September 18, 2011

WM No. 3 in top IT innovators

Transforming itself into a company using technology to serve customers and optimize business
MANHASSET, N.Y. Information-

Week, a leading business technology publication, has named Waste Management number three on its 2011 InformationWeek 500, a select list of global corporations recognized as technology innovators. WM received three awards at InformationWeeks gala ceremony last week; in addition to ranking third overall on the prestigious InformationWeek (IW) 500 list, WM was ranked number one in the Logistics and Transportation industry category and number one in the Most Innovative Revenue Generating Idea category for its price-optimization system. The InformationWeek 500 is unique among corporate rankings, as it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders. IW looks at a number of factors in compiling its list, and WM received its high ranking as a result of its IT organizations collective technology, strategy, investment and administrative practices.

80 percent of the projects have a major tech component. As with the pricing app, ITs work in truck routing draws on (WMs) new Decision Sciences and Innovation and Business Solutions teams, further demonstrating how IT is directly involved in improving company performance. IWs report also cites WMs installation of GPS-enabled touchscreen computers throughout its fleet, a capability (that) has cut missed pickups and notes WMs use of increasingly sophisticated mapping and routing software for route planning, an innovation geared toward better service, efficiency and cost savings. At WM, the team could not be happier about the recognition and the progress the company has made in a short time. I am very excited for Waste Management to be recognized as the third most innovative company, out of 500 global organizations, by InformationWeek and I am extremely proud of the groundbreaking work that Todd Whyte, Dave Logsdon and their teams have done leading up to it, Bhasin said. This project is just one of many examples of how IT is playing an integral role in WMs transformation and it demonstrates how innovative thinking can optimize our processes and functions to drive revenue. n

The IT team enjoys its three IW awards: (front row, l-r) Amy Finney, Jane Zhu, Dave Logsdon, CIO Puneet Bhasin, Xiaoshuo Wu and Karthik Lavangu; (back row, l-r) Dae Lee, Prad Upadrashta, Mike Castronovo, Todd Whyte and Mario Jimenez.

IW specifically noted WMs innovations in using IT in its pricing initiatives with this years Most Innovative Revenue Generating Idea award. Pricing is one of the most powerful tools in business, yet many IT organizations wont touch it with a 10-foot pole, the report on WM states. It goes on: The trash handling and recycling company, which had $12.5 billion in revenue last year, created a price-optimization system that uses customized statistical models of the factors that drive market prices and price sensitivity in each of its 25 regions. Pricing managers then apply their judgment on how to proceed. No matter how much you automate, youll never fully replace the judgment a human being can bring to
Nancy Nalence, Editor www.wm.com/facebook

the table, says CIO and senior VP Puneet Bhasin. This is just the beginning of Waste Managements transformation, said Bhasin. Weve introduced the new technology being developed by the IT organization to many of our market areas and fully expect to extend the benefits of these tools to all of our locations. At the core of its IT strategy are WMs transformation goals and the programs the company is implementing to achieve them, the report states: The effort launched about nine months ago; projects include e-business improvements, sales-force automation, logistics and routing optimization, and pricing. About

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Reprinted from WM Monday September 18, 2011.