Innovative waste management and resource recovery company

EnviroNZ is an innovative waste management and resource recovery company which works in partnership with New Zealand’s government bodies, communities, and businesses. They dedicate substantial investment and resources to ensure that they deliver the most innovative and sustainable solutions at the highest environmental standards. They are additionally committed to finding the most cost-effective and sustainable waste solutions in an effort to maximize recycling and resource recovery and ensure that the least amount of waste possible ends up in a landfill. EnviroNZ belongs to the EnviroNZ group of companies with over 1000 employees, 320 of which are software users, in 28 locations in New Zealand.

When EnviroNZ came to COSMO CONSULT to start this ERP project with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, they were at a turning point for the company. They were working hard to innovate in their core business of waste management, but their outdated systems were restraining them. In order to really move forward, a change was necessary to take them to the next level.

Previously, EnviroNZ was using different systems for each of its processes and these systems were not compatible with each other. To make matters worse, their old system was being phased out by Microsoft, and features like risk management, were no longer being supported by the manufacturer. This meant that changes in something like tax law were being entered manually, which took time and resources away from other important tasks. The goal of EnviroNZ was to find a solution to consolidate most of its systems into one fully integrated ERP system. This new ERP system would need to include the management of containers, contracts, orders, dispatch and transportation, waste product inventory and invoicing all in one. The decision fell on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 with the integration of the industry solution COSMO Environmental Services.

The new ERP system was seen as a “tiny part, but an important part” of the overall directional shift for the company.

As the company was already undergoing a significant shift in a more innovative and sustainable direction, staff at EnviroNZ were dedicated from the jump for COSMO CONSULT to develop the new ERP system.

EnviroNZ identified key users to play an integral role in the development of the ERP system. These key users worked closely with the COSMO CONSULT team on the ground in New Zealand and also remotely during the entire planning and implementation phases. Having individuals who are specialists in their area of resource recovery management meant that COSMO CONSULT was able to learn the ins and outs of each process in order to ensure that all the details were covered in the new ERP system. Each key user explained situations which would cause exceptions or problems in their processes and COSMO CONSULT was able to take each case into consideration and develop solutions for all.

After the implementation process was complete, these key users acted as trainers to ensure their colleagues were equally as knowledgeable and enthusiastic with the new ERP system. The commitment to the new ERP system and the new direction into the future for EnviroNZ was clear, and this helped COSMO CONSULT succeed in developing an ERP system that met their needs.

When EnviroNZ began the search for a partner to work with on the development of a new ERP system, one of the requirements was to keep customization to a minimum. The intention here was to, in addition to simplifying their processes, create a new system that would be easy to upgrade in the future and also reduce the service support necessary. EnviroNZ however understood that their business model is unique and that some customization would be necessary in order to achieve their goals.

COSMO CONSULT was able to work with EnviroNZ to create a solution that a standard ERP system is usually not able to cover which includes features such as waste management and handling of hazardous substances reporting requirements. The Environmental Services ISV solution from COSMO CONSULT, based on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, also takes into account the upside-down flow of money which is unique to the waste management industry as EnviroNZ receives "goods" in the form of waste and also money at the same time. Additionally, the local partner that COSMO CONSULT has in New Zealand was useful to ensure local regulations were taken into account when developing the new ERP system. In the end, the system proposed by COSMO CONSULT met the requirements of EnviroNZ and needed only minimum customizations.

However, the future with COSMO CONSULT does not end here, a system adaptation to Microsoft Dynamics 365 is currently being implemented.