Data at pump - Using data analytics to fuel actionable intelligence

Every day a pump or nozzle is unavailable or dispensing fuel below optimal flow rates, customers experience longer queues, frustration, and in some cases abandon the fuelling process entirely. These losses often remain invisible because they are rarely measured directly.

Recent analysis of pump downtime across 50+ fuel retail sites over a 12-month period by Edge Analytics demonstrated a measurable relationship between pump downtime and lost fuel sales volume. Analysis also highlighted the increased impact when multiple pumps were affected with higher downtime losses on busier sites. Findings suggest a 7%-22% drop in site sales, for sites with one or more pumps down, during the downtime period.

Our analysis also demonstrated the level to which pump faults were often slow to be identified by site staff and/or inaccurately raised with maintenance providers, further delaying fault resolution and reducing first time fix rates.

Reducing this downtime could significantly reduce these sales losses.

The data is there

Fuel retailers hold a plenty of operational data that is routinely and digitally captured though forecourt controllers, transaction systems, maintenance systems and tank monitoring equipment. However, this data is not being analysed and utilised to generate actionable intelligence to tackle these issues.

Fuel retailers are missing the opportunity to improve their operational performance through proactive monitoring and maintenance of their pumps. By analysing this pump performance data in a timely and cost-effective manner, fuel retailers can generate sales benefits, as our analysis highlights. An automated data-driven approach also takes the friction and the lack of clarity of relying on site-staff intervention out of the fault reporting and resolution process (not to mention unmanned sites), thus providing the additional benefits of reduced maintenance spend and improved contractor performance and accountability. Providing a better and more reliable customer experience can only strengthen long term customer retention too.

Edge Analytics has developed ADEPT to unlock the value in this operational data. It provides an automated cloud-based intelligence platform that requires light touch integration with fuel retailer systems via a simple daily data feed.

The ADEPT platform continuously analyses pump performance by site to identify pump downtime, track repeat failures and monitor missing data feeds.

ADEPT’s constant tracking of pump flow rates and trends over time also identifies pump degradation and low-flow performance. Advanced analytics enables the different likely causes of faults to be distinguished such as nozzle faults, filter issues, motor problems or tank contamination. This in turn not only prompts the correct maintenance response but also facilitates proactive maintenance intervention before pump failure occurs. ADEPT can even validate the successful completion of repairs through before and after monitoring of pump performance.

A UK fuel retailer has reduced low-flow issues by over 75% since using ADEPT.

Pump performance issues are no longer invisible

Fuel retailers have invested heavily in POS systems, payment systems, wet-stock management and loyalty platforms. Yet one of the largest drivers of lost sales often remains unmanaged: operational performance at the fuelling point.

Using the latest technology and data analytics to deliver actionable intelligence quickly and cost-effectively, the drivers of lost sales can no longer hide.