Turning Waste into Digital Gold

Valtalia is a group dedicated to integrated environmental management, serving both urban and industrial sectors since its founding in 2005. The company has grown through strategic acquisitions and diversification into areas such as water treatment, urban solid waste management, and plastic recycling and packaging. With a workforce of around 600 employees, Valtalia’s daily operations involve the construction, management, and maintenance of facilities that ensure waste is handled safely and sustainably. The company prides itself on its practical approach and its commitment to addressing real-world environmental challenges.

Over the years, as the scale of its operations increased, so did the complexity of managing internal processes. Document management became a critical piece of the puzzle, especially for departments involved in public tenders and administrative tasks. Outdated tools and cumbersome manual processes were no longer sufficient to support the fast pace of business. The leadership recognized that a modern, streamlined digital solution was essential—not just to digitize old methods, but to reinvent how they handled complex document tasks. This realization set Valtalia on a journey to find a tool that could enhance accuracy, improve workflow efficiency, and reduce costs, all while being intuitive enough to require minimal training.

Image Courtesy – valtalia.com

Challenges

Before embracing a new digital solution, Valtalia faced several operational challenges that hampered productivity and efficiency. One of the primary issues was the difficulty in converting complex documents into editable formats. In many cases, documents containing intricate tables and detailed graphics required manual reformatting, which was both time-consuming and prone to errors. This inefficiency not only delayed project deadlines but also increased the workload on employees who were already handling demanding tasks.

Another major challenge was file compression. Public tenders require submission of documents that adhere to strict file size limitations. Valtalia’s previous methods often involved low-resolution scanning and printing, leading to large file sizes that did not meet the tender specifications. As one key decision-maker, Fernando Vázquez, explained, “Porque muchas veces, el espacio que tenemos que poner el PDF es limitado cuando nos presentamos a concursos, con lo cual, antes lo que había que hacer era impresión escaneo a baja resolución y muchas más cosas” (“Because many times, the space available for our PDFs is limited when we participate in tenders, so previously we had to rely on low-resolution printing and scanning, among other things”). This cumbersome process not only wasted valuable time but also risked compromising the quality of submissions.

Additionally, the high licensing fees of previous solutions restricted their wider adoption, leaving only a few employees with access to essential tools. These issues combined to create inefficiencies that affected both internal processes and external tender submissions.

Solutions

Determined to overcome these obstacles, Valtalia embarked on a thorough evaluation of several digital solutions. The decision ultimately came down to three core factors: conversion quality, compression capability, and price. After testing four or five alternatives, the versatility and performance of PDFelement stood out. As Fernando Vázquez, Chief Information Officer, recalled, “Bueno, obviamente acrobat. Y otras ahora, en estos momentos no me acuerdo, pero hemos revisado, vimos 4 o 5 oportunidades... al final nos decantamos por la versatilidad que nos daba PDFelement” (“Well, obviously Acrobat, and others—I can’t remember all the details now—but we reviewed 4 or 5 options, and in the end, we chose PDFelement for its versatility”).

For Valtalia, conversion was paramount. Their teams regularly handled documents with complex tables and detailed graphics that needed to be transformed into editable formats like Word or PowerPoint. With PDFelement, the conversion process became much more straightforward, reducing the need for manual corrections and reformatting. This efficiency allowed staff to redirect their focus toward strategic tasks rather than spending excessive time on document editing.

Compression was another critical factor. In tender submissions, where every file must meet strict size and clarity requirements, the advanced compression feature proved indispensable. The tool was able to reduce file sizes while preserving document quality, ensuring that submissions were both professional and compliant with tender specifications. Fernando noted the importance of this feature, explaining, “Nosotros nos presentamos a mucho concurso público y el espacio que nos dejan a veces es limitado y la capacidad de compresión que tiene es francamente buena” (“We participate in many public tenders where the space allotted is limited, and the compression capability is frankly very good”).

Cost was the final pillar that cemented the choice. The cost factor, while not the only consideration, was essential given the limited budget available for scaling digital tools. The affordable licensing model allowed Valtalia to start with a small number of licenses and gradually expand usage as the benefits became evident. “La interfaz es bastante intuitiva, lo que nos permite no tener que hacer mucha formación sobre la herramienta.”(“The interface is very intuitive, allowing us to avoid extensive training on the tool.”) This pragmatic approach ensured that the transition was smooth, with minimal disruption and a low learning curve for employees.

Results

The new solution has transformed Valtalia’s daily operations. Firstly, document conversion tasks that once took hours are now completed swiftly and accurately, which reduces errors and frees up time for higher-priority work. Secondly, file compression—a critical factor during public tender submissions—has improved significantly; as Fernando noted, “la compresión está mejorando en la versión. Comparando con el año pasado” ( “the compression is improving in this version, compared to last year”). Moreover, the cost-effective licensing model has enabled wider adoption across departments with minimal training. Consequently, these combined improvements have led to smoother workflows and substantial resource savings, thereby providing a robust foundation for future growth.

Fernando summed up the experience succinctly, stating, “Experiencia es muy buena, no estamos teniendo problemas” (“The experience is very good; We’re not having any problems”). This sentiment encapsulates the success of the transition—a move that not only improved operational efficiency but also set the stage for ongoing innovation within Valtalia. With PDFelement now an integral part of their digital toolkit, Valtalia is better positioned to tackle future challenges and continue its mission of sustainable environmental management.