16 minute read
OLA Energy
KEEPING THE CONTINENT MOVING
Driving an LPG-fuelled future for Africa, OLA Energy is Africa’s leading energy retailer transforming mobility through its pan-continental network. Chief Operating Officer Maurizio Libutti describes a company on the go
Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Nicholas Kernan
FuelTrans Fz LLC is a group company of Bahwan CyberTek Group, a global provider of digital transformation solutions in the areas of IoT, predictive analytics, integrated logistics and transportation, secondary distribution management for oil marketing, fuel retail and logistics verticals in 20 countries across the Middle East, North America, Far East, Africa, and Asia. We are pioneers in Fuel Retail Automation and Logistics & Transportation solutions helping global Oil Marketing companies achieve complete control and visibility over retail outlet operations and secondary supply chain distribution using digital and datadriven levers. Our extensive experience and knowledge in Retail Fuel Automation, combined with our deep understanding of Logistics & Transportation, have helped us build a unique solution for oil marketing companies to integrate Secondary Distribution & Supply Chain Management with Retail Operations, and automate the entire order-to-cash cycle while providing a 360° view of oil distribution, logistics and retail operations.
FuelTrans Solutions Suite comprises of:
Station Manager - a cloud-based Fuel Station Management and Automation Solution that provides real-time data visibility into sales, wet stock inventory, equipment monitoring and various quality parameters to seamlessly manage all fuel station operations in an optimized way. Terminal Manager - Secondary Distribution Automation Solution that automates the entire order to cash cycle offering a comprehensive view of the secondary fuel supply chain for retail and commercial business segments. FuelTrans enables oil marketing companies to enhance Service Level Assurance | Optimizes Resource Utilization | Maximizes Sales Potential Fulfilment | Minimizes Risk exposure | Customer Empowerment and participation | End-2-End Operations Visibility & Automation.
FuelTrans Solutions Suite
Maximising value proposition with end-to-end business process automation
Fuel Station Automation (FSA) | For smart and secure fuel stations Centralised Monitoring Solution (CMS) | For complete control over fuel stations FuelFleet | Fuel Card Management Slution (FCMS) Secondary Distribution Automation (SDA) | For 360º automation of order to cash
A cloud-based solution that provides real-time visibility into sales, wet stock inventory, equipment monitoring and various quality parameters to seamlessly manage all fuel station operations in an optimised way. A Head Office application that allows centralised management and monitoring of site data across the fuel station network from every fuel dispenser transaction to wet stock inventory to quality parameters. An industry-leading solution that provides a connected fuelling experience with completely digital cashless fuelling, with facilities like pre-paid and digital receipts and reports. A new-age solution to automate the end-toend order to cash cycle with 360o secondary distribution automation. It covers functionalities all the way from demand planning, contracting, order management, logistics planning, HSE compliance, delivery and invoicing.
FuelTrans Fz LLC
As a prominent pan-African energy company, we believe we have a responsibility to be at the forefront of the transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy.”
For Maurizio Libutti, Chief Operating Officer at leading petroleum distributor OLA Energy, the impending impact of climate change across the continent is an issue that cannot be ignored.
Indeed, it is the company’s environmentally responsible stance that translates as a true differentiator for the pan-continental fuel distributor.
“OLA Energy has the commitment to be among the first operators in our industry to achieve CO2 emissions neutrality,” Libutti tells us, with reference to the initiatives launched to save fuel consumption, improve shared mobility and home deliveries, reduce deforestation through the use of LPG, and install solar panels across OLA Energy sites.
On the African fuel retail landscape, OLA Energy stands alone in terms of the breadth of its operations and wealth of expertise. The company promises to keep customers moving with the provision of everyday essentials via its wide-reaching network of welcoming and conveniently located stations across Africa.
To date, OLA Energy’s core business entails approximately 1,300 retail service stations spanning 17 African countries. The group’s portfolio of products includes fuel, lubricants, car services, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), convenience stores and quick-service restaurants to approximately 500,000 African consumers every single day.
The group has shown an average 20 percent increase in EBITDA over the last four years and continues its expansion in the countries where it operates.
“We also serve our industrial and wholesale clients in a wide range of industries, marine, aviation, transportation, mining, construction, power plants,” Libutti says. “For these clients we provide technical services and advanced lubrication solutions that allow them to save on fuel consumption and be more fuel efficient.”
Since the company was rebranded in 2018 from Oil Libya, OLA Energy’s youth and vitality has been reflected in its willingness to adapt and pivot to the shifting demands of the global energy landscape.
Reimagine Fuel Retailing with FuelTrans
Oil marketing companies need to constantly adapt to the changing dynamics and value-pool shifts in fuel retailing. With a high number of moving parts, the solution could reside in digital levers that can be leveraged to provide a complete bird’s eye view and control over operations.
FuelTrans is an industry-leading fuel station automation and integrated logistics and transportation solutions suite that provides a 360-degree view of the distribution logistics and retail operations and delivers real-time visibility into fuel stations.
IoT-enabled Smart Fuelling
FuelTrans integrates and connects all siloed and disparate systems in the O&G midstream and downstream journey and enables end-to-end automation of fuel stations. It covers every major component of a fuel station—from dispensers, tanks, ATG probes, price polls to wet stock management—and delivers optimum value proposition through wireless IoT-enabled forecourt automation, centralised monitoring system and cashless/cardless AVI system integrated with handheld device to cater to fleet customers.
Automated fuel stations
FuelTrans Station Manager is a cloud-based Fuel Station Management and Automation Solution that provides realtime data visibility into sales, wet stock inventory, equipment monitoring and various quality parameters to seamlessly manage all fuel station operations in an optimised way. Station Manager facilitates wireless forecourt automation, centralised monitoring of all site data, mobile application for real-time access, fuel card management for fleet customers and contactless refueling with RFID technology. Revolutionising fuel retailing in Africa
FuelTrans has been revolutionising fuel retailing in the African continent with fuel station automation solutions—it has automated over 1,000+ OLA Energy fuel outlets till date and is accelerating digital transformation across the OLA Energy network.
The company enabled seamless integration and connectivity across OLA Energy’s secondary distribution planning and logistics systems, mobile applications, loyalty, BI and C-store data to get real-time data-driven insights and decision support from its retail outlets. FuelTrans made a unique differentiation to OLA Energy with its IPs and system integration capabilities, proven operational understanding and ready-to-deploy world-class products.
Integrated logistics and transportation
FuelTrans Terminal Manager is a secondary distribution automation solution that automates the entire order-to-cash cycle offering a comprehensive view of the secondary fuel supply chain for retail and commercial business segments. It provides a Secondary Distribution Information Hub that gives a 360° view of oil distribution, logistics, and operations facilitating integrated supply chain planning, intelligent terminal services, secondary distribution optimisation and integration to ERP, order management, ATG, TAS, IVMS, SMS gateway and other systems.
Complete control over operations
FuelTrans enables enterprises to improve on service-level assurance, optimise resource utilisation, maximise sales potential fulfillment, minimise risk exposure, engage secondary customers and achieve end-to-end operations visibility and automation.
Despite this remodelling of the company’s image, the patriotic, proudly African values that run at OLA Energy’s core, remain steadfast and unchanging.
“OLA Energy is a brand that supports the growth of local African entrepreneurs and partners with international brands for the benefit of the African consumer.
“We are strengthening our footprint by positioning ourselves as one of the leading retailing companies in Africa.”
A NEW IDENTITY
After undergoing a brand refresh, OLA Energy has launched a new visual retail identity to reaffirm its status as a household name.
The company’s new logo is a symbolic representation of Africa, as a celebration of the continent that shapes its identity. The three stripes of colour both accompany and materialise the company’s ambitions:
BLUE - Reflects technology, excellence and quality.
ORANGE – For African energy and vitality.
WHITE - The African routes that OLA Energy take to lead its customers to excellence.
Since this rebranding, OLA Energy has continued to open 80 new service stations per year across its pan-African network.
ACCELERATING LOW-CARBON
OLA Energy’s status as a proudly African enterprise that is intrinsically invested in the welfare and development of the continent echoes strongly though the company’s stance on sustainability, both within the business itself and in terms of accelerating the widespread uptake of LPG.
“OLA Energy has always been committed to contributing to the prosperity of Africa by improving energy access across the continent, improving air quality in African households and fighting deforestation,” comments Libutti.
Solid fuel cooking represents a major health, environmental and developmental challenge across the continent, running the risk of indoor air pollution from wood and charcoal within households, alongside causing rising levels of deforestation.
“The two factors limiting LPG adoption in most African markets, are the lack of infrastructure (storage, transport, bottling, cylinders), and prohibitive upfront costs to poor consumers. Although LPG is cheaper per-cook, acquiring a 13 kilogramme cylinder of LPG for the first time in a place like Kenya can cost $50,” he explains.
“At OLA Energy, we are doing everything we can to address both of those limitations. We are active in LPG in seven of our 17 countries, and in those countries, we are aggressively investing in storage facilities, bottling plants, and LPG cylinders.
“At the same time, we are actively testing new business models that will make LPG more affordable to consumers. Some of these ideas involve working with micro-finance partners to lower the upfront-cost of investing in technology-enabled solutions that allow customers to ‘pay as you cook’,” adds Libutti.
In this sense, progression within OLA Energy can be seen as a microcosm of development for
Fortech
Ensuring safety, performance and reliability for manned and unmanned service stations has been the main objective that brings Fortech, Italian leader in providing solutions for fuel stations with more than 12,000 fuel stations connected and more 5,000 terminals installed, to create a partnership in Morocco with Ola Energy, one of Africa’s leading petroleum distribution and marketing companies.
Following the success of the pilot project in Meknès, 15 OPT terminals have been chosen to make the transition to unmanned service stations more efficient and safer. The high level of automation of Fortech equipment gives the possibility to easily manage unmanned service stations.
The keyword of the project is smartSTATION: a service station that can be managed remotely by PC or smartphone monitoring real time data. Sell-out, tank levels, change prices are some of the features available remotely on web and mobile applications.
A 24H/7D station with minimum maintenance costs and unplanned downtime (thanks also to the efficiency of Fortech Help Desk able to solve more than 90 percent of the issues remotely). smartSTATION represents a safe, reliable, highperformance service station designed to be user-friendly for the end customers too.
The Moroccan project express the Fortech intention to share with African markets their pioneering approach to fuel stations and, more specifically, to unmanned stations.
www.fortech.it/en
Fortech, the Italian company that has revolutionised the concept of the service station of the future, is bringing its solutions around the world. Pioneering innovative technologies that deliver the safer, efficient and most competitive solutions for service stations; in addition, our main strength, has been built around our technicians, well trained on the equipment from all major manufacturers, ensure a correct diagnosis and prompt troubleshooting with over than 90% of the issues sorted out directly by remote!
Fortech is the ideal candidate to become your ideal business partner.
Next level. At any level.
The SiteManager platform allows you to monitor and manage your service station or network remotely: from a PC, tablet or smartphone. The amount of fuel dispensed, tank levels, product prices and customer credit reports are all accessible from any device connected to Internet. With SiteManager, you can work actively on the single point of sale, for example by remotely changing the fuel prices to be applied at your service station. For optimal management from smartphones and tablets, you also have the SiteManager Mobile app available for IOS and Android devices.
More automation. More control.
With GHOST SYSTEMS you can remotely control the entire system, receive notifications in case of faults or failures on the terminal (smartOPT), if any pending bank transactions occur, as well as check management data, access the video surveillance system or edit the fuel prices from any PC.
Armoured Safe Vandal-Proof 12” Touch Monitor
Voice Guidance
smartOPT is a device with a unique design, characterised by numerous features, such as audio guidance in 5 languages, 12” flat touchscreen and an easy and intuitive interface allowing an optimal user experience and a complete management of the service station. With our terminal the customer can easily choose different method of payments as: cash (armoured safe certified EN 1143 integrated with presettable alarm systems), financials cards, loyalty/fuel cards and by dedicated APP. SmartOPT is the perfect device for your unmanned station. Additionally, to complete the automation of your service station, Fortech can offer you an integrated package for carwash service. In fact, with our solutions you can easily manage your carwash by web or by smartphone.
Easy to install. Easy to use.
Fortech S.r.l, Rimini, Italy +39 0541 364611 info@fortech.it www.fortech.it/en
the continent, translating to the company’s greater concern for societal welfare across Africa as a region most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and poor environmental practices. sustainable energy generation will be crucial for African industry, and that the shift to personal electric mobility will also happen very soon in Africa.”
“Helping to transition millions of African consumers to cleaner LPG for household cooking is key to contributing to African health and prosperity,” Libutti says.
“We believe that distributed
CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE:
THE OLA GO LOYALTY PROGRAMME
OLA Energy has recently launched the OLA GO loyalty programme. Through this scheme, customers are rewarded with points each time they fill up, buy a coffee, or change their oil. These points can then be redeemed for products at OLA Energy sites or online. With personalised offerings geared towards individual customers, the programme is dedicated to fostering long-lasting customer loyalty.
“As we expand the offering on our sites to include more services such as restaurants, ATMs, and car washes to name a few, we believe it is critical to develop a better understanding of our customers’ habits and give them a reason to keep coming back to us.” - Maurizio Libutti, COO, OLA Energy
FUTUREPROOF FUELLING
Aside from OLA Energy’s responsible stance on sustainability, the company is differentiated by its innovative incorporation of digitalisation and advanced technologies.
“Digitising and automating our product offerings and services through dedicated applications are amongst our priorities,” Libutti continues.
One such example includes the launch of ‘OLA GAZ EXPRESS’ in Cameroon – a new initiative whereby OLA Energy customers can purchase bottles of gas online for either collection or delivery using the company’s dedicated fleet of branded tricycles.
- MAURIZIO LIBUTTI, COO, OLA ENERGY
In addition, the digital arm of OLA Energy maximises reach to consumers with the Jumia platform in both Uganda and Kenya, where customers can purchase both lubricants and LPG online.
Within this, OLA Energy is also developing the concept of a smart station, deploying new automation technologies across its operations that play an integral role in inventory management and from a control perspective. This is instrumental in streamlining dealers’ operations and enabling them to be managed remotely whilst also enhancing the customer experience.
Complementary to this, technological advances at OLA Energy enable real-time visibility of inventory and the mobilisation of products, thereby allowing for optimised delivery.
“Within our sites we have developed a suite of hardware including forecourt controllers, automatic tank gauges, and attendant tagging systems that provide complete, real-time visibility on inventory and product movements,” Libutti tells us.
While such technologies may be nothing new for the industry across the rest of the world, OLA Energy is
passionate about ensuring that Africa keeps pace with these developments.
“For our dealers operating the station, the new technologies are game changers. They can now monitor inventory in real-time without having to use a dipstick. They are also able to see sales by pump and sales by attendant on their smartphones allowing them to do cash reconciliation and close shifts in a fraction of the time it used to take.”
As the advent of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to affect global light-vehicle sales, thanks to their eco-friendly means of transport and relatively low price point for scooters and motorbikes, OLA Energy will seek to support electrification to remain competitive amidst this consumer shift.
This will also entail a focus on developing capabilities in alternative energies to keep abreast with client demand.
“The shift of our B2B customers from diesel fuel to hybrid energy, and eventually to fully alternative energy is inevitable. For OLA to continue to be their energy provider of choice we are developing the capabilities to offer and operate hybrid micro-grids,” Libutti observes.
LOOKING AHEAD
In order to maintain OLA Energy’s status as a relevant and forwardthinking company, a predictive outlook is essential for Maurizio Libutti, as he foresees potential threats and disruption for the coming decade.
“The current retail fuel distribution model will not be sustainable and attractive in the long term. We believe that fuel margins will continue to deteriorate over time,” he predicts.
“For OLA it is essential to align on the likely future dynamics and begin from now to lay the groundwork for success under those new conditions.”
With this new, revitalised image Tel: +971 4 429 5000 www.olaenergy.com
TITLE: MANAGERS UNIFORM LOGO ARTWORK DATE: 02/04/18
at the fore, expansion is high on the agenda for OLA Energy. Strategic partnerships are at the nexus of this growth - having formed the backbone of OLA Energy’s continental prowess, these relationships will also pave the way for the company’s future.
“We will expand the OLA footprint by partnering with high-quality franchisee partners.
“We are focused on identifying competent, experienced operators across Africa that can take their fuel operations to the next level by partnering with us and implementing the best practices that OLA has developed over decades in this industry.”
