach their driving team based on documented evidence of safety incidents.

Carbon Emissions Calculator

A new carbon emission calculator in Route Planner allows the setting of CO2 eq. emissions (e.g., kg/L) and fuel consumption (e.g., L/km) value to vehicles, in compliance the EN 16258:2012 standard. Emission KPIs are calculated for all planned routes based on the distance driven. This allows planners to measure the impact of optimized master routes based on targeted CO2 emission savings.

New Supplier Pricing Automation options

There is a new single standardized account concept for both customers and all types of suppliers. New pricing automation options include:

• Bulk price change (increases/reductions) automation 
• Price threshold management (maximum and minimum costs)
• Price hierarchy – four levels of pricing that can apply
• Pricing based on source and destination, allowing the configuring of prices for various sites based on a single service agreement whereas previously individual agreements were required. Note this new pricing feature is also now available for all customers (AP and AR)

Full Price Hierarchy with Company Outlet Service Agreement (COSA)

The Price Hierarchy in AMCS Platform is designed to define and source prices at four levels: Customer Site, Customer, Company Outlet, and Price Books. This means that prices can be standardized where possible and negotiated at customer or site level when necessary. Its positive impact is to reduce the number of price lines to be set up and maintained and to ensure that a price can always be sourced from the appropriate level of the hierarchy for quoting and billing.

The COSA is the third level on the hierarchy, and it allows the standardization of prices for specific services for a defined operational area (depot/outlet, operational area drawn on maps). It is particularly useful for defining a price list for residential services and regional prices for a wide range of services where standardization of pricing is desirable to protect margin.

Financial Document Management – Debit Notes and Proof of Service

New automated support for Debit notes (an amount owed to the operator) allows for easier communication of balance forwards on externally migrated customer accounts, such as those acquired through acquisition or migration from a legacy ERP. 

• Debit notes can also be automatically generated by the order wizard for the upward account service adjustments on fixed charge accounts and the debit and rebill of an AP invoice. 
• Debit notes can be automatically generated on demand and delivered electronically. 
• Proof of Service tickets (e.g., disposal, work orders etc.) are now available on the Platform UX and can be automatically delivered with invoices.

Enhanced Management of Deposits & Prepayments

A new separate visual presentation and treatment of deposits (partial advance payment to secure an order) and pre-payments (full payment made in advance) on CSR and financial dashboards enhances the clarity and transparency of our individual processing of each item. 

These enhancements increase the automation and compliance of the financial processing of both items.

New AMCS Financials Connector

There is a new API based connector to support an automated one-way push of general ledger summary details into AMCS Financials work center from the AMCS Platform. This provides customers with a plug and play connector.

This is the first stage in a multi-phase program to offer a fully integrated solution for both operational and financial data in the AMCS Platform.

Turn your Scale into a Point of Sale with AMCS Pay, Cash, and Checks

Scale operators can now accept payments (integrated AMCS Pay PoS terminal cash and checks) from casual customers paying to bring materials over the scale and those customers purchasing finished materials. This payment process provides new control including enforcement of full payments. 

A casual customer may be converted into an individual account to provide greater automation for use for repeat business.

Quick Entry Scale Workflow for a first time Peddler

The guided workflow is built for speed of service with minimum keystrokes, large button touchscreen options and minimum data fields to expedite the initial weighing of the load and linking to the peddler. 

After the tare weighing, the peddler account is set up and payable records are generated. An individual account is set up for each peddler, giving more control and visibility for any repeat material sales. 

The result is an optimized process that maximizes service and speed at the scale, while promoting repeat business.

Import of Inbound Direct Movements to Third Party Destinations

Import an electronic file of scale ticket data from third party destination sites, eliminating any need for manual input of individual ticket data. 

This saves manual effort, time, and reduce the risk of errors.

Grading E-mail Notifications

This automates the generation of an emailed document to a supplier with respect to material supplied. The document contains the ticket number, material/container description, images, notes and details of any non-conformance and pricing variations. 

These material details are captured using the Mobile Grading APP and this process can be used by recyclers and operators of any waste facility to make claims against material suppliers.

Automated Quarantine Controls

The automation of quarantine rules allows the setting of controls to put specific materials (often hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead, PCBs or turnings with oil that need drying etc.) aside for a defined period sometimes in compliance with regulations. This may include anti-theft regulations where the purchase of catalytic converters will be subject to a quarantine period and deferred payments.

This quarantined material is recorded in inventory but cannot be processed or paid for until a notification that the configurable period has expired. Payment type (cash or check) and a deferral period can be configured by material type.

Automated Controls of Prohibited Materials (PM) and Environmentally Sensitive Materials (ESM)

Operators can ensure that any inbound materials exclude prohibitive or environmentally sensitive materials. Where such materials are detected, the inspector can either decide to reject the load or ensure that the contaminants are safely isolated before the material is put in storage and/or processed. 

Inspection checklists can be defined per material and loads (e.g., an inspection checklist for a fridge or an autobody prior to shredding). For example, a fridge or auto body will require an inspection checklist to ensure the correct removal of oil, gas, and refrigerants prior to shredding.

Compliance- Quantity Threshold Controls

Controls the maximum per unit quantities of a material by that is received in the facility, for a specific period in adherence to operator defined and local anti-theft compliance regulations

Configuration of resolution of material images on Mobile Grading APP

Where there are Wi-Fi bandwidth or network access issues, the user can decide on a per-yard basis per yard the optimized image resolution to be used on images of inspected materials.