Restaurant owners who want to get rid of their used cooking oil and biodiesel producers who want to turn that waste into the green fuel will get some help from a new Web-based tool.
Biodiesel Magazine has this story on how the Biodiesel Control Center software will help biodiesel makers identify potential customers, establish collection routes and conduct titration tests on samples of the greasy feedstock:
“The Biodiesel Control Center is web-based software that helps new or future producers manage their business,” [Jason Burroughs of DieselGreen Fuels] said. “When we needed software to help with our management needs, we found that there really wasn’t anything specifically for the biodiesel industry. And what was available was dated, and cost as much as $14,000.”
Users of the Biodiesel Control Center do not need to install any programs on their computers; they simply log in to a secure website and access several databases and management programs. The starting price will be $50 per month for up to 25 restaurants, and it scales up from there. Web hosting, weekly leads, and data backups are included in the price. Setup fees vary but can include importing private data into the system and helping set up collection routes.
“If we have been taking oils to a producer who complains about the free-fatty-acid content of the feedstock for instance, we can trace where that particular batch of feedstock comes from,” Burroughs said. “If we discover it’s a Dairy Queen giving us grease that really isn’t suited for biodiesel production, we can eliminate them from our route…so this software helps us separate our good customers from the bad ones.”
The Biodiesel Control Center Web site is offering a free trial now through August 1. After that, commercial subscriptions will be available.