We’re Helping Burch Oil…

CHALLENGES

Old Companies with Deep-Rooted Traditions

Since its founding in 1928, Burch Oil has grown from a heating oil delivery business to a large enterprise with several unique divisions offering a slew of products and services. However, this rapid scaling came with growing pains that meant tried-and-true processes and systems were no longer sustainable.

The company’s fuel delivery solution was one such system that couldn’t keep up with Burch Oil’s demand. Their software was a green screen terminal that worked well, and despite its age, the team was reluctant to let it go.

According to Paul Scheller, the IT Manager at Burch Oil, the transition from pencil and paper to digital systems isn’t just a transition for the company’s software environment—it’s a transition for employees too.

“Did they want to make a change? No, they didn’t. But technology changes, so they had to actually make a change.”

– Paul Scheller, IT Manager, Burch Oil

Of course, with the old system’s lack of visibility and flexibility, there was no question that change was inevitable. Burch Oil offered a broad range of services to a wide customer base, so a lack of up-to-the-minute data impacted customer deliveries and created redundancies that cost time and money. 

New software adoption concerns weren’t limited to changing internal processes. The Burch Oil team was also concerned that new fuel delivery software would impose new cookie-cutter workflows that didn’t suit the company’s goals.  

“There are a lot of software companies out there that offer solutions, but it’s their solutions,” said Scheller.

According to Paul, businesses with deep roots like Burch Oil embrace traditional processes and can’t transition to new methods and technologies as quickly as contemporary companies. Nevertheless, the Burch Oil team knew that if they didn’t invest in new software, their processes—and service—would be stuck in the pre-2000s.

SOLUTIONS

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

The fuel delivery software search was lengthy and included conversations among Burch Oil’s business units and deep research. Cloud software was coming into its own at this time, and many systems offered far more features and utility than the familiar green screen terminal.  

After comparing countless systems based on price, features, and business fit, Burch Oil selected Cargas Energy as their new fuel delivery software. But even with a software system chosen, it would take time before Burch Oil fully transitioned to Cargas Energy. 

This pace was no mistake—according to Paul, the Burch Oil team requested a slow and steady implementation to ensure that Cargas Energy would support their goal of getting oil to houses. An implementation that went too quickly risked slowing operations, as the learning curve would make it difficult for team members to work efficiently. 

“As an IT professional, I love technology. I’m trying to push technology as fast as I can. But at the end of the day, there’s other people that will not adapt to that technology […] Find out what does work for them and what is the best response for them.”

– Paul Scheller, IT Manager, Burch Oil

They began the implementation by using a small business division as an opportunity to test-run the features and integrations they needed. Once they became comfortable with the software and confirmed it was set up in a way that worked for them, Burch Oil expanded the solution to cover more of their company.

“Cargas was able to provide a solution that fit Burch Oil’s needs,” said Scheller.

As Cargas Energy became the de facto fuel delivery software for Burch Oil, Paul still noticed some friction among users. The move from legacy software to a fully automated cloud solution was a significant change, and he understood that it would take time for the team to embrace any new software.

BENEFITS

Embracing Change

As the Burch Oil team used Cargas Energy, the software gained as much appreciation as their old system. According to Paul, this hands-on experience with the software was integral to widespread user adoption. He noted that once drivers realized they could get more done without having to drive back and forth with paperwork or plan their routes for the day, Cargas Energy gained significant respect.

Cargas Energy has completely streamlined deliveries; the ticketing system makes it easier than ever to get requests to drivers, and thanks to the software’s route mapping and mobile features, customers can get invoices as soon as their appointment is completed.

“A lot of that automation helps with getting payments back to us quicker and getting service to our customers faster.”

– Paul Scheller, IT Manager, Burch Oil

Since implementing Cargas Energy, Burch Oil has continued to scale without fear of outgrowing its fuel delivery software. Paul highlighted the close relationship that the Burch Oil team forged with the Cargas Energy support team over the past 11 years. In a world where some companies don’t offer consistent support from familiar team members, Cargas Energy’s dedication to familiar faces and relationship-building was a breath of fresh air for Burch Oil. 

The Burch Oil team can reach Cargas whenever and however they need to—via the ticketing system, email and phone, and Cargas Energy directly. “We’ve developed a lot of good partners and friends working with Cargas,” Paul said. 

Burch Oil continues to experience growth, with new customers coming on board and repeat customers expanding their purchases. Just as the customers are exploring new options, so is Burch Oil—from new tech like tank monitors to new business ventures like propane delivery. 

The capabilities of Cargas Energy, paired with readily available support staff, have helped Burch Oil develop its software environment beyond what it thought was possible. The Burch Oil team is happy to collaborate with the Cargas Energy team on new workflows and integrations that work the way Burch Oil needs them to, not just the way Cargas Energy was built for. 

“As technology grew, we found that Cargas was able to help us migrate into these new solutions as a partner. And it’s a whole lot easier to do something with a partner than finding somebody new to work with.”

– Paul Scheller, IT Manager, Burch Oil