What are some of the technology uses that have been a benefit to companies during this chaotic time?

• Move to Paperless. Many times with paper comes human intervention and error.  There are many office tools currently available to minimize human intervention and streamline communication so customer needs are not overlooked.  Whether in the office or in the cab, more companies have adopted such technologies to process Work Orders, confirm service, digitize route lists, capture and process route charges, and much more.  These tools are worth their weight in gold! Studies have shown that the return on investment (ROI) of such solutions are sometimes as much as 300%.  Imagine making 300 times more than you spend?
• Leverage the Cloud. On premise solutions can be expensive.  Not only do you have to purchase the correct hardware you also have to keep on top of upgrades and a whole “farm” of servers.  This typically takes at least one seasoned individual in your company or an outsourced IT firm that will not be shy when it comes to charging you for their service.  The cloud is a technological phenomenon that allows you to access your solutions remotely and not have to worry about paying an IT firm to manage it…it comes bundled in your provider fees.  Also, the cost of licenses and upgrades is typically spread out over many companies and not simply on your shoulders. With Cloud solutions you are also taking advantage of advanced security protocols that your office may not be able to implement. Most applications these days offer both on-premise and cloud solutions, however, make sure to inquire about any loss of functionality that might exist between the two.  As everyone has already experienced in the pandemic, working from home can be as productive as working in the office.  Solutions like Zoom, MS Teams, Google Teams and more allow you to interact with, and manage, your staff almost seamlessly.  These applications are not going away in the future.
• Empower your Customers with On-Line Customer Portals. In the midst of the Pandemic, individuals are far more comfortable with e-commerce.  Whether it is ordering their groceries online to having meals delivered, the Pandemic has forced your customers to use online services more extensively.  With that, customers are also more prone to self-manage their services and pay online if a customer portal is available to them.  Again, most reputable applications provide this service. The benefits not only include accelerated receivables, but also less customer contact to bog down your Customer Service Representatives.
• Take Advantage of Efficiencies. Having a solution that integrates as many major aspects of your business as possible will allow you to streamline your business, minimize error, and take advantage of the efficiencies that come with such solutions.  You may now be able to have one person do the work of three and save on your payroll expenses.  With less error, you may be able to capture additional income or even cut expenses.  The greatest advantage, however, to an integrated solution is that you preserve the greatest resource available to you…your time.
• Set the Stage for Future Technological Advances. Historically many of the advances could be curtailed in a business on account of a technologically diverse employee base.  Some of your employees may be very comfortable with technology; others may not be so inclined.  Typically, changes are not undertaken unless the adoption rate is high.  The Pandemic has forced businesses to shore up ALL their employees’ technological skills and weed out those that will not adopt, or even will try to sabotage, technological advances.  This paradigm shift will set the stage for future successful technology implementations.

The pandemic has destroyed so many lives and will continue to do so until there is a treatment.  It is utterly impossible to look on the “bright side” of such a global devastation.  However, in the midst of the chaos, it has become clear that we have all had to grow in our technology skills.  Doing life and business a bit differently has hopefully opened our minds and transformed us into more willing adopters of new technologies.

Does your technology tool box allow you to operate productively and more efficiently?  If not, then begin the process of evaluating your processes and speak to professionals in the field.  Alpine Technology Corporation has been a leader in the Waste Industry for over 40 years providing powerful solutions, from the office to the truck to the cloud, that give you the tools to run your business successfully.  Visual RAMS-Pro is Alpine’s office solution, Visual On-Route is their in-cab computing solution, and AlpineLive is their Cloud solution.  If you have any questions, please contact Steve Fleming at sfleming@rams-pro.com or (719) 382-8214, ext. 110.

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For more than a week, hackers shut down the internal computer system at a Hollywood-area hospital for a ransom of almost $3.7 million, according to NBC 4 Los Angeles. The cyberattack forced the facility, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, to revert to paper registrations and medical records and send 911 patients to other area hospitals.

How did the story end? Did the FBI come to the Hospitals aid?  Were the cyber hackers apprehended and made to pay for the trouble they caused?  I ask myself, “something so clearly illegal and disruptive must have been anticipated and dealt with.”

The hospitals response?

“The malware locks systems by encrypting files and demanding ransom to obtain the decryption key. The quickest and most efficient way to restore our systems and administrative functions was to pay the ransom and obtain the decryption key,” Chief Executive Allen Stefanek said. “In the best interest of restoring normal operations, we did this.”

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware attacks will “wreak havoc on America’s critical infrastructure,” warns a report from the Institute for Critical Institute Technology (ICIT) , a nonprofit examining the cybersecurity of public and private infrastructure. “Ransomware is less about technological sophistication and more about exploitation of the human element,” says the report.

In most ransomware cases, hackers are looking to disrupt businesses and make easy money rather than re-sell the collected data to cybercriminals. “Reselling data can be highly profitable for cybercriminals, but requires expertise in both selling data, fraudulent activities and/or the ability to sell on the black market. All of these are risky and increase the likelihood of the attacker getting caught,” says Tripwire’s senior security research engineer, Travis Smith. “Now attackers can make hundreds to thousands of dollars per infection and get paid immediately, instead of going through other risky steps to make a profit.”

How do I protect my system from Ransomware?

To prevent a ransomware attack, experts say IT leaders should do the following:

1. Keep clear inventories of all of your digital assets and their locations, so cyber criminals do not attack a system you are unaware of.
2. Keep all software up to date, including operating systems and applications.
3. Back up all information every day, including information on employee devices, so you can restore encrypted data if attacked.
4. Back up all information to a secure, offsite location.
5. Segment your network: Don’t place all data on one file share accessed by everyone in the company.
6. Train staff on cyber security practices, emphasizing not opening attachments or links from unknown sources.
7. Develop a communication strategy to inform employees if a virus reaches the company network.

With the evolution and sophistication of cyberattacks, it is becoming more and more difficult for small and mid-sized companies to defend against the potential onslaught.  They just don’t have the IT resources in-house to lead the charge.  Alpine Technology Corporation understands this and, as a result, offers a solution that mitigates your exposure.  It is called AlpineLive.  Place your operations in the hands of professionals that understand the threats and can protect your data.  AlpineLive is hosted at state-of-the-art facilities and managed by IT professionals that do this for a living.  Downtime, loss of data, and business interruption are a thing of the past when you entrust one of your greatest assets, your IT infrastructure, with Alpine.  For more information, go to http://rams-pro.com/hosting-solutions.

Don’t allow the thing you have spent so many years building to be held ransom… take the next right step.

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In this fourth installment of Things You May Not Know About Visual RAMS-Pro we give you an important resource that will help you gauge your hauling operation.  However, while on the subject of Christopher Columbus, let’s debunk a few myths:

1) Columbus did not set out to prove the earth was round.  The ancient Greeks had already done so as early as sixth century B.C. (Pythagoras and Aristotle).

2) Columbus was likely NOT the first European to cross the Atlantic Ocean.  That distinction is generally given to the Norse Lief Eriksson who landed in present-day Newfoundland around 1000 A.D., almost five centuries before Columbus set sail.

3) Nina and Pinta were not the actual names of two of Columbus’ three ships, they were nicknames. While ships were traditionally named after saints, salty sailors tended to bestow less-than-sacred nicknames upon their vessels. Nina was the name of the owner of the vessel, Santa Clara.  The Pinta actually means “The Painted One” or “prostitute”.

4)  Columbus was stripped of his governorship and returned to Spain in chains in 1500 after the colonist complained to the monarchy about his mismanagement of the Hispaniola colony.

So, what does Visual RAMS-Pro offer that can help you chart a course to operational excellence?  Foxfire Custom Reports.  You need reports that are specific to your business and to your way of gauging success.  You need to be able to generate these reports any time you wish from any department.  VRP Foxfire reporting gives you that capability.  While most other software applications provide you with some canned reports, VRP goes the extra mile and not only gives you a host of operational and financial reports, but the ability to customize each of these to meet your business needs.  Don’t be lost at sea without your metrics to make it to the New World!  If you have any questions about how to use this powerful tool, give us a call at (888) 852-7267 or email support@rams-pro.com.

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Many waste management companies have a host of applications, including their line-of business software, but very little IT infrastructure to support them.  They spend inordinate amounts of money on server repair, network professionals and desktop upgrades in hopes of keeping the ship afloat.  When the system finally goes down, it then becomes obvious that the downtime not only disrupted their operation but eroded the faith their customers have in their business.  This is not the scenario mentioned above where technology saves you money.  The “head in the cloud” mindset now will cost them time, money, resources and their loyal customer base. Can you afford this to happen to your hauling operation?

Business owners need to get their heads out of the clouds and embrace an affordable solution: the cloud.  It is estimated that over a period of 13 years you could save over 66% off your technology budget if you leverage a cloud environment over traditional premise-based server systems. Allow technologists to take care of technology and you attend to your waste operation.  Protect your data from inclement weather, theft, or novice technicians.  Particularly with line-of-business software,  it can be cost prohibitive to purchase the software outright without seeking financing.  However, with typical cloud solutions, you can affordably lease applications with the assurance your data is still yours, but it is safer than you could ever make it!

Get your head out of the cloud and your business in the cloud.

Alpine Technology Corporation has been servicing the Waste Industry for over 35 years with powerful and comprehensive solutions for both their office and their trucks.  Their premier applications, AlpineLive, Visual RAMS Pro and Visual On-Route have saved companies hundreds of thousands of dollars.  You can purchase Alpine’s software or allow them to host it in their secure hosting facility in Denver, Colorado.  Call (888) 852-7267 or email info@rams-pro.com with questions.

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So, to stay consistent with the title, we must look at three aspects of ERP systems.

The Good
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), to those new to the software game, is a tool (application) used to integrate the data and processes of an organization into one single system. The many-times elusive “good” is apparent in the definition; its ability to integrate many processes into one single system. This is the most attractive aspect of ERP systems, hence the use of “enterprise”. Management experiences multiple applications on a daily basis that seemingly do not speak to one another and the notion of integration seems not only efficient, but financially sound.

The Bad
However, many times an ERP system may not be the best solution for an organization and could have many disadvantages. First, ERP systems are generally very expensive on account they include software, hardware, training, implementation, license, maintenance, consulting and other expenses that raise the cost of implementing an ERP System. Second, it is difficult to ascertain the success of implementing an ERP system with no tools or techniques available to exactly measure the return on investment. It is alarming to note the amount of time that is invested to implement an ERP system in an organization. In addition, workers have to shun their regular jobs and undertake training, which disturbs the regular functioning of the organization. Finally, the greatest impediment to successfully implementing an ERP project is the resistance of end users. Since the operators are used to using the legacy system they do not accept the new system easily, which could result in failure of the system and project.

The Ugly
Probably the main reason ERP systems fail is that the features and functionality of the system offers very limited customization and are often too rigid and too difficult to adopt the specific workflow and business process of many organizations. Re-engineering of business processes to fit the “industry standard” prescribed by the ERP system may lead to a loss of competitive advantage. Furthermore, the “industry standard” process prescribed by the vendor may not be the best practice followed by the company and could yield limited benefits. Many organizations cast away their “Line of Business” software, that brings them the features and functionality they need to remain competitive, only to waste substantial time, money and resources on pursuing a path, the ERP path, that rarely satisfies what organizations really need.

Based on the above, does this mean that ERP systems do not have a place in corporate America? No, there are specific organizations that such systems might benefit. However, over the years I have experienced multiple ERP implementations, in both small and large organizations, none of which were successful and were a drain on the company. It is important that every organization weigh the benefits and other alternatives carefully before deciding to implement an ERP system. It is never as easy as vendors make it sound.

Alpine Technology Corporation has been serving the waste industry for over 35 years with waste and route management software for both the office and the trucks.  Their office software,Visual RAMS-Pro, provides billing, work orders, container inventory, route management, customer and account management and much, much more. Their industry-leading truck solution, Visual On-Route, is far more than a mere routing software and allows the driver to be connected real-time to the office.  Visual On-Route keeps the drivers accountable while allowing haulers the ability to generate additional revenue streams and cut expenses through efficiencies.

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