Glacier Launches DataMap to Help MRF Teams Run Better Shifts

Glacier today announced DataMap, a new tool built around the questions recycling facility operators ask every shift: Where are we losing time? What systems aren’t performing as expected? And did the fix actually work?

DataMap gives supervisors a real-time view of uptime, productive run time, empty belts, and material flow. Glacier developed DataMap in close collaboration with operators across the country, including Recology’s Recycle Central® @ Pier 96 (Recycle Central) in San Francisco, where supervisors are already using it to understand shift performance, resolve operational questions, and act on problems faster.

“The employee-owners at Recycle Central know that facility better than anyone,” said Sal Coniglio, CEO of Recology. “DataMap puts real-time performance data in the hands of our site leadership so they can keep the sorting lines running as efficiently as possible.”  

AI-powered scanners installed throughout the materials recovery facility (the “MRF”) continuously watch material flow and equipment activity. DataMap turns that information into something supervisors can use on the floor: when belts have stopped moving or are running empty, where equipment isn’t performing as expected, or where attention is needed now.

That view travels with the team. Supervisors and managers can access DataMap from a control room computer, tablet, or phone, giving them visibility into the shift wherever they are. Teams can also look back at the shift to see whether an adjustment, repair, or operating change actually made a difference.

Built for the shift, not the spreadsheet

On the MRF floor, everyone sees a piece of the operation. The challenge is giving the whole team the same picture while there is still time to act.

A supervisor may catch one issue while maintenance is responding to another. Day shift and swing shift may have different explanations for the same performance problem. By the time leadership reviews the numbers, the moment to act may be long gone. 

DataMap gives the team one shared view, in real time.

Real-time alerts flag down time, empty belts, residue leakage, and other operating issues. Facility maps show where they are happening. Line images give supervisors immediate context. Shift history shows what changed, when it changed, and how long it lasted.

At Recycle Central, supervisors are using DataMap to run the floor

Recology’s Recycle Central facility serves San Francisco and processes nearly 500 tons of material per day, making consistent performance across every shift critical. 

DataMap is already becoming part of the facility’s daily operating rhythm. Supervisors have logged into DataMap during every shift since launch, with shift leads spending approximately 70 minutes per shift in the product and other supervisors averaging roughly 30 minutes per shift. 

At Recycle Central, supervisors are using DataMap to make real operating decisions: from testing assumptions about equipment settings across day and swing shifts to identifying downtime and empty-belt events earlier. Day and swing shift teams now receive the same shift data and see which settings are associated with more consistent performance.

That increased awareness is enabling the team to respond more efficiently. By identifying, reporting and addressing operating issues faster, the Recycle Central team has reduced empty belt time and downtime, and recovered an average of nearly 30 minutes of productive run time per shift.

DataMap is also creating a more complete record of every shift. Today, users are proactively submitting detailed notes on 92% of operational issues identified by DataMap. This gives frontline operators and their leadership teams a clearer picture not only of what went wrong, but also what was done about it.

“DataMap helps flag potential issues as they happen, and teams can respond from anywhere in the MRF,” said Maurice Quillen, VP and General Manager, Recology. “We also get data quicker to determine whether an adjustment or repair made a difference. We’re catching problems earlier and getting our lines back up faster.” 

For the Recycle Central team, the goal is sustained performance, shift after shift. Maintaining uptime above 90% is an important benchmark, and DataMap gives supervisors a clearer way to confirm that the MRF is consistently achieving its uptime goals (and what is getting in the way when it does not).

Better data for the people already running the plant

DataMap was designed around a simple idea: the data is only useful if the team can act on it.

“When we built DataMap, it was really important that there was no mystery behind the data. We wanted operators to be able to see what’s happening in real time and understand why the data says what it says, so they trust it enough to act,” said Anisa Nuanes, Head of Product at Glacier. “Data is only useful if it helps the people running the facility make a decision or take action. Otherwise, what’s the point of another dashboard?”

That is also what differentiates DataMap from traditional reporting tools. Instead of starting with dashboards and asking operators to make sense of them, it is built around the questions MRF teams actually ask during a shift and the things MRF managers need to be able to know at a glance: Where did we lose time? Why did the line stop? Are we running consistently? Did that adjustment actually help?

“MRF operators don’t need more spreadsheets and charts,” said Rebecca Hu-Thrams, co-founder and CEO of Glacier. “They need direct answers to the questions that determine whether they have a good shift or a bad one. We built DataMap to answer those questions.”

DataMap is currently deployed with select MRF partners across the country, with additional facilities coming online soon. Glacier is expanding the program to MRF operators looking for a clearer, real-time view of facility performance.