KIPRUTO CALEB2026-09-022026-09-022026-09-02KIPRUTO CALEBhttps://bdears.busitema.ac.ug/handle/123456789/9273The increasing demand for efficient waste collection and management highlighted the limitations of the traditional manual processes used by Ecopick Company, Mbale City. The existing methods relied on phone calls, WhatsApp messages, paper records, and spreadsheets to manage waste collection requests and assignments. These approaches resulted in delayed service delivery, poor communication between residents and waste collectors, loss or duplication of records, and difficulties in monitoring collection activities and generating accurate reports. To address these challenges, this study developed a Smart Waste Management System (SWMS) to provide a centralized, automated, and user-friendly platform for managing waste collection requests, collector assignments, collection records, and reporting. The project employed the Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology, which facilitated iterative development, continuous user involvement, rapid prototyping, and timely system refinement throughout the development process. System requirements were gathered through interviews, observation, and document analysis involving administrators, waste collectors, and residents to ensure that the developed system addressed the operational needs of Ecopick Company. The system was designed using structured system design techniques, including Unified Modelling Language (UML) diagrams, data flow diagrams, and an entity relationship diagram to model system processes, user interactions, and database relationships. The implementation phase utilized HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the front-end user interface, while PHP and MySQL were used for back-end development and database management. These technologies were selected because of their reliability, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and suitability for developing web-based applications. After development, the system was tested using unit testing, integration testing, user acceptance testing, and security testing with participation from administrators, waste collectors, and residents. The results demonstrated that the Smart Waste Management System improved the efficiency of waste collection management by reducing manual paperwork, enhancing communication between residents and collectors, improving the accuracy of record management, and enabling real-time monitoring of waste collection requests and activities. The system also simplified report generation, strengthened accountability, and supported informed decision-making through centralized data management. The study concludes that the Smart Waste Management System provides an effective solution for improving waste collection operations and service delivery at Ecopick Company. Its therefore recommented that ecopik company adopts the developed syetem to replace manual waste management processes and further enhance operational efficiency ,transperancy and environmental sustainability.en-USBook