After Vixta Solutions in Birmingham developed a cloud-based platform to better manage fuel distribution among hundreds of service stations, it decided to sell the data network to its customer base.
“We could have kept the platform in-house, but after consulting with Gordon Hewitt, who is an international expert on corporate competitiveness, strategy, and governance, he advised us to sell the platform to the service station owners,” says Howard Brown, a partner at Vixta Solutions. “The ability to better manage the (fuel) carrier network has revolutionized the business.”
Part of Simon Group Holdings in Birmingham, which includes Taylor-based Atlas Oil Co., Brown says the FuelNOW Network developed by Vixta Solutions has transformed what was a collection of “mom-and-pop businesses” representing such brands as Marathon, Clark, and Phillips 66 into a well-oiled machine.
“The idea with FuelNOW was to eliminate as much paperwork as possible,” Brown says. “Now, all of the billing is done digitally, the drivers have hand-held devices to automate various logistic activities, and they get access to traffic reports, route optimization, and pricing.”
In addition to the fuel distribution platform, Vixta Solutions creates digital networks for political campaigns, automotive companies, and the modular construction industry.
“We work with (Hewitt) to consult with our client base to eliminate manual processes wherever we can,” Brown says.
