Many of the fuel management systems that are sold today use software that is installed on the customer’s PC or server for managing the data from the Fuel Management System.

This software can cost from around $1,000 to $4,000 depending on the number of sites and the feature set of the software and normally there is an ongoing maintenance fee.

It also means that access to the software is restricted to those who have access to the PC/Server.

In contrast, a cloud-based system requires no software installation and, with some systems, there is no upfront fee and no ongoing fees.

A cloud-based solution means the data can be accessed from any device that has a browser.

Many of the fuel management systems that are sold today use software that is installed on the customer ’ s PC or server for managing the data from the FMS.

It also means that access to the software is restricted to those who have access to the PC/server.

In contrast, a cloud-based system requires no software installation and, with some system, there is no upfront fee and no ongoing fees.

It also allows us to easily update software in the units remotely and provide support without needing access to the customer ’ s network

Fuel record keeping depends on the driver’s motivation and commitment to recording accurate fuel usage and on the administrator’s ability to effectively record fueling details that correspond to each vehicle without misreading or transposing numbers or miscounting figures.

This is not just a problem for FMS but for any manual operation which needs to be accounted for and recorded.

Even with the most organized filling system, receipts need to be generated and entered into a spreadsheet or accounting system.

Each step increases the likelihood of human error. All these human interactions can accumulate errors and make it difficult to accurately account for and reconcile fuel records.

Time means money and if you have one or more people who spend half their week following up drivers for more accurate information on their fuel usage, you are spending a great deal of money on a rather mind numbing, time consuming yet necessary task.

There is a better way, an automatic smart system is the best solution.

THINK ABOUT THIS... Once the physical system is enabled at the pump, a software system will track the data.

To save even more time, a cloud based system means you don ’t have to physically approach the units to download data. Near real time cloud based will be accessible to any authorised personnel with internet access and a web browser.

Reports aren’t written for the sake of writing them. Reports are generated in order to provide you with vital management information. They are only valuable when they are accurate and timely.

When are your reports due? Do you have accurate fuel usage information available for these reports?

If you have a manual system the answer is generally no. By the time the information has been transposed, followed up on the missing or incomplete (illegible) information and then finally reconciled because the original numbers did not add up, you are generally getting your fuel information two to four weeks after the reporting period.

What if there was a fuel overrun at one location? Is it too late to do something about it weeks after it has happened? How much money has been lost in the process?

It is not so much about saving cost on fuel, or being accurate for accuracy’s sake but claiming for tax.

If you miss out on claiming 2,000 litres of diesel a week, that’s 8,000 a month and 104,000 per year.

At 0.41 cents per litre that’s over $40,000 per year you are missing out on.

This would pay for four fuel management systems in the first year alone!

Over ten years that’s over $400,000 or one new Ferrari Spider series.

Managing fuel can become an immense pressure for any accountant or fleet manager.

As a manager you are faced with loads of information, reports and receipts daily.

You get overloaded with data and have to organise and present it in a digestible format.

This analysed information then gets passed along to others in the organisation to run an efficient, profitable business.

This requires a lot of data manipulation to get the right information into the right hands in a format they understand.

Pilfering fuel at the pump by employees, contractors and others is a concerning issue at some sites. Where it is easy to just drive a vehicle up to a pump and pump fuel it is also easy for fuel to be pilfered.

Fuel theft and unauthorised fuel use could be hurting your business more than you realise.

You invest a lot of trust in your employees and site visitors, though unfortunately some of them may not reward that trust with responsible behaviour.

If someone is motivated enough to steal fuel then they will likely find a way to do it but you can at least make it more difficult for them and ensure that you can track where and when it is happening.

Even the best employees make mistakes. It is not unheard of for diesel to be dispensed into a gasoline vehicle or vice versa.

With a smart fueling system the system will know from the vehicle ID what the proper fuel is for that vehicle.

The system will only enable the proper pump for that vehicle eliminating costly fueling errors and equipment downtime.

If you are making deliveries or scheduling your own deliveries you need to know:

• When a fuel delivery is required

• How much fuel is needed

• The type of fuel to be delivered

By equipping your tank with a fuel level monitoring system and connecting it to the FMS you are able to monitor your fuel inventories without doing manual dips.

A smart system will allow you to automatically perform a tank dip and send an alert to notify you when deliveries are required.

A smart system will also notify you of any unusual change in a tank level that may indicate a tank failure or unauthorized access.

• A robust FMS will increase the efficiency of your entire operation by:

• Minimizing initial information errors Identifying errors or problems if they occur to allow for timely remediation

• Providing accurate and timely management information across the entire organization

• Reducing manpower required to acquire fuel management data

• Scheduling fuel deliveries only when and where needed