Cargas Energy Gives Fabian Oil Real-Time Visibility, Robust Customer Service

CHALLENGES

Cost-Prohibitive, Complicated Industry Software That Missed the Mark

When Ryan Bibeau, operations manager/director of IT, began working at Fabian Oil in 2013, the company was using a well-known industry software solution with many capabilities. However, the software configuration lacked essential functionality that Fabian needed for optimal efficiency company-wide; there was no routing intelligence that would allow dispatchers to know the status of trucks and their delivery and service tickets in real-time. The office staff had no immediate way of identifying if drivers were on target with, behind on, or ahead of their delivery schedules.

Also, synchronizing information between the office and the field was an inefficient manual process. Drivers had to visit the office when they returned from their routes each day and physically connect their handheld devices to a computer to upload their activity and download tickets for the following day.

Fabian Oil had the option of upgrading its solution to gain mobile delivery and service synchronization and visibility capabilities. However, the cost was exorbitant. According to Bibeau, “Every interaction with the vendor’s support team came at a cost. Upgrades and additions were cost-prohibitive. License fees were expensive.”

Another downside to the solution was its complexity. “It was complicated, requiring months to onboard new employees so that they were familiar enough with its functionality to use it proficiently,” explained Bibeau.

In 2016, Fabian began looking for a robust, user-friendly alternative with mobile functionality at a cost-effective price. Bibeau said, “We began doing some due diligence to find a solution that would serve our growing customer base better by giving us real-time delivery and service capabilities.”

SOLUTIONS

Cargas Energy

Fabian looked online for energy software solutions and asked other wholesaler suppliers for recommendations. The company narrowed down its list to three vendors, including Cargas.

Fabian Oil wanted cloud-based software that would enable it to give its drivers updated assignments in real-time and allow the office staff to get real-time delivery information. At the same time, it needed the flexibility to adapt the solution to the company’s specific needs without incurring a lot of additional costs. Also, Fabian sought an intuitive interface that wouldn’t require extensive training to get users up to speed.

“If we can envision something we can make it happen. The resources at Cargas have helped us expand our reporting capabilities easily through the user interface. Good back and forth, collaboration.”

~ Ryan Bibeau, Operations Manager and Director of IT, Fabian Oil

Ultimately, the company chose Cargas Energy over the other vendors. Implementation began in June 2017, and the solution went live in October 2017.

Cargas Energy Solution Applications Used at Fabian

• Mobile Delivery
• Mobile Service
• Customer Service
• Cylinder Exchange
• Tank Monitoring
• Credit Card/ ACH Transfers

BENEFITS

Elevated Customer Service and Company-Wide Efficiency

Cargas Energy gives Fabian Oil a transparent view of its trucks’ activity at all times. The office doesn’t have to wait until the end of the day for drivers to upload their data. That visibility, combined with the ability to rearrange and balance workload between drivers, enables the company to provide better customer service.

“We can tell which drivers need help and which have the capacity to help,” explained Bibeau. “And our office can push info to our trucks instantly to add a ticket or change a route.”

Also, everyone at the company has 24/7 access to accurate, real-time data no matter where they are—something Bibeau said other vendors didn’t offer. Customer care now isn’t limited by where an employee is located. Fabian Oil can align the right expertise with its customers’ needs while still providing a local experience.

Bibeau shared that Cargas Energy’s user-friendly interface has significantly decreased training time when onboarding new employees. That’s especially beneficial when bringing on new team members just before the company’s busy fuel delivery season begins.

“Our old software required two weeks minimum to get a new person familiar with it. With Cargas, it’s just a matter of hours.”

Moreover, the web-based interface makes it easy for call takers to quickly find the information they need and communicate it to customers immediately, which has boosted call center efficiency.

“The Cargas Energy team always has an ‘I want to try to help you’ attitude. We never feel like a burden. That’s rare. You don’t see that with a lot of other companies.”

~ Ryan Bibeau, Operations Manager and Director of IT, Fabian Oil

Cargas Energy’s open database that provides the flexibility to make customizations has also benefited Fabian Oil immensely.

“Fabian has been able to make the application our own with customizations,” said Bibeau. “Even though the out-of-the-box software wasn’t exactly what was needed for our complex needs, it could be customized to our specifications. It helps us solve problems and allows us to write our own reports to extract information that we need.”

Bibeau shared that Cargas Energy’s team provides the support he needs when building special reports and making other customizations. “There’s no extra cost for Cargas support. They don’t nickel and dime us for asking questions like our previous vendor. Considering both implementation and ongoing costs, Cargas has been much more cost-effective than our previous software.”

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