Waste management with low-code portal at KVA Thurgau

KVA Thurgau revolutionizes waste disposal with the low-code portal «e-Container» of the Online

The low-code portal e-Container of the Thurgau waste incineration plant (KVA-TG) sets new standards for digitalization projects in the industrial sector. When it comes to digitizing tried-and-tested analogue processes for the masses, two factors are crucial for user acceptance: the digital solution must be just as easy to use as the analogue process and it must offer the user clear added value. The new solution fulfills these requirements in an exemplary manner.

As an environmental protection organization for 70 municipalities, the KVA Thurgau association is responsible for emptying 4,500 commercial containers across a large part of the canton of Thurgau and the neighbouring canton of Schaffhausen, covering around 1,000 km2. With the digitalization of the container disposal system, the company has reached a decisive milestone in its strategic orientation.

Previously, it was necessary to drive to each individual container, regardless of whether it needed to be emptied. This included, for example, driving several kilometers to remote locations such as farms just to check whether the container was ready to be emptied.

In order to improve waste management planning, Online Consulting AG developed the user-centered e-Container portal together with Ergonomen. This Microsoft Cloud application replaces conventional, analog processes with a digital platform with which KVA-TG can efficiently manage commercial waste registrations. The most important features are the user-friendly interface design and a direct connection to the planning system of the waste incineration plant, which optimizes daily route planning. This reduces the environmental impact and lowers costs for both waste incineration plants and companies.

The solution

• Digitized booking function: The e-Container portal enables efficient registration and management of commercial containers. The solution replaces the previously analogous registration procedure for commercial waste with green seals and annual vignettes.
• Integration: Direct integration into the KVA planning tool ensures dynamic and efficient route planning, which is automatically adapted to the current booking volume.
• Usability: To ensure a high level of user-friendliness, the user interface has been specially developed for use on mobile devices.
• Data management with Microsoft Dataverse: Flexible data management enables comprehensive rights management. and guarantees data security and transparency.
• Authentication via AzureB2C: By using AzureB2C for authentication, it is also possible to integrate common social logins such as Google, Facebook and Apple if required.
• Use of Dynamics 365 as a backend: This technology is used to expand structures quickly and easily, which supports the scalability and flexibility of the platform.
• Integration of a payment provider: A payment provider enables instant payment options (“pay as you go”).
• Automation through Microsoft Power Platform and low-code: The posting of empties in the ERP system is realized through the use of Power Platform and low-code.

How KVA Thurgau benefits from the low-code portal

• Increased efficiency: Automated processes and dynamic route planning simplify the entire waste management process for commercial containers.
• Reduced costs and emissions: on-demand emptying reduces costs, fuel consumption and emissions.
• Optimized customer communication: The digital solution facilitates interaction with tradespeople and improves transparency in the waste disposal process.
• Improved user-friendliness: The user interface optimized for mobile devices offers a user experience that is just as simple and accessible as previous analog processes.
• Enhanced accessibility through social logins: The integration of AzureB2C will enable the use of common social logins in future, further improving the accessibility and user-friendliness of the platform.
• Flexibility and scalability through Dynamics 365: The use of Dynamics 365 as a backend improves the ability to react quickly to changes and expand the system as required. This ensures long-term adaptability.
• Simplified payment processing: The integration of a payment provider enables simple and instant payment options that increase convenience for users. The processing of transactions is accelerated and debt collection is simplified.
• Increased efficiency through automation: The use of Power Platform and low-code for booking empties in the ERP system leads to greater efficiency.
• Simplified booking and management of containers: The digitalized booking function makes it easier for tradespeople to register and manage containers. This saves them considerable costs.

Read more: Portal link and technical article

• Directly to the e-Container Low-Code Portal KVA Thurgau
• Technical article Ergonomists and online make KVA digitization project fly (PDF)
• Magazine ERGO MAG No. 2/2023 for Usability, User Experience and Behavioral Economics (PDF)