“Mythbusting” is not only a hobby of some, it has become so popular that there is a reality show entitled Mythbusters.  While some myths are somewhat believable, others I scratch my head in wonder as to who would believe them.  The Lochness Monster, the staged landing on the moon, and the belief that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen after his death all seem unbelievable, but the following myths will surprise even the most reasonable individual:

1. Sugar causes kids to be hyper
2. We only use 10% of our brain
3. Dogs see only in black and white
4. De-oxygenated blood is blue
5. Camels keep water in their humps
6. Lightening doesn’t strike twice in the same spot
7. Right-brain vs. Left-brain determines personality type
8. Bats are blind
9. Vikings had horns on their helmets
10. Napoleon was short

Another Myth: Your software is only an expense and should not be expected to actually generate revenue for you.

Let’s debunk this myth by testing the assertion against actual case studies.  The case studies are derived from Alpine Technology’s customer base, Independent Haulers in the Waste Industry.  Before case studies are examined, we are operating under the assumption that your software should do two things:

Save Money or Make Money                                                                                 

• Cuts down on duplicated entry, thereby saving time and wages
• Cuts down on errors, which takes time and wages to correct
• Provides process efficiencies that take the place of activities that would normally take much more time to accomplish
• Improves productivity thereby cutting down on the need for additional workers
• Provides real-time information so as to avoid duplication and miscommunication
• Leverages mapping technology to display most accurate directions thereby capturing fuel savings
• Provides correct route directions to new driver to reduce training time, missed stops, and additional fuel costs.
• Provides real-time interface to capture revenue (extras, not outs, bulky items, etc…)

How much net revenue can you generate? 

Here is an example of a real company that currently uses Alpine’s in-cab computing system, Visual On-Route, teamed with their back-office solution, Visual RAMS-Pro for their residential routes.

• Residential Customers:                                                                              32,500
• Trucks:                                                                                                           5
• Average exceptions generated                                                                 5,600
• Not-Outs recorded/month                                                                        5,000
• Monthly Revenue Generated from billable exceptions:                      $3,200 ($38,400/year)
• Monthly Cost Reductions with Visual On-Route                                   $9,000 ($108,000/year)
• Total monthly revenue and savings from Visual On-Route            $12,200 ($146,400/year)
•  $$$ Return on your investment in the tablet hardware and Implementation……….……………………………………………..…………436% ROI

What could you do with an extra $146,000? 

This dispels the myth that your software can’t generate income for your company.  You must evaluate your software in light of what it was intended to do: create efficiencies, minimize error, reduce expenses, and increase ways to capture revenue.  Does your software do that for you?

If you want to read more about how you can generate extra revenue for your company and investigate more case studies Click Here

To view a similar study that was done in 2010 in Great Britain that showed even greater savings from adopting in-cab computing solution Click Here

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Bishop’s family, when Jim was 15 years old, bought the land for $450 in 1969 and intended it to be used as a family project to build a cottage. As the cottage grew, the neighbors commented that the structure looked something like a castle; Jim decided that was the direction he would take. One stone at a time and 47 years later, he crafted an elaborate, complex, and magnificent castle.  It remains “one man’s massive-obsessive labor of medieval fantasy construction.” Through the years, his anti-government, non-conformist temperament landed him in the middle of various disputes with the government.  Also, Jim is not known for being quiet about his beliefs and occasionally has outbursts with more than one expletive and/or political rant.

While we have heard these rants before, this last trip Jim decided to take a break from his labor and walk us through some of his strategy for the front gate of the castle. He is passionate about the work that he continues to do and has a vision for what it is ultimately going to look like.  He uses resources he has obtained from all over the United States; from friends, family and donors.  He brings all his knowledge of welding, machinery, architecture and geology to his magnificent creation.  Finally, he has a resiliency and resolve that is unparalleled. This past year, Jim was diagnosed with cancer and was told he did not have much time to live.  A year later, after licking the cancer, he was back to building.  In fact, Jim said to me that he now has to quadruple his building efforts on account of the “year of cancer he had to sit on his ass”. Whatever you may think of Jim Bishop personally, one thing is true…he is a passionate architect that has accomplished a feat that borders on miraculous that people will enjoy for generations to come.

As we left the castle, less than a mile down the road we saw a sign that read, “12 miles to Beulah”.  To anyone else this sign may be insignificant; but to me it has great personal significance.  You see, a few miles from Jim Bishop lives another great architect, Michael Baker.  An equally brilliant architect that has spent nearly 40 years of his life building his own “castle”.  You may not measure its expanse by the number of stones he has laid, but you can measure it by the number of people whose lives have been changed by his creation. Mick Baker’s creation?  Visual RAMS-Pro (VRP).  It is no trivial thing to build a comprehensive software application for any developer.  But to build an application of the magnitude of VRP would take a lifetime for any experienced developer.  What is so different about VRP that makes it stand out far and above any other software applications like it in the Waste Industry? If you knew the architect, you would better understand the answer to this question.

• Michael (Mick) Baker is a first of all a studied listener and learner. Having a brief conversation with Mick is impossible because he first seeks to fully understand you before he will offer an opinion.  He started off in the aviation industry, designing navigation systems for aircraft.  The migration from aviation to waste management software was triggered when a friend of his in 1979, Doug John, who owned a waste hauling company in Roseburg, Oregon, needed a software solution to manage his routes and business.  Alpine Technology and the predecessor to VRP was born. Mick still listens to that friend to this day to learn of better ways technology can be leveraged to help his business.  VRP is an outgrowth of hundreds of thousands of opinions from those people who matter most…the ones that will use the software.
• Mick is a visionary architect. Like Jim Bishop, Mick realizes that each little piece of code created potentially impacts the whole.  If this is not considered, short term modifications could impact long-term stability or functionality.  Mick always begins with the end in mind.  When speaking with Mick about almost anything I am astounded how carefully he listens and can follow through any process to its logical conclusion. Even greater than that skill is his patience with those of us that might take a few minutes to “catch up.”
• He is resourceful. Jim Bishop gathers critical resources from around him, particularly from those who share his vision.  Likewise, Mick reaches out to a community of business operators in the Waste Industry for operational insight.  He reaches out to a community of technologist spanning all disciplines for future trends.  He reaches out to a vast village of developers speaking different “languages” for ways to do things more efficiently. Finally, Mick reaches out to the people who are closest to him for wisdom and feedback.
• He is sensible. Mick is not impressed with elaborate, complex, and “cool” features that no one will use but the marketing department.  His main concern is usability.  If the people who currently use VRP do not find a feature valuable and easy to assimilate into their work, then they will not use VRP…period.  That is “bad business” says Mick “our users are our greatest sales people”.
• He is a legacy builder. Typically when one places “legacy” with “software” in the same sentence it means old or outdated.  This is not the definition I am referring to here.  Mick understands that in order for Alpine and VRP to survive there must first be a firm software foundation (infrastructure) created that future generations of applications can build on. Then, he believes there must be good people in place that will own and carry that vision to the next generation of business users.  Who will take over Bishop’s Castle when Jim passes on?  Tragically, his vision will die with him.  This is not the case with VRP; a community of people who have caught Mick’s vision will carry the torch.

Do you now understand how insights into the architect of VRP can give you deeper insight into not only how VRP was created but its usefulness to any company that uses it?

This has truly been a tale of two architects.  I have spent time with both these brilliant men and feel privileged simply to have been in their presence.  Though Alpine Technology will not make the list of Top 10 places to visit in Colorado like Bishop’s Castle, its flagship software, VRP, will continue to be heralded as one of the great software applications to serve the global Waste Industry.

On a personal note, there have been few men in my life that have impacted me as Mick Baker has.  His quiet wisdom rooted in a love for Jesus Christ, his business acumen, his passion for practical software development, and his friendship have fueled in me a greater passion for God, life and for what I do. A humble servant in the eyes of many, but a great warrior in the eyes of God. Thank you, Mick, for the privilege of working side-by-side with you as you serve others.          

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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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In the beginning was the computer. Many were afraid of and intimidated by this new creation…surely, they thought, it would eventually disappear like the dinosaurs.  Much to their dismay, those fearful souls realized it was not going to go away and, like poison ivy, they would have to learn to live with the disruptive gadget.

Then, a strange thing began to happen…more and more people adopted them and actually enjoyed working with them.  It DID exist to make our lives easier…didn’t it?  However as the computer infiltrated more and more homes and businesses, a phenomenon evolved where users realized that though this computer purported to save them time, it was actually consuming more time and keeping them from getting work done!

Technology should help you organize your time and work, not just displace it with more work.  Visual RAMS-Pro was created on that premise.  For that reason, every Visual RAMS-Pro user that has worked with Pending Charges has been amazed with how it has saved them time.  That is why VRP Pending Charges is our third thing you may not know about VRP.

In short, if you have a seasonal promotional, a limited-time discount for new customers, or any other campaign that involves changing a charge after a period of time, Pending Charges are a must.  When you set up your customer, you will place in the date you want the change to occur, the new charge amount and item in the Pending Charges tab and then think no more of it. When the date is triggered, the new charge will be applied to the customer and the old charge will be logged in the history for your review. Now that all the Post-It notes are removed from your desk and monitor, your desk will look much better.

Stay tuned for the final two things you may not know about Visual RAMS-Pro.

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