If you work in the skip hire or waste management industry, you know the feeling. It’s 8:00 AM, the phones are ringing, and a customer needs a specific yard skip delivered by noon. You look at your whiteboard, then your spreadsheet, and finally out the window at the yard. According to the spreadsheet, you have five skips available. According to the yard, you have zero.
So, where are they?
Are they sitting on a customer’s driveway, forgotten for three weeks? Are they at a construction site that finished days ago? Or are they simply “lost” in the operational ether?
At VWS Software Solutions, we understand that maintaining accurate skip stock visibility is one of the most persistent headaches for operators. It isn’t just about counting metal boxes; it’s about preventing the operational chaos that ensues when you don’t know where your assets are.
Here is how you can regain control of your inventory without disrupting your daily operations.
The Cost of “The Missing Skip”
The problem with poor stock management isn’t just frustration; it’s financial. When you lose track of your skips, you essentially lose track of your capital. We often see businesses purchasing new skips because they believe they have run out, only to discover later that they had plenty of stock sitting idle at dormant locations.
Furthermore, the operational disruption is significant. When your transport planners have to spend hours calling drivers or manually checking sites to locate a skip, that is time taken away from optimising routes and serving customers. It leads to delays, missed opportunities, and ultimately, unhappy customers.
Moving Beyond the Whiteboard
The traditional methods of tracking stock, such as whiteboards, paper tickets, and disjointed spreadsheets, are no longer sufficient in a fast-paced industry. They rely too heavily on human memory and manual data entry, both of which are prone to error.
This is where PurGo changes the game. PurGo is designed to be the single source of truth for your entire operation, effectively digitising your stock and asset management.
Real-Time Visibility with PurGo
The key to maintaining stock without disruption is real-time data. You need to know exactly what goes out and what comes in, the moment it happens.
PurGo handles this through its day-to-day operations, effectively digitising your stock and asset management. This system replaces manual guesswork with hard data, when a job is booked, stock is allocated; when a job is completed, the asset status is updated. For operators requiring advanced, hardware-based container tracking, PurGo integrates seamlessly with our partner, PIN IoT. This partnership allows you to leverage specialist tracking solutions within your PurGo workflow, ensuring you have the level of visibility your specific operation requires.
The Power of the Driver-Friendly Mobile Solution
The secret to accurate stock levels lies with the people handling the skips: your drivers.
PurGo includes a Driver-Friendly Mobile Solution, an intuitive Android™ based app designed specifically for waste collection drivers. Because the interface is so user-friendly, it simplifies driver operations and ensures efficient data flow back to the office.
Here is how it works in practice:
- Drop-off: When a driver drops off a skip, the location is confirmed. This instantly updates the system..
- Exchange/Collection: When a collection is made, the driver logs it on the app. The system immediately marks that skip as “collected” or “in transit” and updates your available stock levels.
This process happens automatically as part of the driver’s daily workflow. There is no extra phone call to the office, no lost paperwork, and no manual data entry for your transport team.
Operational Efficiency
By integrating your stock management with your transport planning and driver operations, you eliminate the friction that causes disruption.
- Stop buying unnecessary stock: You will know exactly what you have and where it is, allowing you to utilise your existing fleet more effectively.
- Improve Customer Service: When a customer asks if you have a skip available, you can give them an immediate, accurate answer.
- Reduce Admin Time: Your team stops chasing “lost” skips and starts focusing on high-value tasks like route optimisation and customer care.
A System That Grows With You
We know that no two waste businesses are the same. That is why PurGo is built to be modular and flexible. Whether you are running a small family fleet or a large multi-depot operation, the system adapts to your specific needs.
Our goal at VWS is to provide a solution that feels like an extension of your business. We don’t just hand you software and walk away; we offer a consultative approach to ensure the system solves your specific challenges.