We’re Helping Superior Fuel…

CHALLENGES

Manual Processes and Siloed Workflows

Superior Fuel Company has a long history with Cargas Energy. Implementing the energy solution in 2012, the company was one of Cargas Energy’s first customers.

According to Ryan Gunderson, president at Superior Fuel, the energy software they used before Cargas lacked a lot of functionality required for operational efficiency. Its lack of mobile delivery features was especially problematic for the growing company. 

“We had one central office and three remote sites,” explained Gunderson. “With our former software solution, every delivery ticket was an actual paper ticket. So, every day, the office had to scan every delivery ticket and email them to our drivers. Then after they made the deliveries, the drivers would have to scan every completed ticket and email them back to the office.”

Jump forward to 2018, when Como Oil and Propane of Florida became a wholly owned subsidiary of Superior Fuel company. Como used a different energy software solution for the first three years, which was difficult for the accounting team in Minnesota when they took over the accounting responsibilities of Florida, shared Joe Stariha, Superior’s chief financial officer. 

Until 2021, there was no direct connection between Superior Fuel’s sales and energy software platforms. Therefore, employees had to do a lot of manual data entry and back-and-forth emails to ensure information got where it needed to go. 

“We have a lot more transparency. We can look at any given time to see where things are at rather than working in the dark.”

– Ryan Gunderson, President, Superior Fuel Company

SOLUTIONS

Unified, Integrated Systems for Economies of Scale

Superior Fuel wanted a comprehensive solution for streamlining all aspects of their business and gaining efficiency operationally and administratively. It has accomplished that through its evolving and expanding relationship with Cargas Energy.

Timeline

2012 – Minnesota-based Superior Fuel implements Cargas Energy

2018 – Superior Fuel merges with Florida-based Como Oil and Propane, which used a different energy solution at the time.

2021 – Como Oil and Propane coverts to Cargas Energy.

2022 – The Cargas Energy integration with the Salesforce Sales Cloud CRM is implemented for Superior Fuel and Como.

Cargas Energy Software with Salesforce Sales Cloud Integration

Gunderson and Stariha said they wanted to have Superior Fuel and Como Oil and Propane on Cargas Energy to improve communications and optimize back-office workflows.

Some of the Cargas Energy modules, apps, and features helping them achieve that include:

• Delivery Center – Centralizes ticket pulling, routing, and dispatching activities.
• Route Optimization – Allows dispatchers to digitally plot tickets on a map when organizing routes; reorder tickets on the fly with route changes automatically pushed to drivers’ mobile devices.
• Tank Monitoring – Enables companies to plan deliveries more efficiently and avoid small drops and runouts.
• Mobile Capabilities – Gives access to account information from anywhere/anytime; allows dispatchers to push routes directly to drivers’ mobile devices; enables drivers to print tickets and get customer signatures on-site; and more.
• Cardlock Integration – Allows commercial customers to get fuel whenever they need it from Superior Fuel’s two cardlock stations in Minnesota and three in Florida. 

The Cargas Energy API that allows integration with Salesforce CRM has brought additional efficiencies. Sales information in Salesforce is pulled into Cargas Energy, automating new customer set-up.

BENEFITS

Empowered to Do More With Less — Thanks to Automation, Integration, and Web-Based Access

Gunderson reflected on why they chose Cargas Energy back in 2012. “Mobile delivery is what pushed us to Cargas.”

All tickets are issued and assigned electronically through the software, where drivers can access them directly through the Cargas Energy mobile app. Moreover, drivers can update the tickets with the number of gallons delivered, get the customer’s signature, and accept payment — all through the app. Gone are the days when the company had to deal with creating, scanning, and emailing paper tickets back and forth.

“Today, we have one office, ten remote locations that drivers operate out of, and seven unmanned plants used for refueling — and we manage it all from one location.”

– Ryan Gunderson, President, Superior Fuel Company

Gunderson said that when they transitioned Como Oil and Propane to Cargas Energy in 2021, they combined job functions and saved money by eliminating several full-time back-office positions.

Stariha shared, “By combining everyone on Cargas Energy, it was really good for cross-training and economies of scale.” 

Billing automation through Cargas Energy has also boosted accounting efficiency. Gunderson estimates that Superior Fuel has nearly 90 percent of its customers on electronic payments and approximately 70 percent on automatic budget payments. 

Because of that and other efficiencies, “A single accounts receivables person can handle the billing in three states,” said Stariha.

Cargas Energy’s tank monitoring capabilities have proven immensely valuable, too. The company has approximately 9,000 tanks with monitors linked to the Cargas Tank Monitoring module. 

“Trying to manage that on our own would be impossible with just lists or putting our tickets in manually all the time,” Stariha said. “We can see all the tank monitors in one area and then auto-create tickets for tanks when they reach a certain level. That has saved our dispatchers a ton of time.” 

With the integration of Salesforce CRM, the company has elevated administrative efficiency. Before the Cargas Energy API, they estimated someone had to type a customer’s name and address into five different places to ensure the information appeared on all required forms and in their various systems. 

Now, we enter the name and address one time into Salesforce, and it goes to all the Adobe Sign documents and Cargas Energy. We always know where we are in the process. We can see the timeline from the original lead to signed documents to account creation without emailing all over the place.”

– Joe Stariha, Chief Financial Officer, Superior Fuel Company

Cargas Energy’s web-based functionality benefits Superior Fuel’s staff and its customers. The Cargas Energy integration with Superior Fuel’s online customer portal provides a better customer experience. Gunderson and Stariha said they value the easy web-based, real-time access to their database, which is paramount to their business on some days. Employees’ access to the system from anywhere has allowed the company to serve its customers even under severe adverse circumstances. 

Gunderson recalled that soon after the COVID pandemic broke out, about 75 percent of the company’s back office staff was ill from it. Fortunately, their drivers, who worked remotely, avoided getting sick. “We could continue dispatching work and trucks remotely,” shared Gunderson. “Even though the entire company was pretty much shut down for about two weeks, from the customers’ perspective, they didn’t notice a difference. Quality of customer service is one of the things we hang our hats on. Because of having Cargas Energy and a decentralized way of doing business, we never fail our customers.“ 

As Superior Fuel looks forward to growing its footprint by acquiring other fuel companies, Gunderson and Stariha have confidence that Cargas Energy’s programming, implementation, and project management teams will help make the process seamless.

“It’s just so easy to put new companies into Cargas Energy,” said Stariha, reflecting on the Como merger and several acquisitions that brought a few smaller companies into the fold. “It’s absolutely phenomenal how we tell them what we need and how fast they can switch things around in the back end to make things work. I’ve been through many implementations over my 25 years in the industry, and by far, Cargas Energy is the best I’ve experienced.”