DCC ENERGI MAKE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN TOUCHSTAR’S ANDROID FUEL DELIVERY EPOD TECHNOLOGY
BACKGROUND TO DCC ENERGI
DCC Energi were established back in 2009 through acquisition of Shell’s oil distribution business. The business comprised sales of heating oil and transport fuels to domestic and small commercial and industrial customers throughout Denmark. Since the establishment the business has expanded organically into natural gas, lubricants and marine gas oil. In 2015, DCC Energi combined its business with the energy distribution activities of DLG, the leading Danish agricultural business and in 2016 activities around Shell’s retail, cards and aviation business in Denmark were also acquired – leading to a nationwide energy company distributing massive volumes of fuels every day.
In total, the current workforce comprises approximately 215 dedicated employees who, with strong local and international relations, supply private consumers, businesses and the public sector with a wide range of energy products. DCC Energi are also behind the Shell filling stations in Denmark and at the same time supply a large number of Danish airports with fuel.
THE CHALLENGE
The fuel distribution system for DCC Energi in Denmark is fundamental in maintaining their high levels of customer service and to ensure highly flexible and cost-effective operation. Legacy in-cab tablets had served the company well for a number of years but had become unsupportable, and thus DCC Energi needed a streamlined hardware and in-vehicle software solution to replace these older devices. The solution needed to be a modern replacement from a supplier which could provide the flexibility and integration for DCC Energi’s exact needs and their diverse fleet operation. The company currently operates with a fleet of ninety vehicles, all of which will be upgraded to the new solution.
THE SOLUTION
Flexibility lay at the heart of DCC Energi's decision to use TouchStar as their in-cab solution. Using the FuelStar in-cab software, DCC Energi's ERP system creates orders which are sent directly to the in-cab touch PC. TouchStar’s FuelStar Back Office manages this process. When a driver begins their shift, they have the ability to sign in, schedule their runs for the shift and load their tanker with stock accordingly. This is particularly useful to a fleet which runs both retail and customer deliveries as trucks can be fuelled and deployed for either use.
Once the Driver has finished his selections, TouchStar’s integrated Sat Nav system can guide the driver to the delivery site.
Once a delivery has been completed, TouchStar’s Android ATEX certified TS3300 device touch can be safely removed from the cab to obtain a signature from the customer.
Integration is also a key facet of the TouchStar solution. Bluetooth is used to connect the TS3300 to fuel meters and the printer. TouchStar offered DCC Energi the flexibility to connect to different types of printers, and their needs dictated a full A4 printer in cab.
Printed delivery receipts are handed to the customers, who are not registered for receipt by e-mail. Digital delivery data is sent to the DCC Energi ERP for automatic registration and processing. With TouchStar’s Fuelstar backoffice, DCC Energi now receives the vehicles daily Trip Summary Reports electronically instantaneously, reducing the time taken to send back the paper records and eliminating the possibility of losing documents.
This facet of the system allows drivers to concentrate on their deliveries, maximising their time spent on the road rather than sorting through paperwork, and for office workers to focus on providing optimum customer service rather than getting tied up in manual bureaucracy and record keeping.
Touchstar’s back-end software also gives office workers full visibility of their fleet via real-time data from the in-cab Touch PC’s, which continually mark geotags along their journey and show which vehicles are currently en-route and which are stationary. If an additional special order comes in during the day this can be allocated to the most appropriate driver. Staff are able to see what a driver has planned for the day and how far a driver is through their allocation of deliveries.
The FuelStar Mapping Console will also display all jobs with actual status per vehicle. Staff are also able to view the full chronological trip order, including what was ordered by the customer, what was delivered (and how much) and the left on board values of stock including gains and losses.
CONCLUSION
The DCC Energi move to TouchStar’s Android solution signifies their intent to stay at the forefront of innovation in the fuel delivery space. The partnership will provide ample opportunity for continued development, streamlining of processes and the elimination of paperwork leading to a more agile, efficient service for customers. Roll out of the new system will begin shortly.
Michael Olesen, DCC Energi Distribution Manager, concludes: “TouchStar’s Android solution provides DCC Energi with a highly flexible, streamlined and cost-effective operation, eliminating mistakes which arise from a paper-based system and ensuring staff spend their time providing excellent customer service.”