Republic Services transforms business processes with Oracle Cloud

Republic Services is a leader in the environmental services industry, providing comprehensive recycling and waste services across the US and partnering with customers to create a more sustainable world. The company’s workforce of 40,000 employees operates 17,000 trucks and completes 5 million daily pick-ups to help keep communities clean.

Offering a wide range of services to residential and commercial customers throughout North America requires efficiency and robust technology. However, Republic Services recognized that its systems struggled to effectively support primary business functions, including enterprise asset management, finance, and procurement. Teams had to manually complete daily tasks by navigating multiple systems, many of which lacked up-to-date capabilities and required extensive customizations. Data siloed in various systems and offline spreadsheets hindered visibililty.

As a result, suppliers were required to submit invoices manually and inbound teams processed them by hand, creating unnecessary risk. Service clerks and technicians used paper work orders, which could delay preventative maintenance activities to help keep critical equipment running. Finance teams often found it challenging to generate reports and track transactions. 

Republic Services wanted to streamline business processes, gain on-demand access to data, and simplify tasks for employees and suppliers. After evaluating options, the company selected the unified suite of Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Oracle Fusion Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM), and Oracle Fusion Cloud Service.

By combining cutting-edge capabilities on a single integrated platform, Republic Services would eliminate its dated, highly customized tools and redesign more efficient workflows with built-in automation. Internal and external users would no longer have to rely on paper-based processes or jump from one system to another to complete tasks. The Oracle Cloud Applications suite would also provide a common data model, allowing for faster access to real-time information for greater accuracy, visibility, reporting, and planning.

In addition, the cloud platform aligned with the company’s growth strategy because it would provide greater scalability, reliability, and new features released with each automatic quarterly update.

Republic Services completed a phased deployment of its unified Oracle Cloud Applications suite to enhance finance, procurement, and supply chain operations.

Oracle Cloud ERP helped the company establish an enterprisewide chart of accounts to unify financial data in a single, secure location. The new trusted source for financial information gives teams real-time visibility into financial health and allows them to analyze and track high volumes of transactions with ease. The platform automates workflows such as invoice processing and accounting functions, improving operational efficiency. Republic Services used Oracle Cloud EPM to shorten reporting cycles and streamline its financial close process with faster account reconciliation. It also provides connected planning and budgeting for better visibility across lines of business.

With Oracle Procurement, the company created a seamless and more secure platform to interact with its suppliers. The portal makes it easier for suppliers to submit invoices online, which improved supplier relationship management and payable cycle time. Oracle Supply Chain Planning supported demand-driven replenishment, which helped eliminate last-minute purchasing. It also automated continuous replenishment, raising requisitions when inventory levels pass below defined thresholds.

The second phase of the project included launching Oracle Maintenance and Oracle Field Service—part of the Oracle Fusion Cloud Service portfolio—to increase efficiency maintaining business-critical waste collection vehicles, facilities, and heavy equipment. Republic Services replaced time-consuming paper work orders and manual administrative tasks with digital work orders that were automatically planned, scheduled, and assigned in the system. This gave service technicians more time to focus on maintenance, ensuring that trucks and other assets were available and reliable. Seamless work order management combined with supplier warranties helped maximize the company’s warranty recoveries to achieve cost savings.