Streamlining Fuel Deliveries

Stringer Oil and LP Gas deployed the PDI ERP (legacy Blue Cow Ignite) solution to:

• Modernize its technology foundation
• Consolidate forecasting, ordering, and delivery operations on a single solution
• Increase efficiency and save money it could reinvest in the business

Business Challenges

• Outdated technology that was causing delivery and backtracking issues
• Complex, manual processes that consumed valuable time, resources, and money

Solution Overview – PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

To help reduce costs, boost your team’s productivity, and elevate your customer service, turn to PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions (heritage Blue Cow Software Ignite products). Our propane and fuel oil enterprise solutions can help you simplify your operations with a single source of truth everyone on your team can rely on.

Read more about PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

Customer Results

• Simplified processes by automating tasks and minimizing the need for phone calls
• Improved customer service by empowering drivers with easy-to-use tablet-based solutions
• Reduced backtracking by 90%

Providing Real-Time Delivery Information

Rick Wenzel Oil deployed the PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling In-Truck solution to:

• Reduce paper-based processes
• Streamline fuel routing and deliveries
• Improve the standard of customer service

Business Challenges

• Complexity in keeping drivers updated on delivery schedules
• Inefficient paper-driven processes that were resource-intensive and subject to error

Solution Overview – PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

To help reduce costs, boost your team’s productivity, and elevate your customer service, turn to PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions (heritage Blue Cow Software Ignite products). Our propane and fuel oil enterprise solutions can help you simplify your operations with a single source of truth everyone on your team can rely on.

Read more about PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

Customer Results

• Modernized business operations with best-in-class software
• Improved delivery success rates and customer satisfaction
• Reduced vehicle and driver time on the road

Modernizing with Mobile App Technology

Arrick’s Propane implemented the PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling Customer App to:

• Simplify customer account access
• Streamline orders and deliveries
• Facilitate a paperless environment

Business Challenges

• Keeping pace with customer expectations for a modern user experience
• Streamlining business operations by automating tasks and integrating IT systems

Solution Overview – PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

To help reduce costs, boost your team’s productivity, and elevate your customer service, turn to PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions (heritage Blue Cow Software Ignite products). Our propane and fuel oil enterprise solutions can help you simplify your operations with a single source of truth everyone on your team can rely on.

Read more about PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

Customer Results

• Improved the customer experience with up-to-the-minute account information
• Eliminated multiple manual processes and minimized paperwork
• Optimized deliveries to increase efficiency and reduce waste

Streamlining Fuel Deliveries

Jennings Propane & Oil deployed the PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling In-Truck Solution to:

• Modernize its back-office systems
• Avoid laborious and inefficient processes
• Automate importing of invoices and delivery data

Business Challenges

• Digitally transforming business operations in a cost-effective manner
• Eliminating labor-intensive and inefficient paper processes

Solution Overview – PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

To help reduce costs, boost your team’s productivity, and elevate your customer service, turn to PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions (heritage Blue Cow Software Ignite products). Our propane and fuel oil enterprise solutions can help you simplify your operations with a single source of truth everyone on your team can rely on.

Read more about PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

Customer Results

• Streamlined communications between the home office and the field
• Increased efficiency by making more deliveries in the same timeframe
• Improved customer service with more accurate delivery schedules

Fueling Customer Success

Pilgrim Propane implemented the PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling Customer Portal to:

• Streamline customer account access
• Simplify orders and deliveries
• Facilitate a paperless environment

Business Challenges

• Reduce the amount of time spent on repetitive, daily management tasks
• Modernize ordering, delivery, and payment processes to meet customer expectations

Solution Overview – PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

To help reduce costs, boost your team’s productivity, and elevate your customer service, turn to PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions (heritage Blue Cow Software Ignite products). From propane delivery management software to tank monitoring, you can simplify your fuel oil and propane operations with a single source of truth everyone on your team can rely on. 

Read more about PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling

Customer Results

• Automated repetitive, manual, and time-consuming processes
• Enhanced the customer experience with a best-in-class web portal
• Seamlessly integrated back-office and web functions

It seems a lot longer than just a year ago that PDI acquired Blue Cow Software. Now that the integration is complete, the heritage Blue Cow Software products are all available as PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions. 

Even though the name has changed, our commitment to developing industry-leading technology hasn’t wavered. In fact, we’re dedicated to keeping our products “best in class” in the home heat industry. 

During the past year, our product team has been busy integrating new products and interfaces that will simplify your operations and help you achieve significant productivity gains. Here are just a few of the exciting new fuel oil and propane delivery offerings that are now available:  

• Remote Customer Portal: Gain instant access to your database without accessing your ERP system. The Remote Customer Portal allows your users to view real-time account information, create and edit fuel and work orders, or add notes on an account directly integrated with your ERP system. Users can remotely access real-time information from anywhere with an Internet connection, or they can instantly create fuel and work orders without logging into your full ERP platform!  
• Vendor Pay: Are you still writing paper checks to pay your bills? Still mailing payments to everyone from your fuel suppliers to the office cleaning company? Stop the madness and start using a simpler, faster way to pay your invoices. You can even earn cash back on every virtual card payment. Our new Vendor Pay option works seamlessly with your ERP accounting platform for an all-in-one solution that lets you pay suppliers through electronic payments. It won’t cost you more money—in fact, we’ll give you 1% cash back on every invoice you pay by credit card! 
• Avalara Tax Export: If you use Avalara to generate the necessary tax information in ERP (formerly Ignite), you can now instantly upload it into Avalara. We’ve streamlined processes that previously took hours to complete, so the reporting and consolidation of taxes has never been faster or easier. 
• Tank Monitor API: This new tool helps tank monitor companies that interface with PDI to seamlessly write directly to their ERP database and update customer tank readings. Not only does the API eliminate the need for added software to be installed on a client server, but it also reduces the need to run an additional function to import this data. 
• P3 Propane Safety Integration: Now you can complete required propane safety documentation faster and with greater accuracy. Our initial integration included PDI customer account numbers, names, and addresses, along with daily gains and losses. The latest Phase 2 release links Propane and Commercial Fueling ERP accounts directly to the equivalent account within the P3 Compliance System at the click of a button. This functionality allows you to quickly view relevant propane safety documentation, leading to increased efficiency and greater data accuracy.  
• Mopeka Tank Monitor Interface: Our newest tank monitor integration with Mopeka features easier monitoring of tank levels and usage. The data collected by the cloud alerts both consumers and suppliers to low liquid levels. Data is sent directly into their Propane and Commercial Fueling ERP system to support more accurate forecasting for delivery and k-factor analysis. 

Together, these products and enhancements are just the start of the PDI roadmap for the home heat realm. With the goal of leading industry-wide innovation to keep our products best in class, we can’t wait to share more of what’s on the horizon with you in person at PDI Connections Live in August! 

To learn more about PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling, contact us today.  

If you’ve been watching the news, you’ve likely noticed how extreme weather conditions gripping Scandinavia and parts of Europe this winter have caused widespread disruptions in both businesses and personal lives. The same challenges have played out in other parts of the world, such as the northeastern United States.

Even though we’re well aware of the difficulties extreme weather can create, we aren’t always prepared to deal with them. Yet these weather disruptions threaten to interfere with the best laid plans for fuel logistics. This includes the transportation of raw materials from refineries to critical storage and loading points, along with the distribution of fuel to petrol stations.

In this blog I explore the potential impacts of logistics disruptions on the fuel supply chain, share best practices for haulers and petrol station operators, and explain why a comprehensive fuel logistics and pricing solution is indispensable in times of uncertainty.

Examples of common disruptions

There are many types of potential fuel logistics disruptions that we simply can’t predict:

• Extreme cold, along with snow and ice storms, can cause road closures even as it increases consumer demand and consumption of heating oil. Deliveries can be cancelled or delayed, creating a backlog that can take weeks to erase.
• Extended droughts and dry seasons can lower the water level of rivers and lakes, making it difficult or impossible for tankers and barges to navigate. Having to reroute vessels or reduce loads further increases transportation costs, puts pressure on retail margins, and impacts product availability at fuel terminals.
• The same issues can occur during flooding, when water levels are too high for vessels to pass beneath the lowest bridges. Flooding also impacts land transportation, including infrastructure damage to bridges.
• Instability caused by geopolitical strife can create both logistical and transportation challenges. The continuing war in Ukraine and recent attacks on ships carrying crude oil through the Red Sea have caused widespread fluctuations in fuel supply—with price spikes driving operators to maintain lower inventory levels.
• Cyberattacks such as the one that shut down the Colonial pipeline can create consumer panic and cause station run-outs as consumers rush to fill their tanks.

What to do: Best practices for haulers and station operators

With haulers facing disruption across transportation networks, petrol stations in affected areas often experience delays—or shortages—in their fuel deliveries. To avoid this predicament, both haulers and petrol station operators must be prepared to adapt swiftly to new developments.

To effectively manage unforeseen events, you need the tools to adapt faster. One of the keys to success is ensuring that you have reliable and agile software solutions that provide greater operational flexibility. Here are four must-have capabilities you need:

1. Real-time monitoring: Utilize advanced fuel logistics software to monitor your trucks, shipments, and fuel sales in real time. Stay informed about the location and status of each delivery and changing consumer behavior, allowing for proactive decision-making in response to changing weather and road conditions.
2. Route optimization: Leverage the power of route optimization algorithms to plan the most efficient and safe routes. These algorithms should help you navigate around road closures and avoid high-risk areas to ensure timely deliveries.
3. Streamlined communications: Establish clear communication channels between haulers, drivers, and petrol station operators. Especially in times of disruption, regular updates on delivery schedules and potential delays are crucial for effective planning and resource allocation.
4. Contingency planning: Develop robust contingency plans for unexpected events. Having alternative routes, backup suppliers, emergency response protocols, and the ability to quickly adjust fuel prices can make a significant difference in managing logistics disruptions with minimal impact to your operations.

The vital role of fuel logistics software

With over 40 years of experience in the fuel and convenience industry, PDI understands that comprehensive fuel logistics and pricing solutions are a necessity in good times and times of crisis. State-of-the-art logistics software solutions can help fuel distributors and operators navigate through challenges seamlessly.

With features like real-time tracking, route optimization, and comprehensive analytics, data-driven solutions can provide a single source of truth across your logistics ecosystem to help you:

• Increase visibility over your operations
• Efficiently manage inventory
• Influence product flow and consumer behavior
• Streamline scheduling with logistics scheduling and dispatch solutions
• Simplify workforce automation with in-truck solutions
• Analyze “what if” scenarios to adjust your strategies

Agility to prepare for whatever comes next

By adopting best practices and leveraging advanced fuel logistics software, both haulers and petrol station operators can navigate through even the most challenging disruptions and provide a steady supply of fuel to meet consumer demand.

Contact us today to discover how PDI solutions can help you prepare, stay connected, and thrive with your fuel distribution operations.

Marcel Steigerwald is Director of Product Management, EP, at PDI Technologies. You can connect with him here.

When you operate in an increasingly competitive marketplace, your success depends on optimizing the elements you control. You can’t control every external factor, but you can make sure your fuel delivery business is running as smoothly as possible.

To help reduce costs, boost your team’s productivity, and elevate your customer service, you can access a wide range of insightful resources about PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions (heritage Blue Cow Software’s Ignite products).

Our propane and fuel oil enterprise solutions can help you simplify your operations with a single source of truth and a synchronized real-time technology infrastructure everyone on your team can rely on. Discover the PDI advantage by leveraging the intelligent solutions behind the industry’s technology evolution.

Learn more about key PDI solutions

Explore how the wide range of PDI propane management software and fuel oil software solutions can help your business reduce costs, improve efficiency, and attract loyal customers. Access the latest product brochure to learn more about:

• Propane and Commercial Fueling: ERP
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Payments
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Mobile Delivery
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Routing
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Mobile Service
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Analytics
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Customer Portal
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Phone Application
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: ERP Remote Portal
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Hosting
• Propane and Commercial Fueling: Imaging

Discover how to work smarter

Looking for insider insights on how to streamline deliveries and reduce your team’s workload? Start by learning how innovative propane and fuel oil delivery software can optimize your operations:

• Download “3 Great Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder”

Find out how your peers are excelling

Ever wonder how other companies are leveraging PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions? Find out in these real-world customer case studies:

• Read “PDI Delivers Efficiency Upgrade: United Oil Heat Case Study”
• Read “PDI Helps Improve Customer Experience: Palmer Case Study”

Dive deeper into industry trends and hot topics

Ready to explore specific propane and commercial fueling topics and the latest industry trends? Check out these in-depth blog posts:

• Visualize your way to stronger sales with customer location mapping
• Incorporate preventative health checks for your database
• Protect your business against cyberthreats
• Simplify life for your customers—and get paid faster

Watch videos

Visit PDI University to view PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling videos featuring:

• Product demos
• User group meetings
• Webinar series
• Education and training

Get the help you need on PDI Connections

If you have additional questions about PDI products and services—or want to take online classes—be sure to visit PDI Connections. This is your go-to place to:

• Register for PDI University training courses
• Open product support cases
• Check online help archives
• Access detailed product documentation

PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling (heritage Blue Cow Software) hosted its annual User Group Meeting (UGM) earlier this fall. New users and seasoned veterans from across four time zones joined virtually for educational presentations and interactive sessions. With approximately 500 attendees on each of the two days, the 2023 ”Blue Cow University” nearly doubled last year’s attendance.  

Hosted by PDI experts across the wholesale business and enterprise productivity segment, the training event was designed to dig deep into the core fuel oil and propane management software offerings, while exploring operational efficiencies from reducing costs to boosting productivity. The team shared product information and best practices, along with roadmaps, workforce and hiring tips, customer service guidance, safety documentation, and more. In addition, P3 Propane Safety—an integration partner—hosted a segment on propane regulatory compliance.  

When asked how this event comes together, Mike Procopio, PDI Project Operations Manager, said, “It’s important that our customers know that as we transition to PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling, the heritage Blue Cow Software team isn’t going to miss a beat. We remain focused on what makes us best in class in the energy industry, and we want to continue sharing that knowledge and expertise.”  

The meeting included audience polls and Q&A, both of which will help to drive innovation and development with PDI Propane and Commercial Fueling solutions and the larger PDI suite of products.  

“Everyone involved in the UGM did a phenomenal job, and our customers walked away with more knowledge and more solutions for their businesses,” Procopio continued. “We’re excited that this annual educational event will be migrating to become part of the PDI Connections Live 2024 event in Washington, DC next August.” 

It’s that time of year again for a friendly reminder that few things can negatively impact your business faster than a prolonged outage. If you don’t have the people, plans, and infrastructure in place to weather (ahem) an unexpected event, you’re flirting with disaster (bad pun intended).

In all seriousness, few of us are ready to handle unexpected events. What’s true in our personal lives is also true in our professional lives. Simply buying insurance and hoping for the best doesn’t stop a tree from falling on your house anymore than it stops a cyberattack from taking down your company’s IT systems.

With an ever-increasing reliance on digital technology, we get ample reminders of what’s at stake all the time. Just think back to the last time the electricity went out and how quickly you realized how much your daily life depends on it.

So, what can you do? First of all, acknowledging that you need to do something is a big first step. Denial or wishful thinking simply isn’t going to cut it.

Start by thinking about all the types of events that can disrupt your business operations—such as natural disasters, insider attacks, cyberthreats, IT system downtime, and equipment failures. With that in mind, imagine the amount of financial damage that could happen if your business remains offline for any prolonged amount of time.

If you’re unsure how your business would fare, you’re not as prepared as you should be. To avoid becoming yet another statistic, explore this five-step checklist featuring practical tips to help your business survive a disaster.

A good rule of thumb—test it before you need it

Business continuity and preparedness go hand in hand. That’s why any comprehensive business continuity plan should include your people and processes in addition to equipment and technology. From secure network connectivity and hosted services to fuel pricing and logistics, you’ll need to account for all critical aspects of your business.

After all, your customers’ trust in your business depends on your ability to recover quickly and securely from any type of disruption. The only way to be confident that your incident response and disaster recovery plans can support business continuity is to review and test them regularly.

Utilize GasBuddy for regional weather events

PDI is continually monitoring how different events can impact the industry supply chain and consumers, including weather-related events. In the case of localized events, consumers can use GasBuddy to track fuel availability in impacted areas. The tracker is available both in the free GasBuddy app and online at tracker.gasbuddy.com. Businesses that use GasBuddy Business Pages can update the status of their stations in affected areas as well.

Get support from PDI

Start preparing today to keep your business up and running regardless of external events. In the meantime, PDI Support teams stand by ready to help.