Landfill operators are increasingly realising the huge productivity and operational gains that machine guidance and reporting solutions can deliver.

These landfill management tools offer a host of benefits to landfill operations such as optimised density, increased safety, reduced leachate and the ability to eliminate overfill. Machine operators typically embrace these systems and learn to use them very quickly, however some sites struggle to see who will have the time or skills to manage and optimise the data these platforms deliver back in the office.

Getting up to speed with new technology can be daunting, especially when everyone is strapped for time. But with a little support, even if it is just to get everything up and running smoothly and give employees all the information they need, the benefits are well worth it.

How managed services can help

To help you close the skills gap experienced by some landfill site operators, Aptella has developed a custom-designed managed service for the industry that combines reporting solutions, remote support and diagnostics tools, alongside machine guidance to provide a wholistic solution without the need to upskill or hire extra staff.

Aptella Managed Service is designed to save time and eliminate the skills gap headaches many site managers are experiencing by maintaining data integrity, generating and distributing reports and hosting the data on your behalf.

“By eliminating the need to manage the data from machine guidance systems, landfill managers are not adding workload to the business or having to train or hire new employees,” said Andrew Granger, Business Development Manager for Mining and Landfill at Aptella.

“Of course, many sites choose to handle the workflow internally which is great, however not all landfills have the time or resources to do so – that’s where our Managed Service solution could be a perfect alternative,” he added.

Managed Service incorporates the office reporting suite of the Carlson LandfillGrade solution, Carlson Command, along with Aptella’ custom-developed Tokara Link remote support tool. It includes:

• RTK Network Base station access
• An array of reports including:
  • AUF (density);
  • Utilisation reports;
  • Volume reports;
  • Efficiency reports;
  • Daily work area;
  • Real-time cut/fill colour map;
  • Customised reports on request
• Access to Command View – Mapping, Project Creation and Project Push
• Remote access to onboard system
• Automated Daily Data Backup
• Aptella Managed Cloud Server (Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine)
• Additional Customised reports available on request

All reports can be tailored by the Aptella team so that you get only the most relevant information at time frames to suit your workflow. They can also include comprehensive information on uptime, idle time, delay and downtime tracking, operator time sheets and project tracking.

“Because every project, site and customer has unique requirements, we’ve developed Managed Service to be a fully modular and customisable solution that meets the evolving needs of the waste industry,” Granger said.

“Some customers just want us to manage the data in the early months while they’re getting used to the system and then they’re off and running, whilst others prefer to have our team run reports for them on an ongoing basis. Others want to take it all on from the get-go.”

Optimising your machine guidance platforms from the office

Managed Service aims to give landfill management as much or as little direct involvement with the data as they wish. Data from the machine guidance systems is sent directly to the Aptella team via the Cloud, enabling technicians to support and send updated design files to the machines directly as well as send a wide variety of reports on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule as required.

Using Carlson Command, managers have the option to keep track of operations from the office (or anywhere with an internet connection) via a web portal.

This control, monitoring and data management system transmits data from the machines to the office and from the office to the machines; increasing both safety and productivity.

Managers can see and monitor multiple machines in multiple views, including plan view, from any remote location as long as they have an internet connection.

Machines’ positions can be viewed, cut/fill and elevation monitored in real time. Managers can even instant message each machine!

The system transmits through cellular, standard wireless and mesh networks. For sites without remote connectivity, data can be stored in the machine and copied to a USB drive for analysis later.

Technical Support from Aptella

Troubleshooting technology can be time consuming and frustrating when you have deadlines to meet and are juggling multiple tasks simultaneously.

“Feedback from our customers has always highlighted the importance of timely and efficient support,” Granger said, adding: “we’ve prioritised this with the development of Tokara, which enables our technicians to solve most problems without even visiting the site – the time and cost savings are huge.”

Tokara is designed to help you get the most from your landfill machine guidance with fast, comprehensive support when you need it.

The service enables Aptella’ technicians to connect directly to your machine via a small telemetry link to offer faster, hassle-free remote support.

Tokara puts as it were, a virtual Aptella technician by your operator’s side. Support solutions for landfill operations incorporate:

• Annual Tokara  hosting and data;
• Tokara  phone and email support;
• Web portal access for downloads and support videos;
• No charge for hire equipment during warranty repairs;
• Hire equipment while damaged equipment is repaired;
• Software updates;
• Annual machine inspection;
• Priority response for all support and repairs;
• Annual support summary report.

Aptella technicians are experts in their field and with the remote service capabilities enabled with Tokara Link, these technicians can solve most technical issues that arise without the need to visit the machine(s) in person, saving you time and keeping you within your budgets.

According to Granger, Aptella has been able to develop its Tokara suite through the unique set of skills and expertise built up by the company over many years.

“Our unique blend of experience and industry knowledge is the result of the evolution of Aptella from a close-knit network of state-based businesses to a single national company three years ago.

“This means we are ideally placed to deliver a single industry-wide solution: we understand the business, we understand our customers, and we understand what they want to achieve,” said Granger.

“Tokara has been developed in Australia, using Australian skills and programmers, based around customer requirements, and has been extensively tested with contractors and end-users throughout the country so that we know it works in our harsh environment and with our often-challenging telecommunications networks.”