Ontario Tire Stewardship Goes Paperless with Innovative “TreadMarks” Mobile Application

Ontario Tire Stewardship (www.rethinktires.ca) is a not-for-profi t corporation that developed, implemented, and operates the Ontar-io Used Tires Program. Founded in 2009, OTS has diverted more than 68 million tires from landfi lls, burning, or illegal dumping. By working with leading Ontario organizations, OTS ensures that the 12 million scrap tires generated annually are recycled into a variety of eco-friendly and useful consumer goods. Additionally, OTS has helped bring in more than $50 million in investments to Ontario via North American fi rms involved in tire recycling and the creation of hundreds of jobs in the province of Ontario, Canada.

The Used Tires Program is funded by vehicle and equipment man-ufacturers, tire brand owners and fi rst importers of tires, called Stewards, who remit a Tire Stewardship Fee to OTS for every tire supplied into Ontario. OTS then works with these companies and its network of Ontario Stewards, Collectors, Haulers, Processors and innovative Recycled Product Manufacturers to achieve the following goals:

• Collect 100% of the approximately 130,000 tonnes of used tires generated in Ontario annually • Grow Ontario-based tire processing capacity • Develop markets for commodities produced by tire recyclers • Support the growth of sustainable markets and demand for products made from tire-derived materials

THE NEED FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY

OTS launched its Used Tires Program on September 1, 2009, with a simple paper-based process and inventory tracking system that included eight unique transaction types. Program participants used these transactions to document the movement of tires from across Ontario through the program. Tracking began at the collection phase, continued through the hauling and processing phases, and ended once the tires had been delivered to a recycled product manufacturer. Completed forms were then sent to the OTS offi ce and were manually scanned, indexed, and presented in their propri-etary TreadMarks application as searchable PDFs.

www.rethinktires.ca

Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS)

transitions to a paperless mobile

application-based documentation

and collection process, supported

by a partnership with The Capris

Group - a division of CentriLogic.

ACHIEVEMENTS 23,000+ mobile transactions

processed since August 1, 2014

117,000 triplicate and quadruplet paper forms eliminated annually

$370,000 per year saved in manually entered paper forms

$14,576 saved in monthly shipping costs

33% reduction in OTS claims processing time per month

CASE STUDY

Canada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong Kong www.centrilogic.com

Used TiresOther Crumb

Rubber Markets

Collectors Haulers In ProvinceProcessors

RecycledProduct

Manufacturers

UnregisteredCollection

Site

SpecialCollection

Event

Canada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong Kong www.centrilogic.com

CASE STUDY

In the program’s early days, the manual track-ing process was suffi cient. As OTS expand-ed its network of participants, however, the program started to look for ways to streamline the reporting, improve data quality, enhance verifi cation processes, and improve the user experience. “Participants were demanding a more effi cient system that would help them achieve time and cost benefi ts while also contributing positively to the program,” says Andrew Horsman, Executive Director at OTS. “Internally, we were also seeking a solution to help us streamline administrative, processing, and inventory tracking activities. The manual tracking system also carried with it the risks of damage, loss, and illegibility that were fre-quently experienced by program participants and OTS staff.”

SOLUTION: TREADMARKS MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

In 2009, OTS chose to leverage free, open-source databases and application foundations to develop TreadMarks, its fee, incentive, and material tracking system. As the program evolved, OTS evaluated different solutions to improve its processes and relieve participants from some of the challenges experienced with the existing system. The solution as deter-mined by OTS and its stakeholders was to eliminate paper-based transactions from its processes. In 2013, OTS then began the pro-cess of developing the TreadMarks Mobile application to do just that.

“We knew we had to make our technical sys-tems more effi cient to streamline our pro-cessing activities, retain existing participants, and attract new Stewards, Collectors, Haulers, Processors, and Recycled Product Manufac-turers to the program” says Zachary Dryman, Director of Information Technology at OTS.

Vendor Selection

In 2009, OTS selected an external vendor to develop and manage the initial versions of the native TreadMarks web and database applications. With continued growth of the program and changes occurring in the tire recycling marketplace, OTS needed to take its systems to the next level to ensure it kept up with industry changes and provided a better experience for OTS staff and tire recycling

industry stakeholders. OTS began evaluating alternative vendors in early 2011. OTS sought a vendor that could provide migration fl exibility and an “all-inclusive” team to provide DevOps, hosting, and ongoing management. The Capris Group was selected by OTS to take over the initial TreadMarks web application, database, and website in November 2011. During the merger, The Capris Group retained control of the existing legacy applications and was responsible for frequent upgrades and addi-tions. In March of 2013, The Capris Group was acquired by CentriLogic Inc., a global provider of managed hosting, cloud computing, and advanced IT outsourcing solutions. When OTS began evaluating vendors for the TreadMarks Mobile application development require-ments, The Capris Group and CentriLogic had demonstrated consistent value and expertise and were a natural fi t to continue managing the mobile development and hosting require-ments.

“We experienced several issues including cost, response time, and the lack of fl exibility while working with other vendors. We transitioned our legacy applications to The Capris Group in 2011 due to the company’s ability to provide superior services at an attractive price point,” says Dryman.

“When The Capris Group was acquired by CentriLogic in 2013, we viewed this as advantageous to our organization as we now could rely on a ‘one-stop-shop’ for development, project management, support, IT infrastructure, and hosting.”

Agile Mobile Development

The Capris Group worked with OTS from conception through to deployment of the TreadMarks Mobile application. The Capris Group handled all aspects of the application development process including UI, Workfl ow, Distribution and Maintenance, QA and UAT, Training, and ongoing Support. The Capris Group assembled an internal team devoted specifi cally to the OTS project, including 1 Project Manager, 1 front-end designer, 2 .Net Software Architects, 3 iOS Developers, 3 BA/QA coordinators, and 1 MDM coordinator.

CASE STUDY

All aspects of the application lifecycle, includ-ing source code and version control, defect/bug tracking, and reporting are continually managed by The Capris Group.

The goal was to develop a unique and innovative iOS mobile application that replaced all paper forms used by OTS program participants. The application currently captures 98% of all trans-actions. The remaining 2% will be handled by the mobile application by Q1 2015. The application also transmits every transaction directly to the OTS staff and TreadMarks database application, eliminating the need for paper and the associated delivery logistics.

Implementation & Process

Each driver in the program employed by a Hauler carries an iPad Mini with the TreadMarks Mobile application pre-installed. Every Collector, Hauler, and Processor is identifi ed by a unique QR Code. The QR code is encrypted and cannot be read by any other device or program. The paperless tire collection documentation process consists of:

The Hauler arrives at the Collector location

The Hauler logs into TreadMarks Mobile usingtheir unique participant badge with encrypted QR code, and begins a new TCR transaction

The Hauler scans the Collectors QR code, and the Collector’s information is populated in the application

The Hauler enters the quantity of each tire type he is receiving from the Collector

The Hauler verifi es the tire count entry, and signs the transaction

The Collector verifi es the Hauler’s tire count entry and signs the transaction

The Hauler completes the transaction confi rmation in the app and confi rmation is sent to OTS

Illustration of the paperless tire collection documentation process

When OTS receives the transaction, certain valida-tion criteria are met to ensure that the information is correct. Validated transactions are then sent to OTS Claim Representatives, who process the transactions and claims submitted by program participants.

Application Suite Supported by Industry-Leading Technologies

The TreadMarks software suite now consists of three applications developed and managed by The Capris Group:

• TreadMarks: The backend database and employee interface, which allows for smooth program administration and reporting.

• TreadMarks Online: The system that manages Steward Fee remittances and incentive payments to program participants and includes a web portal for participants to enter and edit transactions, and negotiate claim and transaction details.

• TreadMarks Mobile: Mobile device software that replaces the legacy paper-based form and data collection system.

All three applications have been enhanced with industry-leading technologies, including Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft .NET, HTML5 and Apple’s Xcode for Objective-C.

“The Capris Group was provided a unique devel-opment opportunity with the advent of the OTS Mobile Application strategy. Within a period of fi ve months, we had to develop and design an appli-cation that would integrate with a specifi c device, logistics process, and existing legacy systems.” says Malcolm Elsdon, Director of Development at The Capris Group.

“Furthermore, being a division of CentriLogic has enabled us to seamlessly provide robust infrastructure and hosting services for the Mobile application.”

Canada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong Kong www.centrilogic.com

Canada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong Kong www.centrilogic.com

CASE STUDY

BUSINESS BENEFITS AND ADOPTION

TreadMarks Mobile was offi cially launched on August 1, 2014, and has been successful in helping OTS fulfi ll its objectives of operational effi ciency, increased program participation, and extended cost savings for both OTS and its program participants.

Benefits

Paperless Operations: Participants no lon- ger have to spend time and money gathering hard-copies and mailing them to OTS. Elimination of paper-based operations saves administrative costs while also reducing waste and preserving the environment.

Real-time Transactions: Transactions fl ow into TreadMarks continually, as devices synch with OTS servers. Faster data collection allows OTS to undertake additional analysis and validation of claims to ensure the integri- ty of the program.

Data Integrity: Automatic detection of verifi ed users, an intuitive user interface, and built-in data validation ensures that inbound information is clean and accurate.

Fraud Prevention: Individual components of transactions are geo-located and time- stamped. Unique and encrypted identifi ers are used to identify participants. Other fea- tures help OTS monitor participants without having to be there in person.

Key Measurements and Statistics

By outsourcing the TreadMarks application suite to The Capris Group, OTS has been able to focus exclusively on the development and enhance-ment of the Used Tires Program. The corporation is continually adding participants to the program while simultaneously achieving cost effi ciencies, without the burden of developing and managing an enterprise-class application and IT infrastruc-ture on their own. Since the program launched, OTS has achieved the following milestones:

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS • 664 Stewards • 7,049 Collectors • 151 Haulers • 31 Processors • 18 Recycled Product Manufacturers

MEASUREMENTS • More than 68 million tires collected to date • $50 million in investment to the province of Ontario

PROCESSED TRANSACTIONS • 5000+ claim submissions by program participants • 278,000+ Tire Collection Receipt transactions • 52,000+ Processor Tire Receipt transactions

Since the Mobile Application launched on August 1st of 2014, OTS has achieved the following milestones:

MOBILE TRANSACTIONS • 17,906 Tire Collection Receipt Forms • 4,094 Processor Tire Receipt Forms

COST-BENEFITS • $390,744 saved in manually entered transactions per year • Elimination of $14,576 in monthly claims form shipment costs • Reduction in $20,000 in paper form printing costs

EFFICIENCY & RESULTS • Elimination of 341,928 paper forms • Monthly Claims Review Processing time reduced by 33%

DEPLOYMENT • 590 iPad Minis with TreadMarks Mobile delivered to program participants

Canada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong KongCanada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong KongCanada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong KongCanada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong Kong

TreadMarks Mobile was offi cially launched on August 1, 2014

Canada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong Kong www.centrilogic.com

CASE STUDY

CLOUD-BASED APPLICATION INFRASTRUCTURE

CentriLogic provided OTS with a resilient and highly available cloud-based hosting environ-ment for the TreadMarks application suite.

Cloud Hosting Strategy

OTS worked with CentriLogic to successfully deploy the TreadMarks Mobile application us-ing the company’s infrastructure-as-a-service cloud offering. CentriLogic provides secure and scalable hosting through cloud availability zones located within its Canadian data centres.

OTS engaged CentriLogic’s professional ser-vices team to help transition the existing ap-plication environment to a cloud-based infra-structure with a 99.99% uptime guarantee. The cloud solution consists of private Windows Virtual Machines that reside behind a private virtual fi rewall. CentriLogic also provides OTS with supplementary managed services includ-ing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, storage, backups, and 24/7/365 infrastructure and application monitoring.

Cost-effective Utility-based Model

By deploying the TreadMarks Mobile applica-tion on the CentriLogic cloud platform, OTS avoided investing signifi cant capital towards purchasing hardware, renting a data centre facility, deploying servers, and hiring staff to manage the infrastructure. OTS leverages a simple pay-as-you go model, starting small and scaling their infrastructure based on application demand.

Superior Reliability & Scalability

CentriLogic owns and operates nine data centre facilities worldwide, including three facilities in Ontario, Canada. Each facility is constructed with redundant power, backup generators, multi-homed bandwidth, security, fi re detection and suppression, and advanced temperature and humidity controls. CentriLog-ic has achieved ISO 9001 & 27001 compliance and has completed SSAE 16 Type II audits, confi rming the company’s commitment to ensuring information security and availability.

Cloud availability zones are deployed throughout CentriLogic’s global data centres, providing OTS the opportunity to maintain its application infra-structure with CentriLogic should the mobile ap-plication’s customer base extend beyond Ontario, Canada.

With cloud technology, OTS can scale its applica-tion to any size by leveraging the intuitive self-ser-vice customer portal and cloud management application. CentriLogic’s cloud offering also pro-vides OTS the ability to provision or de-provision computing resources within seconds, allowing OTS to strictly manage the operational costs associat-ed with delivering their applications. The IT infra-structure is also built in a redundant confi guration, ensuring that workloads and applications do not experience downtime in the event of hardware failure.

“Working with CentriLogic and The Capris Group to develop OTS’ infrastructure and application solu-tions has resulted in an effi cient and reliable user experience for all program participants” says Dryman.

“We no longer have to worry about how we deliver our application to end users, and instead can focus our efforts towards enhancing the Used Tires Program.”

A TRUSTED PARTNERSHIP

OTS had to decide which company they would trust with their TreadMarks Mobile application, in-cluding both development and hosting. Ultimately, they selected CentriLogic and The Capris Group.

“OTS has experienced a longstanding and collab-orative relationship with both The Capris Group and CentriLogic,” says Horsman. “The application development and infrastructure services that they have provided us over the years have enabled OTS to innovate and expand the Used Tires Program into an effi cient, effective, and robust platform that helps solve the problem of scrap tires. Having all of our IT services consolidated under one roof allows for a simple vendor management relationship and frees up our resources to focus on achieving our goal of collecting 100% of Ontario’s 130,000 tonnes of used tires annually.”

Canada • United States of America • United Kingdom • Hong Kong www.centrilogic.com

CASE STUDY

ABOUT CENTRILOGIC & THE CAPRIS GROUP

CentriLogic is a global provider of managed hosting, cloud comput-ing, and advanced IT outsourcing solutions. With a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, CentriLogic works with customers to develop adaptable and depend-able IT solutions that support their unique application and workload requirements. The company’s ded-ication to a customer-centric phi-losophy has earned it the trust of some of the world’s leading com-panies and visionaries. Headquar-tered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Rochester, New York, USA, CentriLogic owns and operates data center facilities throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

The Capris Group, a division of CentriLogic Inc., is a global cus-tom development and IT Managed Service organization that provides high quality services to clients. Capris provides a full suite of solu-tions for customers ranging in size from Fortune 100 to SMBs.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES www.rethinktires.ca www.capris.com www.centrilogic.com

Tire Collection Receipt

Processor Tire Receipt