choosing a software

8/3/2019 Choosing a Software

1/3

Software

Choosing a Software Package thats Right for YouMatthew R. Walsh

Confusing, as it may be to some, Choosing and

implementing recycling management sotware is

becoming more o a requirement than an option due

to changing laws regarding scrap businesses. Laws

vary rom State to State, but every States legislation

ollows the same premise: adhere to specifc payment

restrictions, record detailed inormation about the

customer and their transactions, track sales and

purchases, and retain records or a certain number oyears.

All in all, the laws are not

complicated to ollow, but

many scrap businesses ail to

do so properly and some even

fnd themselves in trouble

with lawmakers because

without sotware to manage

transactions and customers, the paperwork begins to

pile up and records oten get lost.

Recycling sotware eliminates or reduces the need

or paperwork, encapsulating all related inormation

inside o a database. The sotware acts as a gateway,

instantly providing inormation at the click o a button.

However, not all sotware is created equal. Business

owners oten become dismayed and discouraged while

searching or a sotware package that fts the needso their business and risk compliance issues as well

as other problems such as scrap thet, and employee

thet.

Consider the Future

Recyclers should not only consider the present,

but also the uture o their business. Are there

technical limitations that stand in the way o business

Y v by xpv fp y, take Your timewith making the right

decision.

Nexus recalling an image o the customer taken at the scale window during a payment transaction.Photos courtesy o AEON Blue Sotware & Development.

Nexus recalling a video recorded rom a hidden ceiling camera during a cash payment.

Nexus scanning a customers fngerprint during a transaction.

34 WasteAdvantage Magazine April 2011

As Seen In


2/3

expansion? Is the sotware up-to-date? What type o eatures

should be available at the time o purchase? Is the sotware

going to be reliable? These are all valid questions that no oneshould ignore.

There are many sotware packages on the market. A

simple Google search will yield the most popular or relative

products. There are many points to consider, but recyclers

should know the laws in their area beore even entertaining

the idea o purchasing a sotware system. When contacting a

sotware vendor, ask them about the laws in your area, cross-

reerence the laws with the vendors sotware to see i it is a ft.

ScrapLaws.com has a sotware compliance check system thatrecyclers can use to make sure their current or prospective

sotware eatures match the requirements o their State.

Almost every state requires recyclers to scan drivers

licenses and fngerprints, however, some States require digital

signatures to be captured as well as pictures to be taken o

the customer and the vehicle. When choosing a sotware

program, look towards the uture. Just because your State

doesnt have strict requirements now, doesnt mean they wont

soon. The ederal government requires salvaged vehicles to be

reported to NMVTIS, some States have their own reporting

systems as well. Some States even require that payment

cannot be made by cash. Take all o these requirements into

consideration when choosing an application. Solid, consistent

resources about States and their laws are tedious and hard

to fnd; however, www.scraplaws.com is a good site to fnd

inormation regarding the laws surrounding recyclers States

as well as resources and reporting guidelines.

FeaturesThe more eatures a sotware package has, does not

necessarily mean it will be more expensive, or that it should

be. Unortunately, some sotware developers charge in

upwards o $50,000 or sotware alone, and many charge

maintenance ees, which can be in upwards o $1,300 per

month. There are reliable, up-to-date and ully compliant

packages on the market which cost as little as $10,000

and even some which do not charge maintenance ees. It is

important to shop around and take your time when choosing

sotware as it will be a major part o your business. With any

business sotware: reliability is key.

In addition to cost, other eatures that should be considered

when selecting this type o sotware include:

It should be able to support ngerprint scanners, drivers

license scanners, signature capture devices and IP

cameras.

Ask the developer what programming language their

sotware was written in. I the sotware has been written

in Visual Basic 6 (VB6), keep looking elsewhere. Thisprogramming language was discontinued over 10 years

ago because o perormance and reliability issues and

may not be supported on newer computers.

C swr Pck R r y

A Car Crushing CompanyImplements a Software Package

that Saves Them Time and MoneyPortsmouth, OH is a small town with a population o 21,000

people. A local car crushing company, that draws a respectable volume o people

both rom neighboring towns as well as residents rom Kentucky, was aced with the

challenge o customers who would try stealing rom them by loading bricks into the

back o vehicles, lling buckets with water, etc. The company also had issues with

employees stealing cash when scale tickets were paid. They needed a sotware package

implemented that would manage their transactions and cut down on the thet issues.

Ater researching a number o packages online, the company ound the Nexus RecyclingManagement System (www.nexusrecycle.com) developed by Aeon Blue Sotware (Tampa,

FL), a company specializing in creating sotware or any business which has a need or

custom tailored solutions. Aeon Blue also develops sotware and manages network and

server inrastructures or multiple industries, but caters to small businesses and even

residential computer users. Their primary ocus now is sotware or the recycling industry.

The car crushing company called Aeon Blues reerences, read the magazine articles in

which Aeon Blue was eatured and called or a demonstration o the sotware. As a result,

they immediately made a decision to go with Aeon Blues sotware package, Nexus.

The implementation took six days. Aeon Blue sta few to the customers location,

purchased computers, cameras, networking equipment and all the required materials

or the customer. During the six-day implementation, everything was congured and

set up or the customer; Aeon imported their products, pricing, customers and made

modications to the application to suit their business needs. The last three days o the

implementation process were spent training the employees rst hand. By the sixth day,

the car crushing company was ully running on Nexus without urther need rom Aeon

Blue.

The sotware has now been in place or about two months and operations are

extremely successul. Nexus allows them to track all their transactions; it integrates with

a computer-controlled locking cash drawer, which records video rom multiple angles any

time the cash drawer is opened. Cameras watch the scale and the scale-house window

recording video and images o the customer and the scale. Their customers are now

required to submit a ngerprint, drivers license and electronic signature to ensure scrap

thet purchasing is kept to a minimum. Scale tickets are generated instantly and stored in

the computer, eliminating the need or boxes o handwritten paperwork. Vehicles upload

to the NMVTIS system and their States agency with the click o a button, eliminating

hours o manual entry. Employee cash thet is now down 100 percent, and thet by thecustomers due to the security eatures o the program is expected to be down as much

as 80 percent as well. The customer is even more satised that there are no maintenance

ees or support costs, which save them on average $12,000 per year.

The car crushing company now has the most up-to-date product on the market that

cost them a quarter o some o the other quotes they received. They save annually about

$12,000 in maintenance ees since Aeon Blue does not charge them, and they receive

24-hour support whenever they need it, even or non-Nexus issues. They save on average

three to our hours a day by the system handling NMVTIS reporting, and theyre making

and keeping more o their money. With a computer system in place managing theirday-to-day routines, the ear and uncertainty o employee and customer thet has been

eliminated almost completely. Within the next two months, the customer will be opening

two additional locations and will be implementing Nexus in those as well.

36 WasteAdvantage Magazine April 2011
http://www.scraplaws.com/http://www.nexusrecycle.com/http://www.nexusrecycle.com/http://www.scraplaws.com/


3/3

The .NET platform is the most up-to-date programming platform from

Microsoft. Software written in .NET will be the most efcient and reliable.

The software package should have a reliable database system such as

MySQL, Microsot SQL, or Oracle; i it doesnt it is likely the sotware hasdatabase limitations, which will cause problems in the uture.

Software should never have limitations with devices or computers. If a

package is not supported on your version o Windows, or will only

support specifc printers or devices, keep looking; once those devices are

discontinued, you may fnd yoursel purchasing another sotware package. All software packages should report to NMVTIS as well as complying with

your States reporting guidelines.

Ensure the company you choose to go with has the ability to provide you

with support when needed.

Take Your Time

You dont have to buy the most expensive sotware package to get what you

need, take your time with making the right decision. At the end o the day,

recyclers should ensure they have the most up-to-date sotware, with the mosteatures possible. Choosing sotware that is compliant with States that have

stricter requirements, such as Caliornia, Arizona or Texas, will likely ensure

compliance in any State and prepare recyclers or the uture and prevent issues

with compliance and help protect against scrap thet. | WAMatthew R. Walsh is President and Lead Sotware Developer or AEON Blue

Sotware & Development (Tampa, FL). He is an expert computer specialist and

programmer who has developed enterprise sotware or GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW,

Lamborghini/Audi and Mercedes-Benz. His company has produced marketing sotware

or social networking conglomerates and has also managed heavy trafc networks

and inrastructures or international corporations and a major internet provider

simultaneously. Aeon Blue Sotware is the developer o the Nexus sotware package or

recyclers. Matthew can be reached at (813) 333-1112 or visitwww.NexusRecycle.com.

WasteAdvantage Magazine April 2011 37

The Nexus touch screen interace.

2011 Waste Advantage Magazine, All Rights Reserved. Reprinted rom Waste Advantage Magazine. Contents cannot be reprinted without permission rom the publisher.

As Seen In
http://www.nexusrecycle.com/http://www.nexusrecycle.com/

choosing a software

Documents