December 3, 2020

MCM Reaps Benefits of Starlight Regardless of COVID-19

Even with MCM Disposal’s roll-off operation at half its normal levels for March and April, their yearly revenue grew by 28% as a result of Starlight.
Red trucks lined up in a parking lot.

Same Trucks, Same Containers, More Revenue

Michigan was locked down in Spring 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with MCM Disposal's roll-off operation at half its normal levels for March and April, their yearly revenue grew by 28% as a result of implementing Starlight Software Solutions.

MCM Disposal is a Michigan-based roll-off dumpster company, servicing the Greater Grand Rapids area. Operating since 2003, the company aims to provide customers with hassle free, affordable waste and recycling services. Chad started the business after coming across a truck with eight cans for sale while working with his family’s concrete and recycling business. They purchased the truck and cans and began servicing the area with the hopes that they would learn as they went.

Before Starlight…

Before MCM used Starlight, the dispatcher and the drivers would use a pen and paper to record order information. “Dispatch would radio in to the drivers regarding orders that were called into the office. The drivers would need to pull over and write down the order on a legal pad in the truck. It was ridiculous.” Chad knew that this manual effort wasn’t working for them.

Looking for a Fix

In 2019, Chad began looking for a software to help manage his business. Chad and his team searched for a software that was actually built for what they were doing, and understood what tools they needed to improve dispatching, track inventory, and equip their drivers with the resources needed to get the job done efficiently and professionally.

“Some other software systems try and fit roll-off, but Starlight is the only software that is made for roll-off, without adjustments or customization. It is ready to go,” Chad says.

Seeing the Results

This year, Chad made a direct correlation between their increased revenue and when they implemented Starlight. Overall, MCM had an increase of 25% more container moves and 28% more revenue from May 2019 to May 2020. MCM did not add any additional trucks to their fleet or additional cans to their inventory. Even with the pandemic, the totals for the year while using Starlight showcase that even though they were not operating at full speed for a few months in the spring, this did not put a dent in their yearly revenue! Instead, they were still able to see a significant amount of growth.

Just the Beginning

Inventory Tracking

The improvements to inventory tracking was only the tip of the iceberg. With Starlight’s dispatching software, MCM can make efficiencies using Starlight’s tools to see a bird’s eye view of the work scheduled for the day. This allows the dispatcher to make decisions based on data and limit driver downtime. Chad notes, “the visual dispatching piece with the drag and drop ability to map out switches, drops, and pickups is a game changer. Our dispatcher now fits orders together for the driver to have a seamless operation that gets rid of unnecessary trips going across town to pick up a can for the next project.”

The Addition of the Driver App

“With the driver app, everything is systematic. The drivers have to follow the flow of the dispatcher to move through the work orders. Before we had Starlight, sometimes our drivers would go rogue. They didn’t do things in order so we had upset customers. We are now able to give the customer more information and even text them when the dumpster is on its way,” Chad says.

Surviving COVID-19

This spring was a challenging time for many businesses, as things slowed down due to quarantine requirements in multiple states including in Michigan. Chad and his team were worried about the impact this would have on their business, but overall they managed to come out on the other side. “The state was shut down in March, we were at half speed, and once they opened up, the construction industry opened up as well,” Chad says. “And we were ready to handle it. We have the ability to take on more and that is what has made our revenue grow. With Starlight, we can plug and play to make it work and take on all the orders we receive in a day.”

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