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C A S E S TUD Y Case Study: Wilson Oil and Propane How switching to an automated system saved one company more than $250,000 annually BY N A T E SCOT T , V ICE PRE S IDENT OF CA RGA S S Y S T EMS W ILSON OIL AND PROPANE IS A FULL SERVICE HOME COMFORT provider located in southeast Pennsylvania, special- izing in heating, air conditioning and indoor air quality. Established in 1926 as a family-owned and operated business, Wilson Oil and Propane was growing, causing their business processes to expand. However, many of their proce- dures were paper-based and manual. Moreover, efforts were often duplicated to keep multiple departments informed. THE CHALLENGE One of the areas Wilson Oil and Propane identified as a top priority was streamlining the delivery and service department's hour long, labor-intensive morning dispatch routines. The company operates ten delivery trucks and has twelve service vans. Dispatchers were tasked with manually reviewing tickets and work orders to categorize customers in need, which were then ranked by priority and sorted by zones. Finally, drivers and technicians would retrieve their paperwork and prepare their own route mapping for the day. THE SOLUTION AND BENEFITS Wilson Oil and Propane selected a fully integrated solution, including Cargas Energy, Cargas Mobile and Microsoft Dynamics GP financials. The company has experienced the following ben- efits by investing in this system. Delivery operations are now well-organized, and drivers have the right tools to quickly optimize their daily routes. Mobile handheld devices keep them informed and connected to the back office. Fully automated paperless processes afford drivers an additional two hours every day to focus on deliveries. In response to fluctuating oil prices, the system is set up to alert drivers electronically of real time price changes, resulting in billing accuracy and reducing costly undercharges. With streamlined route planning, drivers have the ability to quickly respond to will call and emergency deliveries. Integration to Roadnet Technologies enables the system to produce the most efficient course for drivers, com- plete with mapping and directions. Cost savings are experienced in decreased fuel usage by eliminating unnecessary miles driven. Customer service is empowered with data and far more prepared to manage inbound and outbound calls. Customer information is accessible in a real time, centralized dashboard. Representatives have been able to increase their productivity by 50 percent with the new system by spending less time per call. With the right information at their fingertips, customer service has been 14 SEPTEMBER 2012 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com able to detect the risk of run outs and overlooked service appoint- ments before they occur, further increasing customer loyalty. Service and maintenance is another key area that has experi- enced large efficiency gains. Previously, Wilson Oil and Propane's manual service scheduling process was cumbersome and incon- sistent. Now the process is completely automated, with all planned and unplanned appointments entered into the system, which automatically produces a work order and updates a prior- ity-based electronic dispatch board. Service technicians are electronically notified of their daily agendas via mobile handheld devices. While in the field, techni- cians have access to complete customer account information, including history. When a service call is complete, technicians simply update the work order status on site, obtain the customer's electronic signature and print an invoice. The transaction is then transmitted to the back office system for billing. Accounting functions and processes have become streamlined and integrated, and in some cases altogether eliminated. With over 75 percent of Wilson Oil and Propane's customers on a monthly credit card payment schedule, the old billing process required manual entry of data in an antiquated terminal and three days of processing. Cargas Energy's automated functionality has reduced this process to three minutes. For many customers, the distribution of monthly statements is executed from the system via e-mail, eliminating unnecessary materials, cost and labor. Enhanced reporting capabilities and proactive collections management have resulted in improved cash flow and the reduction of potential credit risks. Sales representatives have also benefited from the integrated solution and centralized information. Through the use of mobile technology, technicians in the field are able to update the system with cross-sell opportunities as they arise, reducing missed opportunities. THE BOTTOM LINE Through the use of these automated tools, Wilson Oil and Propane conservatively reports up to $250,000 in savings per year. "The use of Web-based and mobile technology allows us to maximize productivity with a minimal amount of staff," said David O'Connell, president of Wilson Oil and Propane. Built on Microsoft.NET technology, the integrated solution from Cargas has also proven to be flexible and highly scalable for the company, allowing relief from their labor-intensive processes, bottom-line savings through return on investment and a low total cost of ownership. l FON