How Technology Drives Performance: A Panel Discussion

BP branded marketers heard directly from peers John Strickland Jr, Principal of Wayne Oil, and Ed Collupy, Vice President of Information Services of The Pantry, and were supported by several vendor participants. Both panelists have recently implemented new technology solutions and provided suggestions for launching projects and maximizing the return on POS investments. Kelly Mahoney, Card Operations and Performance for BP, moderated the panel.

As Mahoney explained, the major difference between CommLinx and the solutions offered by all other major oil companies is with CommLinx you have a choice to do what is best in POS for your system. “It is the primary reason we chose this solution,” explained Mahoney. “We want you to be able to make the technology decisions that make the most sense for your business.”

In addition, the panelists discussed the factors they considered and the process they undertook when it was time to choose the technology solution.

Both panelists encouraged attendees to think about the technology and what they planned to do with it. Important considerations include loyalty programs, marketing, cost savings and security.

Collupy suggested involving everyone in the process so no point of view is left out of the decision. “Look across your business and see who has a vested interest…accounting, tax folks, we involved everyone,” he explained. “We brought everyone together from day one. Our technology folks facilitated the discussion and developed the RFP but someone from every department was responsible for reviewing the RFP and providing feedback.” 

Strickland explained that at Wayne Oil, they broke the business down into smaller segments, looking at convenience stores, car washes and truck stops. Then they looked for a consistent solution that could solve their most pressing needs. They started with high volume stores first.

Mahoney posed the question, “Was it difficult to justify your investment in technology?”
Strickland explained that while cost was an issue, “Cost was not as much a factor to us as what it could do to reduce future costs and what the payback time would be.”
Collupy recommended building a business case for your solution. Look at how the solution touches every part of your business and quantify it if possible. You want to increase profitability and better utilize your existing features, so keep that in mind as you implement your system. There are things you can do to maximize your investment including debit acceptance, car wash interface, merchandising and promotions.

“We waited a long time to put debit at the pump in,” Collupy explained. “But now we see consumers using it 30 percent of the time. We will have payback in less than a year. “

Participants also offered these suggestions when deploying new technology including CommLinx: It’s important to get someone in your jobbership to champion this project and take ownership. If you have dealers, bring them to corporate sites and for training so they can get a first hand look at how it works.

Finally, Mahoney posed the question, “How do you know what is a trend and what is a fad in technology?”

Panelists recommended the following: participate in user groups; talk to all the vendors regularly and find out what’s on the horizon. Read the trade magazines and participate in events like this.