SOLUTIONS

Cargas Energy Software

Another company in the fuel industry invited Palmetto Propane to see how they used the Cargas Energy solution. “We saw how the software pushed them into the 21st century,” shared Jack. “We were very impressed with the Delivery Center, routing, GPS tracking, POS software, and tablet use.”

Palmetto Propane selected Cargas Energy above other competitive solutions for several reasons:

• It is web-based, built from a modern framework, and has standardized tools.
• It provides 24/7/365 access via the internet.
• It gives companies control over their data and allows for custom reporting.
• It lets companies define how they want their products set up in the system.
• It provides customer portal solutions that give customers detailed information about their accounts.
• It allows for multiple and current payment processing solutions.
• It integrates with other software solutions to improve operational and administrative efficiency.
• It receives consistent updates and improvements from the Cargas software team.

Implementation began in May 2019, and Cargas Energy went live at Palmetto Propane in September 2019.

Empowered by Cargas Energy’s capabilities, the company has transformed its mobile delivery, point of sale, inventory management, and customer service efforts. The Palmetto team quickly embraced the many tools available in Cargas Energy, using the information to obtain efficiency and implement new policies and operational processes, yielding better customer experiences and service while improving profitability.

“Cargas Energy gave us a framework for restructuring our organization for growth. It has allowed us to bring a lot of technologies to our customers and our employees that a lot of other regional companies don’t have.”

—Mike Postich, CFO

RESULTS

Elevated Efficiency, Improved Communications, Limitless Possibilities

With Cargas Energy, the Palmetto Propane team has the flexibility and capabilities to run their business their way. The software allows them to focus on positioning their business for the future rather than haggle with the operational issues they faced with their prior software packages. 

According to Jack, “Cargas Energy has pushed our ERP problems out of the way and solved our communication gap. The software, in conjunction with integrations with other solutions, has improved workflow and inter-departmental communications. It has allowed our IT department to focus on making business improvements rather than putting out software fires.”

Some of the most significant improvements have come from Cargas Energy’s Mobile Delivery app and mobile service capabilities. Dispatchers can assign deliveries to drivers by using a map, which allows them to determine the most efficient routes and update them on the fly to optimize productivity. Drivers have access to their route information in real-time and can update the status of deliveries from anywhere using cost-effective Android tablets.

Service technicians also have reliable remote access to viewing and updating customer records and work orders. They can add information, such as uploading photos and adding parts, and create invoices in real-time. With all data synchronized across the company in real-time, Palmetto Propane no longer experiences the billing discrepancies in their former solutions. 

Cargas Energy has also paved the way for Palmetto Propane to clean up inaccurate customer data accumulated over the years.

“The audit trail that Cargas offers has helped resolve many unknowns,” explained Jack. “We can see who had hands in what. We have visibility into who made updates and all other account activity.”

“Cargas Energy support is always willing to help us get whatever we want from the solution”

—Jack Postich, IT Manager

He shared that they were essentially locked out of their own data with their old system. “Cargas Energy has allowed us to find bad data imported from our old solution and fix it with just a simple query. They told us from day one, ‘It’s your data; let us know how we can organize it so you can get the info you need from it.’ Cargas Energy support is always willing to help us get whatever we want from the solution.”

Mike added, “The data cleanup has been very helpful for our customers.” He shared that the customer service team can now use the Cargas Energy user interface to proactively collect and correct data while talking on the phone with customers.

The reporting function of Cargas Energy has far surpassed Palmetto Propane’s expectations. “Previously, we only had about six canned reports to choose from, which we had to export into Excel to filter down to gain the insights we needed,” Jack explained. “Now, I can build custom reports that push out to our departmental managers to let them see if they’re on track with their KPIs.”

Palmetto Propane has also started using the dashboard functionality in Cargas Energy to make data and reports instantly available to managers in easy-to-understand visuals, like charts and graphs. 

Cargas Energy’s Point of Sale (POS) module, which streamlines inventory management and invoicing processes, has also benefited Palmetto Propane immensely. It has created a very efficient sales experience at the company’s showroom locations, where they sell propane equipment such as grills, gas logs, and hearth products.

The Palmetto team is especially pleased with the ability to implement integrations, leveraging APIs built between the Cargas Energy platform and other systems to improve customer relations and operational efficiency.

Jack states, “I’ve created many custom solutions with the connectors that Cargas has built. I’ve made Leak Check form apps that automatically upload to customer accounts, tools that map tanks based on geocodes, and notification apps that alert employees when a customer makes a payment. There is absolutely no end to what is possible from my point of view with the access Cargas has given us to our data.”

“We’re usually first in line when there’s a new beta offering. The Cargas software has propelled us forward like nothing else. We definitely made the right choice with Cargas. Ours truly is a success story.”

—– Mike Postich, CFO

Cargas Energy’s API support has also allowed Palmetto Propane to implement an advanced online customer self-service portal. After logging into the previous solution’s portal, customers could only see the dollar amount they owed and pay with a card already on file. With Cargas Energy’s portal integration, customers have full account visibility and can update their billing method independently. They no longer have to call the customer service department for information about their orders, equipment, and payment history. They can also receive text notifications about their accounts.

Jack mentioned the best part of working with Cargas Energy is the Cargas team’s willingness to evolve, helping energy companies incorporate features and functionality to meet their unique needs. “Since our company is so diversified, I don’t think there’s anything we haven’t pushed the limits on with Cargas Energy.”