Challenge
Pilot Travel also maintains marketing offices in Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. The company operates pipeline-connected fuel storage and truck-loading terminals in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada and Lubbock, Texas as well as a trans mix processing plant in El Mirage, Arizona.
Solution
Pilot Travel came to ISS searching for IRS certified fuel tax solution after their current software provider (Zytax/Avalara) notified them their on-premise solution would no longer be support and they would be required to convert into a new cloud-based software package requiring another implementation project.
ISS implemented the Toptech certified terminal data interface and guided Pilot Travel thru a seamless migration from the legacy software into the new AKORE® solution. The legacy fuel tax software included several manual processes such as excel macro’s and Microsoft access database scripts. Each and every manual process was eliminated by the AKORE® FTPLUS® solution at no additional charge.
Benefits
According to Mike Mathers (Operations Manager) the weak link in Pilot Travel’ s software automation, prior to the implementation of AKORE® software, was ExSTARS Terminal Reporting.
“We utilized what had become known as the ‘industry standard’ for ExSTARS Terminal Reporting. However, the previous software solution required extensive manipulation and many steps to accomplish our reporting requirements. We like to look at our automation tools as the best in the Strategic Fuel Services industry, and in this area, we certainly needed improvement. With ExSTARS, it is vital that we balance to the gallon and in order to accomplish this was very challenging with our previous software.
The folks at AKORE® came in, very quickly interfaced with our Toptech Terminal Automation system and started to deliver value in very short order. We were up and running with AKORE® in a fraction of the time it took with our previous provider and there are no unnecessary steps to file ExSTARS. The software just works as advertised and the service was incredible. At the very least, I estimate that I’m saving 40-45% of my staff’s time over the previous solution. I heartily recommend AKORE® Fuel Tax Solutions.
Description
HFS Sinclair Corporation (“HollyFrontier”) (NYSE: HFC) is among the largest independent petroleum refiners in the United States with operations throughout the mid-continent, southwestern and Rocky Mountain regions. Subsidiaries of HFS Sinclair produce and market gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, heavy products and specialty lubricant products. HFS Sinclair operates five complex refineries with 443,000 barrels per day of crude oil processing capacity.
Functionality Delivered
Customer is using 3 AKORE® Tax products, all integrated to form a unique offering. AKORE® FTPLUS® (Fuel Tax Compliance), AKORE® TaxCalendar® and the AKORE® TaxCrm Contract and Certificate Management Solution.
The AKORE® Implementation team replaced the legacy ZYTAX/AVALARA as part of the fuel tax solution implementation. Data was inconsistent and users were forced to correct errors and create numerous manual entries to overcome interface issues. The AKORE® SAP add on solution was completed and ready to start testing within two weeks. The implementation training team immediately starting working with the users and tax rules for 21 states were setup in just 10-15 days. UAT testing was then actively under way. At no charge, ISS added new reports and new Error Validation routines after listening to recommendations from HFS Sinclair. Users immediately noticed significant performance improvements using the Patent Pending Matrix Tool and saw how the AKORE® FTPLUS® design allowed for multiple users, filing in multiple states simultaneously with no issues what so ever. The Federal Quarterly return previously was taking around 15 hours to just run the tax rules, in the new ISS AKORE® FTPLUS® system the Federal tax rules now run in around 51 minutes. Instantly staff could file tax returns in 50% of the time than before.
Benefits
“Since we moved away from Zytax/Avalara and went with AKORE® FTPLUS®, we have found the differences to be very meaningful in a number of ways. Two things really stand out; first, the speed of the system is incredible. We estimate that in terms of function and resources required that we have reduced our costs by a minimum of 50%.
The other significant way that the system impacts us, really on a daily basis, is that previously whenever a change was made to the system, it would require that we bring in our vendor to make those changes. AKORE® FTPLUS® changed that dynamic and further helped us reduce time and expense. Now, changes, big or small can be accomplished within our team on the business side and do not require IT (except in instances where they would normally be involved.) For instance, adding products.” stated Leslie Simmons, Vice President Tax.
Description
NuStar Energy operates one of the world’s largest liquid terminal and pipeline networks in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Turkey. Nustar’s network consists of 8,417 miles / 13,467 kilometers of pipeline and 90 terminals and storage facilities with a combined storage of over 94 million barrels / 11.2 million cubic meters. Additionally, NuStar energy operates its own two asphalt refineries with a combined output of 118,500 barrels per day / 15,500 metric tons per day.
Functionality Delivered
After searching for an IRS certified fuel tax solution NuStar selected AKORE® FTPLUS®. Previously Nustar had been using another fuel tax software that had become outdated and was no longer able to handle the large volume of transactions expected to be processed on a daily and monthly basis. Nustar also requested a solution that could easily bolt up with their existing terminal accounting system without having to make changes. It was quickly decided that using the Data Interface connectors already built into AKORE® FTPLUS® the system could be up and running quickly. During the UAT testing performance improvements over the previous vendor’s solution were phenomenal. The tax rules process that in the past would take up to 2 hours to run now could run in less than 5 minutes using the Patent Pending Matrix Tool™ provided with AKORE® FTPLUS®. Senior staff worked closely with Nustar staff and provided a smooth quick implementation of a nationwide ExSTARS and multiple state Terminal Operator Implementations.
Benefits
The benefits of using the new technology built into AKORE® FTPLUS® were recognized immediately. Time to file was reduced between 30 – 50%. Performance when using the software has increased by 75%. For example, processes that ran in 2 hours have now been reduced to completing in minutes. Return accuracy has improved due to the Advanced Error Management Module. When using the previous fuel tax software, the system did not catch most errors before returns were submitted, and therefore the returns were rejected. With AKORE®, data is analyzed for errors and users are both notified and prevented from filing the return until the errors are corrected.
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