Electronic Vs. Paper Tickets for Fuel, Lubricant, and Chemical Distribution Companies–Which is Better?

The Need For Paperless Dispatch and Delivery

Historically, paper delivery tickets for the distribution and delivery of fuel, lubricant, and chemical logistics have been the norm. But leading petroleum logistics companies have gone digital and moved from paper for over ten years. 

Paper-based logistics companies cannot provide Real-time Transportation Visibility to themselves or their customers. Customers expect Reatime Visibility – WISMO – Where’s My Order? They expect to know the day before an order is routed and scheduled for delivery with Advanced Ship Notices (ASNs). They expect to know their order is On The Way (OTW) at the next stop or when the driver is XX minutes away.

Paper tickets limit your efficiency in managing the movement of fuels, chemicals, and lubricants. Digital transactions are more efficient for your driver, provide more accurate and faster delivery details, and provide an automated collection of logistics data. This means you can move to a data-driven logistics company. On paper, you cannot be data-driven or provide Real-time Transportation Visibility. You risk losing your service advantage against distributors who opted for paperless ticketing systems, especially for on-site and fleet fueling.

Fuel, lubricants, and chemical logistics companies operating at scale know that continuing to use paper tickets creates problems with inaccurate, missing, or illegible information from the terminal to customer deliveries. Switching to a paperless dispatch and delivery system, you can cut expenses by reducing the need for paper and simplifying data administration which frees people up to do higher-impact work. In addition to being more environmentally friendly, using an integrated digital system with an eMeter integration instead of paper tickets is quicker because the entire process happens automatically. 

Why You Don’t Need Paper Delivery Tickets

You may not know it, but paper tickets significantly lag your distribution company. Paper ticketing takes considerable time to print tickets, sort trips, have drivers write delivery information, share it with dispatch and accounting, and then process customer invoices. It can be hard to notice the lag in the day-to-day operations of running your logistics company because everything is “working” right now. Once you transition to paperless ticketing, you’ll see real-time data and capture revenue days earlier. It will be hard to imagine how you managed to get by on paper. Here are some problems you may not know you’re facing with paper delivery tickets:

• Paper Tickets Are Wasted Capital. Printing requires a time investment from employees, both in printing and handling. Paper means manual handling, which means employee time, whether dispatchers or drivers.
• Paper Tickets Are Prone to Human Error. Since humans write tickets and transcribe them back to billing and dispatch, they stand a good chance of feeding the system inaccurate information and creating errors. If customers see these mistakes, they reduce their trust in your company to serve them accurately.
• Paper Tickets Enable Driver Theft. It’s hard to believe your company’s drivers might steal from you. Unfortunately, this is all too often the case. Without automated tracking, drivers can easily manipulate paperwork and steal fuel, lubricants, and chemical products. A paperless system is not foolproof but catches mistakes and forces drivers to be accountable at each step of the process by automatically capturing data such as delivery start and end times, eMeter use, and GPS location. Tracking drivers has the effect of improving efficiency and also helps drivers be compliant with route plans. Most drivers are less likely to game the system when tracking occurs.
• Paper Tickets Introduce Unwanted Processes and Reduce Operational Efficiency. While delivering on paper tickets, every minor and major process reduces your operational efficiency, from ordering to invoicing. Despite being a norm, these processes slow operational efficiency across departments and waste time with manual data entry and re-keying. This means you have higher staffing costs. Electronic data means you can use those employees in customer service and other areas, significantly impacting growth and satisfaction. Re-keying data is not value-add for you or your customers.                                                                                                                                   

In summary, paper hinders your progress or efforts toward an efficient logistics process. Switching from paper delivery tickets to a Petroleum Logistics System can help you digitize many processes, saving you time, money, and headaches.

The Benefits Of Paperless Dispatch and Delivery Software

Below are some benefits of electronic tickets for your fuel, lubricants, and chemical delivery and distribution business.

Professionalism

Different contact points between you and your customers influence your brand image. Paperless tickets give you credibility and a high degree of professionalism when interacting with customers. Professionals use professional, modern systems streamlined for tomorrow’s business. While stagnating fuel, lubricants, and chemical distribution companies argue the convenience of paper tickets, customers constantly look to partner with businesses embracing modern technology.

Save Time and Money with Electronic Distribution

An electronic document distribution system can save your company money in staffing costs. When issuing tickets manually, you lose plenty of company time across departments, which could also mean a loss in revenue. Software for on-site fleet fueling can save your drivers an average of 1 minute per vehicle. This translates to a minimum of at least one hour saved per day per driver. Drivers also save time through less paperwork for bulk delivery, such as lubricants and commercial fuel. That newly found driver time can add stops for their day with additional customers bringing in new revenue, allowing businesses to utilize the time saved on higher-impact work in the office. 

Accuracy and Transparency

Unforeseen errors in paper tickets can cost you money, time, and customers. Error corrections require time researching and possibly validating the mistake, correcting the inaccuracy, and potentially retraining the person who made the error. On the other hand, electronic receipts and tickets are more accurate, increase transparency, and become available faster. As a result of such unstained accuracy levels, paperless tickets increase transparency layers across operations. 

Improved Operational Efficiency

For starters, your drivers only need to re-enter the same information twice as typical of the paper ticket system. Paperless delivery ticketing systems eliminate the need for extra labor to enter information on the field and company invoices. Furthermore, electronic delivery tickets eliminate the need for your metered fuel delivery drivers to drive while making phone calls to provide trip and order updates. This data is already on the electronic system, thus increasing their operational efficiency and road safety. Due to their electronic (paperless) nature, the system sends metered delivery receipts and tickets immediately. Therefore, there is no lost paperwork and no delays in invoicing. Data accuracy improves by minimizing handwriting discrepancies and reducing invoicing conflicts with customers knowing delivered amounts immediately.

Real-Time Tracking

An electronic delivery system gives dispatchers real-time access to the pending order status and driver location. Such access increases transparency, especially since you can use this information to predict delays and prepare your customers. GPS tracking gives another level of transparency, giving last-mile visibility into customer order status during transportation without jeopardizing driver safety or delaying dispatch from knowing where the customer’s order is estimated to arrive.

Improve Information Access

Document security is a vital consideration. Fuel, lubricants, and chemical delivery software allow you to access relevant information conveniently. Paperless software solutions are secure while allowing flexibility of access within authorized personnel. With paper ticket (manual) delivery systems, data is restricted to anyone in current possession and does not limit details seen on those papers. Unfortunately, this hinders flexibility and potentially causes decreased data integrity. Besides the possibility of losing physical copies, you also need to protect critical data likely to jeopardize your organization or customers.

Maintain Compliance

Maintaining compliance with specific standards is part of the fuel distribution business. It is essential to be ready for audits at any time. Keeping physical paperwork in audit-ready shape can be hectic at the bare minimum. Electronic ticket systems can help you stay prepared for internal or external audits by saving time and money spent gathering paperwork across departments. A digital trail also reinforces accountability and responsibility throughout your fuel delivery business. Utilizing report features can show areas for improvement before auditing arises.

Go Green

Paperless ticket delivery systems are eco-friendly since there is little to no paper use. In addition to paper cost savings, our software also lets you reduce fuel costs through route optimization. 

Explore The Benefits of Paperless Ticketing

Operational efficiency is one of the most significant factors in helping you grow a fuel, lubricants, and chemical distribution business. Paper slows your operational efficiency, increases distribution costs, and loses money. On the other hand, paperless ticket delivery systems keep you ahead of your competitors by increasing operational efficiency, making you more professional, and saving you time and money. A paperless system makes communication with all internal stakeholders and customers easy, automated, and seamless. 

Bottom Line

Chasing paper is synonymous with making money, but going paperless will speed up and simplify the process. With a mobile software solution like BizSpeed’s goRoam, your central dispatch will have real-time visibility of your fuel distribution business through a snapshot via simple digital dashboards. 

Electronic ticket management systems like ours are ready-to-use technology that will make it simpler for your drivers to examine bills of lading, validate prices, bill tickets for refueling expenses, and gather client signatures. 

Suppose you are involved in last-mile transportation of fuels, chemicals, and lubricants. A paperless ticketing system can help you increase productivity and efficiency. Your success shouldn’t depend on the paper’s limitations. Contact us, or book a demo to get started with our solutions.