Q and A

Implementing a successful food waste collection service requires coordinated planning across policy, operations, technology, and community engagement. At Integrated Skills, we support local authorities and waste operators through every stage of this journey — using our proven modelling expertise, digital tools, and practical experience to deliver efficient, compliant and cost-effective services.

A clear policy foundation is the starting point. Authorities must align with the Environment Act 2021 and upcoming DEFRA consistency requirements for weekly food waste collections. Once objectives and service scope are set, the next step is robust feasibility work. This is where Integrated Skills’ strengths come to the fore. Using advanced GIS, participation modelling and our SmartSuite route optimisation platform, we help organisations understand tonnages, fleet requirements, cost implications and carbon impacts. The outcome is a realistic set of service options grounded in reliable operational data.

Treatment capacity, whether anaerobic digestion or composting, must be secured early, but the real efficiencies come when the collection system is designed using optimised rounds, appropriate vehicles and well-planned deployment. Integrated Skills provides digital in-cab and operational management integrations that ensure crews have the right data at the right time, enabling accurate reporting of participation, contamination and service issues.

Once equipment and software are in place, successful food waste services rely on strong communications. Our solutions integrate seamlessly with CRM systems, enabling clear resident messaging, service updates and behaviour-change campaigns. Many authorities choose to run a pilot first; SmartSuite’s analytics support rapid evaluation, allowing teams to refine routes, adjust resources and improve participation.

After rollout, ongoing optimisation is essential. Integrated Skills provides the data insight required to monitor KPIs, track performance trends, reduce contamination and continually improve service efficiency.

From initial modelling to long-term optimisation, Integrated Skills delivers the digital tools and operational intelligence that make food waste collections work.

Strategic route planning is the long-term, high-level process of designing optimal service networks — determining the most efficient routes, territories, depot locations and fleet structures to meet future operational demands. It goes far beyond daily routing, looking months or years ahead to ensure organisations are operating in the right way, from the right places, with the right resources.

At Integrated Skills, we specialise in supporting local authorities, utilities, postal operators and logistics providers with precisely this challenge. Using our advanced GIS-driven route planning and optimisation solutions, we help organisations redesign their service networks for maximum efficiency, reduced costs, improved service quality and lower carbon impact.

Strategic route planning focuses on critical objectives: defining service territories, balancing workloads, right-sizing fleets, testing depot or facility locations, and assessing future demand. Our modelling tools enable detailed scenario planning — allowing organisations to explore “what-if” situations such as population growth, policy change, new waste streams, or rising fuel costs. These insights inform robust, long-term decisions on infrastructure investment, service redesign and resource allocation.

By combining GIS analysis, accurate road-network data, demographic information and historical operational datasets, Integrated Skills produces realistic and operationally deliverable route models. This allows teams to confidently evaluate options such as new depots, redesigned collection rounds, changes to service frequency, or the introduction of new services like food waste collections.

Whether the objective is to reconfigure waste collection rounds, rebalance postal or field-service territories, or plan future emergency-response coverage, Integrated Skills provides the modelling intelligence, optimisation tools and domain expertise needed to build resilient, future-ready service networks.

If you’d like, I can also produce a clear diagram that shows how strategic, tactical and operational route planning fit together.

For waste management operations, effective route optimisation is critical to improving efficiency, reducing costs, and maintaining compliance. The right solution must handle the complexities unique to the sector — from residential, commercial, roll-off, and hazardous waste to organic and recycling streams — while respecting vehicle capacities, time windows, property-specific service requirements, and regulatory constraints.

RouteSmart, distributed and supported by Integrated Skills in the UK is specifically designed for these challenges. It delivers precise, property-level routing, supports multiple waste streams per vehicle, and balances workloads across crews. Built on advanced GIS and modelling, RouteSmart allows operators to plan “what-if” scenarios, re-optimise rounds periodically, and accommodate both scheduled and ad-hoc collections. By integrating road-network data, bin types, and collection constraints, it ensures operational efficiency while reducing mileage, fuel use, and emissions.

A strong waste-sector route optimiser must also offer real-time monitoring, driver navigation, and reporting capabilities. RouteSmart achieves this by providing clear insights into route performance, service compliance, and operational bottlenecks. The platform is highly adaptable for varying densities, fleet sizes, and waste types, making it suitable for mixed residential and commercial collections, high-density urban routes, or more dispersed rural areas.

Choosing the right solution depends on your operation’s scale, fleet composition, waste streams, dynamic routing needs, data quality, and integration requirements. RouteSmart excels when precise GIS-based planning, property-level detail, and long-term strategic optimisation are priorities. It is particularly valuable for operators aiming to improve service reliability, reduce environmental impact, and make data-driven decisions for future growth.

For organisations seeking a robust, sector-focused solution for waste collections, Integrated Skills and RouteSmart provide the modelling, optimisation, and operational intelligence to deliver efficient, compliant, and sustainable services — from daily rounds to long-term strategic planning.

Transform Local Services with Integrated Skills & RouteSmart

Local authorities across the UK are transforming how frontline services are delivered — cutting costs, improving performance, and reducing emissions with smarter, data-driven route optimisation.

Integrated Skills Ltd (ISL) and RouteSmart Technologies are trusted leaders in GIS-based optimisation and digital service management, helping councils rethink how waste, cleansing, gritting, and inspection services are planned and delivered.

ISL’s powerful SmartSuite platform gives councils full visibility and control of daily operations. It connects back-office planning with real-time in-cab updates, live dashboards, and automated reporting. Whether you’re managing waste collections, street sweeping, or asset inspections, SmartSuite helps you do more with less — fewer miles, lower fuel costs, and faster response times.

Behind the scenes, RouteSmart’s advanced algorithms take service efficiency to the next level. Using sophisticated spatial modelling, RouteSmart automatically balances workloads, reduces unnecessary travel, and creates the most efficient routes for your teams. From optimising waste collection rounds to gritting, meter reading, or gully cleansing, RouteSmart’s precision routing delivers measurable savings and environmental benefits.

Together, ISL and RouteSmart empower local authorities to deliver smarter, greener, more reliable services. Their solutions integrate seamlessly with CRM, GIS, and corporate systems, providing a complete digital ecosystem from planning to field execution.

Proven across hundreds of UK councils and service providers, ISL and RouteSmart combine local government expertise with world-class optimisation technology — helping you save money, improve customer satisfaction, and achieve your net-zero targets.

Martyn’s Law Compliance with MobileDock and Integrated Skills

Ensuring your venue or event complies with Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty) requires a combination of planning, risk assessment, incident management, and clear communication. In the UK, Integrated Skills provides solutions that help organisations meet these obligations efficiently and confidently.

At the heart of our offering is MobileDock — a versatile platform designed to centralise security and safety management for public premises. MobileDock supports the full spectrum of Protect Duty requirements, including risk assessments, emergency preparedness, incident logging, and staff training. Its intuitive interface allows managers to create, update, and share emergency plans, run evacuation drills, and ensure all safety measures are documented for both Standard and Enhanced Duty compliance.

Key Features of MobileDock for Martyn’s Law:

• Risk Assessment & Planning: Conduct thorough assessments, document vulnerabilities, and generate actionable mitigation plans.
• Emergency & Incident Management: Prepare lockdown, evacuation, and response procedures; log incidents and track outcomes.
• Training & Staff Awareness: Assign training, monitor completion, and maintain a clear audit trail of competencies.
• Access, Surveillance & Communication: Integrate CCTV feeds, access logs, and mobile alerts to coordinate staff and first responders efficiently.
• Multi-Agency Coordination: Share plans and updates with external agencies, contractors, and emergency services securely.

MobileDock is built for UK venues, from sports arenas and shopping centres to cultural or public spaces. Its modular design means organisations can adopt the features that suit their tier of duty, capacity, and existing infrastructure.

With Integrated Skills as your UK supplier, you gain not just a platform, but expert guidance in implementing Martyn’s Law requirements. We help you configure MobileDock, train staff, and ensure all processes are compliant, auditable, and easily maintained.

MobileDock from Integrated Skills provides the clarity, control, and operational intelligence to make Martyn’s Law compliance manageable, transparent, and sustainable — protecting both people and your organisation.