At Waste Industries, digital transformation initiatives rooted in trust

Getting the business to buy the notion of business-enabling technology comes before big, flashy wins, IT chief Hubert Barkley says in this interview.

Ask Hubert Barkley about digital transformation initiatives at his company, Waste Industries, and he answers with droll candor.

“You have to understand the environment I’m coming from. Let’s call it what it is — it’s a garbage business,” said Barkley, vice president of information and technology. The Raleigh, N.C., company hauls and moves solid waste and recycling. It wasn’t much into technology, Barkley said, until he made it clear to the business how technology can help create value. At Waste Industries, digital transformation is about winning trust, and digital transformation initiatives are the data-driven projects that help make better business decisions.