Those readers that studied mathematics or computer science may remember the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP), an exercise in optimisation: given a salesman’s need to visit a certain number of cities in a reasonable timeframe, how can the shortest possible (and therefore most efficient) route be calculated? The problem is a computationally intensive one, and the computing power required to fully solve it grows massively with each extra “city” to be visited. Variants of the TSP are encountered in many real-life scenarios, including logistics and waste management.

Integrated Skills and RouteSmart

In the early noughties, the two founders of Integrated Skills – a waste management consultancy company – discovered RouteSmart for ArcGIS, a computer solution based on algorithms for resolving the TSP, to help local authorities to optimise and balance their waste collection routes. Successful outcomes would lead to lower fuel and vehicle maintenance costs as well as freeing up resources to extend and improve services. Integrated Skills became RouteSmart’s UK distributor.

RouteSmart allows users to store data about properties, vehicles, shift lengths, waste quantities, and other metrics, and use these to optimise routes. But one of the early problems that councils faced, as they shifted from an analogue world to a digital one, was a lack of address data: “Authorities simply didn’t have good datasets” says Stuart Henshaw, Integrated Skills’ Business Development Director.

LLPG

This was gradually remedied, and now each local authority must maintain comprehensive address data. The database is known as a Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) in England and Wales and a Corporate Address Gazetteer (CAG) in Scotland. In turn, these datasets feed into national databases.

Armed with this data and RouteSmart, Integrated Skills could bring huge new efficiencies to the waste management problem. “We have built a customer list of a hundred-plus local authority customers”, says Stuart.

In 2014, Integrated Skills introduced a satnav device called Navigator, and a back office solution - Fusion - which allowed the optimised routes to be sent out via mobile networks, removed the need for printed collection schedules, and allowed for collections to be successfully delivered and progress monitored by the back-office in real-time. Fusion is now used in around 1,000 vehicles across 20 local authorities.

In 2021, Integrated Skills was taken over by its 21 employees – a move that Stuart suggests has already reaped dividends. “We were always committed to providing good customer support, but now we are determined that none of our competitors will out-support us!”

SmartSuite

The latest update to the Integrated Skills toolset is SmartSuite, the company’s next generation in-cab and back-office offering, which introduces support for new touchscreen devices, and a new range of additional modules. Among other features, SmartSuite allows controllers to interrupt job workflow, adding new tasks for collection crews in real-time. In turn, this allows for improved customer support: local authorities can react to customer problems (such as missed bins) immediately rather than issue vague “we’ll get back to you” responses. SmartSuite also provides comprehensive analytics and data for public-facing services such as websites.

Benefits of this approach are obvious, in terms of council cost savings, staff management and customer service, and Integrated Skills suggest that ROI can be achieved in less than 12 months.

CO2 Reduction

While climate change may not have been high on local authorities’ agenda when Integrated Skills was first founded, it certainly is now, and route optimisation is an obvious way in which to achieve CO2 reductions. RouteSmart analytics includes data on CO2 emissions that local authorities can use when planning their Net Zero strategies.

Working with Bramble Hub

While frameworks make purchasing easier for local authorities, bidding on frameworks is often beyond the reach of small technology companies like Integrated Skills - which is where the partnership with Bramble Hub comes in. Stuart says “We’ve worked with a lot of clients for eight to 10 years and want to continue the relationship, but new procurement rules make bids more complex. Bramble Hub and the DAS framework give us continuity, and to be honest we don’t have the time to get into the depths of procurement frameworks. It’s mind-bending!”

Together, Bramble Hub and Integrated Skills have delivered projects into Dundee City Council, Cardiff City Council and Eastleigh Borough Council, and further contracts are pending.