We pride ourselves on the fact that 4th Bin are technologists and believe our use of current technology is contributing to the “cleaning up” of waste management. So we want to share a little bit about how we work – from a technology perspective.
4th Bin is made possible by companies like Google, Salesforce.com, Sprint, Apple Inc. GoDaddy and Microsoft. The combination of these technologies help us accurately track inventory from the first the initial client request, through the logistics stream, ending with our processor WeRecycle!. These technologies are also instrumental in giving us the ability to comply with state laws as they relate to e-waste collection.
We use a wide variety of Google Apps in support of our business. Google Docs allows us to provide real time intake reports which can be shared with clients for their internal and external purposes. The Android platform, along with Google maps, are the preferred tools by the rescue teams for everything from GPS mapping capabilities to gathering information on specific buildings. Google Voice provides our office numbers and voicemail. Analytics and Google Ads help drive marketing and sales.
Salesforce.com is our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. It is an invaluable tool that allows us to gather our client’s information and keep track of milestones as they happen through the process (conversation with clients, scheduling, pickup confirmation, inventory, weights collected). It also integrates a variety of other technologies that make the entire pickup process much more efficient.
Sprint is the data network we prefer – period. It has a robust and affordable voice and data plan which allows to always be connected. This lets us track all of the pickup and trucking logistics in real time. Through the Sprint network, real data of what was picked up, and how much, can be tracked with complete accuracy.
Last but not least – Microsoft. Microsoft is often bashed for its all too public struggles but is still very much a key player in software development. Its Sharepoint product is a great tool for organizing data into one centralized location for internal collaboration purposes. And it’s mail platform, Exchange, is the corporate gold standard in email. Both platforms are outsourced and hosted on GoDaddy’s network.
A number of other companies provide much needed services. Idrive provides data backups. M5 provides our phone lines. In addition to Sharepoint and Exchange, GoDaddy hosts our website. Vertical Response provides our email marketing services. Fax.com provides our fax capabilities.
So why did I tell you all of this? And how does it contribute to “cleaning up”. With the exception of our laptops, mobile devices and a couple of printers, we own no other equipment. No servers, no routers, no firewalls, no backup devices, no fax machines. All of our back-end services are cloud based. We are proud to say that we are minimal e-waste generators (even our laptops are “refurbished” for reuse). We compare it to taking mass transit instead of driving in to the office. We truly stand behind our words when we say that we’re the most ethical solution for e-waste.
~John Kirsch