Here at Titan Cloud, we know that we are only as good as our people. Luckily, we have some of the best people around! Our team has decades of experience working with all types of businesses, from major enterprise companies to independent operators. What they all have in common is helping these businesses set records year after year as the best one yet.

One of the best in the industry is Jeff Sexten, our VP of Solutions Consulting. He’s worked in compliance for over 28 years, with the last decade working for fleet companies and now he brings that expertise to Titan Cloud, helping our customers and soon-to-be customers understand how they can use our product to solve their problems. As someone who’s also been a Titan Cloud user for 10 years, bringing Jeff onto our team was a no-brainer.

Get to know Jeff by reading the interview below and you’ll understand why we’re so glad to have him on board. 

Tell us what you do in your work for Titan Cloud.

I am currently the VP of Solutions Consulting for Titan, which basically means I’m a utility player. I mainly work with our Sales leaders developing business cases for potential customers and with our customer success team ensuring our customers are using the software to the best of their abilities. I help them create processes and find solutions so they work more efficiently. I also work on a number of special projects.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I grew up on a farm and when I was little, I wanted to be a farmer and own my own combine.

While not at work, you can find me:

I would like to say on the golf course, but golfing has taken a backseat in my spare time the past few years. In reality, you can find me doing DIY house projects and watching sports.

Why did you choose to work at Titan Cloud?

I was a decade-long user of Titan Cloud and I’ve always said that the people at Titan Cloud are awesome to work with. When an opportunity came up to make a career shift, I didn’t hesitate. Knowing the quality of people working at Titan Cloud, I knew it’d be a good place to work.

What is your favorite part of your current role?

As you can maybe guess, I would say my favorite part is working with the various Titan Cloud team members, but I also enjoy helping others find solutions to their problems.

What is your favorite part of working in environmental compliance?

I love knowing that what I’m doing will have an impact on future generations.

What do you think is the most exciting thing happening in environmental compliance today?

It’s easily the investments being made to combat the negative impacts of climate change. From the Government, private industry, and personal investments, the industry is being changed for the better.

What advice would you offer someone wanting a career in environmental?

This is a very big industry, so don’t narrow your focus and start thinking there’s only one way to do something. Use data to solve problems and be open for collaboration. 

Wrap up

If you want to get in touch with Jeff, you can schedule a meeting.

There’s a lot to keep up with when you start as a new fleet manager. To help you keep up, here are ten things fleet managers need to know to understand, track, and stay ahead of your UST compliance.

1. Every state has different regulations: As a fleet manager responsible for UST compliance, you need to know that every state has different regulations. Even though the regulation comes from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), each state has the authority to create its own rules. You can find those here.

2. Your inventory cycle may change depending on the state: Every state is a little different regarding requirements. In some states, you must do inventory variants on a ten-day cycle. Some are 30 days. In other states, you don’t have to do it at all. Learn about state requirements here.

3. Some states require a third party inspector: Some states require a third party inspector to come out and inspect the system to get your permit (i.e., Illinois). In other states, you pay a fee. Other states don’t even have an annual process. You can learn the specifics here.

4. There are three types of operators: The three types of operators are Class A, Class B, and Class C. Class A operators must operate and maintain your UST system. Class B performs your monthly walkthrough inspections. Class C is often the first respondent to emergency situations. 

5. Violation fees multiply until you pay them: Regulators can issue violation fees monthly if you don’t resolve a violation immediately. For example, if you have a $1000 violation and it takes you six months to get it fixed, that violation could ultimately cost you $6,000 total.

6. You need a follow-up process for inspections: All deficiencies that crop up in an inspection require not only corrective action but also a way to track that action. With a process in place, you’re able to produce the required documentation whenever someone needs it, be it a technician or an inspector. Without the proper paperwork, the next time a technician goes out, they won’t know there is an issue. 

7. You must maintain a record of deficiencies and corrections: Monthly walkthrough inspections now have a monthly compliance report that includes any deficiencies. As noted, you have to have documentation for every deficiency as well as the corresponding corrective action. You need a means to attach those corrections to your compliance reports easily and linear linkage–when each document links to the next one in the chain–is the most efficient method.

8. Implement a standard practice to triage alarms: Some alarms will clear themselves, such as needing a fuel delivery, low volume, and high volume, but most will need you to respond. Having a standard in place to triage and respond to alarms can stop you from wasting hours sorting them.

9. Keep track of your UST operators: It’s important you know which operators are on your roster for each location you manage. Each class of operator has different training requirements and different frequencies for training in order to be up to date. Fleet managers need to know that every facility has the right class operator with up to date training ready to respond to any issues.

10. Know every facility’s testing requirements: Every UST system is a little different with different components and requirements, and this is especially true for fleets. Because of these variations, there are few standards for maintaining facilities. New fleet managers need to know what they’ve got and when testing is done or you risk falling behind and getting hit with major fines.

How to get ahead

Being a fleet manager is rewarding, but, in the past, it required juggling reams of papers containing all the dates, personnel info, deficiencies, and corrective actions you need to stay compliant. Luckily, these days, you can invest in technology that keeps you on track and documentation at your fingertips.

Discover technology that does the tracking for you.

Remote connectivity provides the foundation that allows convenience stores, fleets, and any other facilities with fuel the visibility needed to tap into the power of technology. 

As the name implies, without remote visibility into your equipment, you’re stuck with manual, on-site processes that slow you down and cost you money. You won’t be able to tap into the benefits of remote solutions and you’ll have to keep performing every inspection on-site and filling out all paperwork by hand.

Remote connectivity is the first step in digital transformation. But it’s also crucial that the data you get from your devices is trustworthy and accurate. When you make major decisions for yourself or your customers, you have to know that you’re basing them on correct information. 

The right solution that’s dependable and accurate can revolutionize how you do business. But you don’t have to take our word for it. We talked with Joseph Whalen, the Retail Account Manager for RKA Petroleum, about how technology has improved the way they do business. 

This technology allows them to identify issues sooner, get them fixed faster, and make them the best at what they do. Here is what he had to say.

How has remote connectivity helped your daily operations?

Remote connectivity allows us to see up-to-date inventories, which in turn allows us to take care of our customers much quicker. It allows for better communication between our dispatchers and drivers, which ultimately saves our drivers time on the road.

What departments use remote connectivity in their day-to-day operations and how?  

Our Dispatch Team relies on our Titan devices throughout the day to check fuel levels and to make sure there are no major changes—plus or minus—at our customers’ sites. Management occasionally needs to access the information in the software if a customer needs any reconciliation reports. Our sales department utilizes the phone app as a backup on the weekend. As you can see, we use this technology across departments.

How has remote connectivity improved your services?

Having real-time data is crucial for knowing the levels at our various customer sites. If there is an unexpected increase at one of our customers’ sites, the real-time data allows us to make quick changes in deliveries and make sure that every customer has what they need. Also, if we ever notice that something doesn’t look quite right in the data, we can notify them that there may be an issue, such as a probe being out, a tank monitor issue, etc. We are able to see these issues further in advance and implement the fixes needed sooner as well.

Has remote connectivity helped you maintain compliance? If so, how?

Remote connectivity has absolutely helped us maintain compliance. Michigan law states that you only can fill a tank to 90%. Knowing the correct fuel levels helps us make sure we take the correct amount of fuel, saving time for the driver and saving money for the customer. Water in the tanks can also be a compliance issue. The water level icons also help with communicating findings to our customers so they can implement solutions before they rack up major problems–or major fines.

Has remote connectivity helped with fuel delivery? If so, how?

Coordinating a fleet of drivers is a task. I feel that RKA has always been one of the best in the business at doing this, but having this technology allows us to be the best! Coordinating fuel deliveries has seen the biggest improvement with this technology. Time is money, not only for our customers, but for our company as well. The better everything is coordinated, the better our customers are taken care of! Having remote access to accurate data makes it possible. 

Wrap Up

Digital transformation is key for thriving in today’s market. Technology allows you to anticipate challenges and solve them before they cost you money. Like RKA Petroleum, you’ll be able to keep an eye on your data, noticing when something is off long before it causes expensive damage. 

Technology allows you to work faster and cheaper with the confidence to say that you, too, are the best in your business.

Learn how Titan’s family of brands can make your business more effective.

Apps are available to download for both Apple and Android devices and connect to Titan’s complete inspection cloud platform.

The manager begins by setting up the inspections you want performed. Then, inspectors open the app and are taken to a list of the facilities the manager has given them to inspect.

To ensure compliance, the app includes free access to a library containing all accepted state forms and PEI forms, which apply to states that have not yet adopted their own forms. This means you’ll always meet compliance requirements, with new state forms automatically added as states adopt them. Even better, all completed inspections are published on approved state PDFs for paperless compliance reporting that’s as fast as it is easy.

Operators can set up a new inspection by selecting “add new” and then choosing the inspection they desire completed by field personnel or vendors. Simply select the date of the inspection and your Inspector will automatically be filled in based on the list you’ve set up to perform these inspections. Select “add new” again and the inspection is created. 

You have the ability to require specific fields and attachments, so no inspection can be scored until all forms are filled. You have the option to score results as pass/fail or on a weighted scale.

Information is pulled from your site data in the Titan platform, including facility-specific information like tanks, lines, dispensers, canopies, sumps, and ATGs. This ensures inspectors see and inspect what equipment is actually installed at your sites, increasing both the accuracy and efficiency of your inspection process. 

Once a user has been set up in the inspection app, they can work online providing you with real-time results, or if no internet is available, they can perform inspections offline and sync when the inspection is completed and internet is available.

The types of inspections you can do with Titan are as flexible and versatile as your business needs. Forms in the inspection library are not limited to EPA and PEI inspections since you can configure virtually any form or inspection type you want performed, including 30-day walk-throughs, spill bucket inspections, big oil brand or secret shopper inspections, clean bathroom inspections, fleet inspections and so on. You can even set up an optional approval process if you so choose.

Completed inspections are accessible as mapped PDFs in both the Advanced Facility Inspection App and the Titan platform. And because it’s a cloud platform, you can include as many videos, documents, and photos without worrying about possibly running out of space.

Titan’s management dashboard allows users to manage the inspection process, offering complete visibility into what inspections have been completed and which have not in any given month. 

Additionally, you’ll be notified of deficiencies, inspection statuses or stages, trends, and even the root causes of any recurring problems. You can even set up a workflow with notifications to help users and staff track all issues to resolution—even linking to work orders for full maintenance resolution management.

Inspectors have the flexibility to open previously started inspections, start new inspections, or look at completed inspections from the app. Leading convenience stores have used Titan’s inspection app to perform more than 8,000 fuel facility walk-through inspections each month for over 5 years, making is the #1 inspection app in the fuel industry.

If you’d like to learn more about Titan Cloud Software’s Advanced Inspection Platform and Apps, please reach out today to set up a demo.

Stranded business travelers. Airless buildings. Silenced elevators. Rush-hour chaos. From Detroit to Toronto to Manhattan and beyond, more than 50 million people across eight northeastern U.S. states and parts of Canada were without power. 

Millions lived again with uncertainty during the largest blackout in North American history almost 20 years ago. At the time, the suspicion was that the blackout represented a cyberattack on the U.S. power grid.

Thankfully, the cause was much more benign. A cascading series of events: human error, software issues, and equipment failures caused what the media called the Northeast Blackout.

But human suffering and business losses were significant

Make no mistake. The threat of cyberattacks is real. U.S. support of Ukraine as it wards off Russian aggression has invoked hostilities toward NATO and especially the United States, according to evolving intelligence.

As Putin’s military invasion of Ukraine wears on, his back is against the wall, said President Joe Biden. He recently warned of Russian cyberattacks against the U.S. Putin’s frustration grows as his suppression of Ukraine falters; some speculate that a cyberattack could be the next step.

Brian Harrell, a former assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at DHS, said “the most logical enemy avenue approach is through vulnerable 3rd parties and the critical supply chain.”

This points directly at critical infrastructure and the U.S. retail fuel supply. The threat to web-connected fuel tanks is no small matter.

Tank Monitors Susceptible to Cyber Risk

The vulnerability of the gauges used to monitor gasoline tanks is the latest security issue challenging industrial devices which are increasingly being connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). Automated tank gauges (ATGs) are used by nearly every fueling station in the United States and tens of thousands of systems internationally. 

While ATGs are typically accessed to monitor fuel inventories, attackers could easily alter the settings. Imagine if hackers concentrated their efforts to make changes to hundreds of systems simultaneously, locking out access which would lead to a host of problems.

Frequent run outs and loss of alarm notifications could result in ATG alarms being missed. A security breach on ATGs could raise issues with fuel compliance, fuel theft, and even terrorism.

Many independent operators connect to the Internet with an off-the-shelf home router and use a public IP address. They haven’t given much thought to security or firewall protection. Tank monitors that are connected remotely using public IP addresses are highly susceptible to cyberattacks. 

As a leader in data security, we factor security into every decision we make. From our IoT hardware to our Web platform, we strive to optimize security and minimize the risks associated with sensitive data. Here’s what we recommend to protect your convenience store operation.

5 Ways to Guard Against Cyberattacks

1. Close the system

Unlike the TCP/IP method of monitoring automatic tank gauges, which leaves multiple ports exposed to third parties for manipulation, the Titan cellular-based system is closed and entirely proprietary. It has no physical or digital “open ports” that expose a client’s network to potential unknown attack vectors.

2. Limit application access

Canary’s system is the only application running on our hardware, limiting the number of potential security holes from third parties. A site connected via TCP/IP can be connected to many applications, increasing risk exposure.

3. Encrypt communications

All communications between our device and the cloud are encrypted to ensure confidentiality; APIs are accessible only via HTTPS and use a 2048-bit TLS certificate.

4. Leverage trusted partners

We exclusively use best-in-class hosting via established and trusted hosting companies like Amazon Web Services, using ISO 27001, 27010, and 27018 physical security and risk management.

5. Manage user access and security

Canary employs strong password requirements, and access control lists to prevent users from controlling applications or devices that are not theirs.

Wrap Up

Being proactive and cyber aware is the first line of defense for every owner/operator connected to the Web. Using a secure, encrypted cell modem like a Canary box is a guaranteed way to eliminate the risk of a cyberattack to your network via your tank gauge by taking it off-network. 

While cybercriminals exist, you can protect yourself from rogue agents. You can limit the applications you use, manage user access, encrypt communications, and work with partners you trust.

What are you doing to ensure your ATG, a vulnerable network endpoint, is properly secured from increasing online threats to fueling infrastructure?

Learn more about Titan Cloud’s Canary today.

There’s a saying in life: If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll only get what you’ve always got. If you’ve been tracking fuel tank inspections with pen and paper, then you can expect the same inefficient workflows and cumbersome compliance reporting.

If the people who have been going from site to site and tank to tank with pen and paper only knew they could be conducting inspections with digital tools. With mobile inspections software tools, customers can replace dozens of manual processes with one software tool  that enables efficient, on-the-go data capture.

You already understand the importance of accurate information. The wrong data or a faulty tool could potentially cost you thousands of dollars in downtime, environmental fines, or more. Inspecting your fuel tanks one by one is actually more likely to produce errors than when you utilize digital tools. 

We’re here to help you save time and improve accuracy while remaining—and even improving—compliant. Here are some fuel tank inspection recommendations that utilize technology in order to keep your inspections as efficient as possible.

Underground Fuel Tank Inspection Basics

Conduct a visual inspection with a mobile form. You should perform visual inspections of your fuel tanks regularly—but are you doing it thoroughly, consistently, and accurately every time? Using a mobile form, you can be sure that your inspectors are looking for the right things every time and not missing anything. A mobile form will guide your inspectors to look for signs of corrosion, cracks, and leaks in all the highest risk places so you don’t miss anything if an inspector is in a hurry or inexperienced.

Our environmental software automates access to all required state and PEI forms in a central hub and stores all documentation for as long as you want or need. Titan also adds new forms as states adopt them so you’ll always work from the most current regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states that enforce UST rules do require a walkthrough inspection every 30 days, and you are required to retain inspection records for at least three years. 

Reporting and record keeping. Depending on your UST, you’ll need to inspect various equipment associated with your storage tanks and keep written verification of equipment performance. Equipment manufacturers or installers provide this verification, but it’s the owners’ responsibility to maintain accurate and current records. If and when an inspector conducts an on-site inspection, you need to keep records that prove your facility or store meets certain requirements. 

This is a lot of information and paperwork to keep track of. However, the right technology makes it simple. Our platform operates as a virtual filing cabinet so you no longer have to search actual filing cabinets—or worse, shoeboxes—for the relevant paperwork. Instead, you can do a simple search on the platform and see everything you need in seconds. 

You can also keep track of vendors and work orders to make sure you’re fixing all notifications and alerts that pop up.

Wrap Up

With Titan’s facility management software, you can keep all the essential federal and state records stored in one place and ensure that inspectors see and inspect what’s installed at your site. You can connect all your fuel equipment to understand the root issues of your most valuable assets.

Our solutions represent the convergence of compliance, fuel analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), setting a new standard for facilities with fuel.

Learn more about how Titan can streamline fuel inspections—and more.

Brent Puzak has worked for convenience stores for over two decades. During that time, he learned first-hand about the challenges facing each department. So we brought him in to share his perspective on how teams of all sizes can scale their operations amidst increasing regulations. 

Read his take below.

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During my time working for convenience stores, I’ve learned that Compliance Managers face unique challenges. They need to answer complex questions and focus on the day-to-day tasks necessary to follow state and federal regulations. Finding that balance between increasing revenue while meeting the needs of stakeholders, regulators, and public health is hard.

The role of the Director and Compliance Manager is complex. Their job is three-fold:

1. Keeping stores and tanks operational while taking the pressure off store personnel. 
2. Find solutions for operators.
3. Ensure their actions comply fully with all regulations.

My tenure with convenience stores gave me a 360-degree view of these segments: employees, operators, and regulators. It allowed me to work with massive amounts of data and interpret it from many perspectives in a way that minimized disruption.

Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

How do regulations create challenges for compliance teams?

The biggest challenge facing the industry over the last several years is the updated underground storage tank (UST) regulations. The 2005 Energy Policy Act created a greater focus on compliance for the c-store industry. The new double-wall requirements have added a layer of complexity for compliance teams.

Because of this, convenience store owners now need to turn their attention to a new problem: How can they better manage increasing regulations? Their old ways of managing data and performing inspections are no longer sustainable. These new requirements go beyond the scope of what your average compliance manager can handle manually. 

For example, before the 2005 Energy Policy Act, a lot of people were using SIR and CSLD for their method of release detection. Then interstitial monitoring became a rule. There are more sensors in the storage tanks pulling more data than ever before and stores need to collect that data on an ongoing basis.

People who managed their data on Excel spreadsheets struggled to keep up with the workload. A lot of people looked for systems to help them better manage their business to keep pace with their growth. As you can imagine, using remote technology to access, store, and check data is far easier than checking gauges manually and sorting every spreadsheet by hand. It makes a compliance manager’s job much easier, much cheaper, and much more effective.

Because of its convenience and functionality, we’ve seen software evolve from a nice-to-have to a critical need in the industry.

How do c-store compliance teams solve these challenges?

Owners and operators have had to figure out how to manage the firehose of data. They’ve realized that spreadsheets, which they’d been using for years, weren’t going to cut it. An increase in compliance requirements means more testing and inspections. And more scrutiny means finding more issues to resolve. 

The amount of data required to meet regulations has almost tripled now that the 2005 Energy Policy Act is in place. These new requirements have placed an extra burden on compliance staff and organizations as a whole. Depending on the types of systems in operation, periodic testing and release detection must be completed to ensure overall system integrity, while monthly visual inspections ensure that irregular operating conditions are caught to minimize and prevent impacts to the environment. Many of these tests and inspections are new requirements and add additional visibility and tracking to each site.

In fact, some customers have seen an increase of 30,000 or more component tests and inspections over a two to three-year period! 

Store owners want to remain compliant, but they need help to scale at this order of magnitude. It is humanly impossible to track such an enormous amount of data without some tracking system in place. Operators need to find platforms that allow them to manage compliance aspects more effectively; the data needs to be housed somewhere, and ideally someplace that’s easy to navigate and sort.

Customers are looking to cloud technology for its vast storage capabilities. Cloud software allows them to access data remotely from anywhere and share it more globally. This flexibility gives them visibility to critical compliance information and more control over the way people work.

Once compliance teams have access to a central source of truth and have experienced first-hand the value of technology, they embrace digital transformation.

Wrap up

In my experience, it’s important to have a system in place that gives me visibility into all the data. I want to make sure I’m not missing anything that regulators need and I want a way to report on compliance efficiently.

At my last company, using Titan’s software allowed me to do that. Today, as a Titan team member, I help other convenience stores transform how they handle their mountain of data. 

Best of all, the technology will continue to evolve and grow as regulations do. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this industry–regulations tend to only increase.

When we announced our acquisition of Melbourne-based Environmental Monitoring Solutions (EMS) in February, many Titan Cloud customers were curious about the reasons for the acquisition and wondered how it would benefit them. Not only do we share similar goals and a vision for the industry, but by combining the companies’ extensive product lines, we can expand our offerings and capabilities to EMS and Titan customers around the world. For current Titan customers, there should be two new products first and foremost on your mind: Greenscan and Fuelscan.  

You can now ditch third-party SIR vendors and use Greenscan for monthly, weekly, or even daily SIR reports. By  giving you control of your own data, Greenscan lets you fully integrate compliance information on one platform while leveraging a team of dedicated analysts to process daily reconciliation data. For those Titan users who are currently self-managing their SIR, Greenscan can help you save time and money by consolidating internal systems and processes. 

For on-site fuel reconciliation, look no further than Fuelscan. This product yields richer data sets than third-party sources, allowing you to view all your fuel data instead of the trimmed-down version you would otherwise receive. By integrating Fuelscan with other Titan products, you have the freedom to use the equipment you already own instead of being locked into a particular hardware provider. Additionally, you can create a more autonomous fuel management system by removing your dependency on third-party vendors for your own data.  

Finally, EMS is the only ISO9001-2015 certified company for leak detection, so you can rest easy knowing we meet the highest industry standards. 

We’re excited to offer both Fuelscan and Greenscan solutions to all our customers, so you can fully integrate your forecourt from required SIR testing to fuel inventory management. 

Interested in Greenscan or Fuelscan software? 

Get in touch with your account manager and one of our specialists will reach out to discuss how we can help.

*Adapted from How to Confidently Manage Environmental Compliance webinar 

Managing environmental compliance means not only meeting environmental regulations and reducing the risk of catastrophic leaks, but also identifying operational gaps and implementing solutions to resolve or mitigate those gaps. At a time when companies are asking staff to constantly do more with less, how can you be confident in your compliance management? 

Build up foundational knowledge

Compliance managers operate in a world where state and federal regulations are constantly changing. It’s crucial that compliance managers know their governing environmental regulations. It could take several years for a compliance professional to truly know the regulations by heart (and by then they’ll probably have changed anyway), so having a reference on hand will serve them well should a crisis arise.  

Compliance managers should also lean on vendors, peers, consultants, and the regulatory community for guidance on reducing risk exposure. Compliance affects almost every function in an organization, so it’s important to build internal relationships as well as external ones to identify how everyone can impact an organization’s compliance. 

Staying organized – the key to success

Forecourt data is becoming easier to access, but without an organized system to compile and analyze it, the data might as well be buried with your UST. Spreadsheets may work for only one site, but once a company has several locations, especially across multiple jurisdictions, the data becomes increasingly chaotic and time-consuming to analyze.  

A powerful, simple platform that captures all necessary data is critical for compliance managers in today’s fast-paced environment. Operating at the highest level means compliance managers need to embrace more robust systems to store and organize compliance data. With a single source of truth at their fingertips, compliance managers can retrieve the exact information they need for an upcoming inspection, permit renewal, or test for an easier, more efficient approach.  

Out into the field

At the end of the day, understanding regulations and a good database will only get you so far. Compliance managers need to get out into the field to understand what systems the company has, how they function, and what problems frequently occur. Tracking assets and recurring issues can help compliance managers understand where their budget is being spent and how to decrease costs. Critical insights such as these are often difficult to keep track of in a spreadsheet, but forecourt management software that tracks this data and related correspondence can help compliance professionals make better business decisions. 

As these insights are recorded and patterns emerge, compliance managers should reference their support network and the knowledge they’ve built up to ensure there are systems in place to solve these challenges.  

Plan for the worst-case scenario

Despite every compliance manager’s best effort, releases will undoubtedly occur. The first step in mitigating your exposure is to identify potential points of failure and how they could impact sites. Include other departments in the plan, as regulations often require specific notifications to ensure an effective response.  

The best way to guide plans for a worst-case scenario is to conduct a gap analysis, where compliance managers review current processes and document organizational requirements. Once this information has been collected, managers should compare these to what is required by regulations to identify any areas where they may be lacking. This is where field experience is vital, as compliance professionals can accurately assess their risk indicators and implications from the insights they gathered in their database. But completing this process doesn’t mean a company will always be in compliance, this is something that must be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis.  

The future of compliance

Technology adoption has swept through the convenience store industry, and compliance departments can reap the benefit. Not only have advances in AI and Big Data helped c-store professionals get large amounts of data quickly, they’ve also provided access to analytics and insights that help drive profitability. But perhaps the most exciting development for compliance professionals has been the Internet of Things. IoT improvements allow users to access data from multiple equipment sources on one central platform, which is critical for environmental departments that touch most aspects of a company. To ensure nothing slips through the cracks, compliance managers need to take a holistic approach and single platform usage is integral to that strategy.  

Today’s compliance managers have a lot on their plate, but with an organized platform for data and a strategic plan to address operational gaps, mitigating risk and maintaining compliance becomes a whole lot easier.  

SEE ALSO: Global Convenience Store Focus’ summary of the webinar

The most unlikely catalyst 

Digital transformation has changed almost every aspect of our lives, from smart homes and appliances to virtual conferences and mobile apps. But the convenience store industry has historically been much slower to adopt these new technologies, until now. The onset of the pandemic made retailers reevaluate how to best serve customers who needed their services but were cautious about interacting with other people. This left many owners and operators grasping for ways to create efficiencies in their forecourts and operational systems, with many turning to digital solutions for help. In fact, Nielsen calls COVID-19 “the unexpected catalyst for technology adoption”, evidence of which can be seen in c-stores across the country in the form of new self-checkout stations and online ordering.  

The pandemic may have kickstarted technology integration, but replacing manual processes with new technologies doesn’t mean you have to use a different platform for each solution. That’s why Titan Cloud Software offers just one powerful platform, so you can manage all your site operations in one place. 

Titan Cloud’s platform offers three distinct solutions: environmental compliance, facility maintenance, and wetstock management; all of which integrate easily with your existing equipment and vendors. Data from ATGs, testing vendors, service providers, and back-office systems are all aggregated into the Titan platform, so you can see all your insights in one streamlined dashboard, saving users time and money.   

Environmental compliance for the modern era 

Managing compliance with spreadsheets and filing cabinets is like trying to run a store without a cash register: disorganized and vulnerable to mistakes. Titan’s environmental compliance software has round-the-clock tank monitoring and remote ATG management, so you can respond to leaks more quickly and minimize the damage to your site. The platform also houses all your compliance documentation and tracks important dates, so you never miss a deadline and have access to required documents in a moment’s notice. 

Fuel data at your fingertips 

Owners and operators have been discussing how to optimize their forecourts for years but organizing and analyzing large amounts of data was a time-consuming task, until Titan Cloud introduced their advanced fuel management software. With 24/7 remote access to your fuel system, organized forecourt data is just one click away, so you can monitor flow rates, nozzle availability, and inventory levels without interruption. Real-time inventory information and updated forecasts can then be sent to carriers and internal systems resulting in fewer runouts and more fuel sales.  

In addition to providing the tools you need to analyze your data, Titan’s platform also includes Perfect Gallon, the next generation solution for wetstock management. Perfect Gallon focuses on three critical areas for a greater ROI: inventory variance, frictionless fueling experiences, and fuel deliveries. Perfect Gallon uses a more accurate tank chart and corrects for meter drift, temperature, vapor loss, and fuel density to give you the lowest inventory variance possible. At the same time, it monitors and prevents slow flow, nozzle unavailability, and tank shutdowns, so you can improve your customer experience and increase fuel sales overall. Perfect Gallon also calculates fuel deliveries in real time, so you can reconcile them against Bills of Lading to eliminate short deliveries for good. Managing your wetstock has never been easier or more impactful to your bottom line than it is with Perfect Gallon. 

Site maintenance, streamlined 

You don’t make money when your assets aren’t working, which is why an efficient maintenance program is key to a successful c-store. Titan’s facility maintenance software was created with retailers in mind, so it has customizable features for purchase orders, work orders, and vendor management. It also allows you to manage your assets from inside the platform, so you can attach work orders to specific pieces of equipment and track comments, dispatch history, and even warranty information.  All of this can easily be compiled into a variety of reports for better decision making and a more streamlined, profitable business. 

A single source of truth 

Maintaining several software platforms with individual workflows can leave gaps in your processes and cause mistakes that are costly to correct. Unifying your solutions on one platform gives you the flexibility to manage all your site operations from anywhere. Titan Cloud customers have seen incredible returns on their software investment, from reducing environmental fines by 80% and increasing fuel sales by 6% to 40% fewer fuel runouts and annual savings of $3M from reducing variance. Results like these just go to show that using Titan’s compliance, maintenance, and fuel solutions together give retailers the largest boost in profits.   

Looking ahead 

Ongoing challenges related to the pandemic coupled with changing customer expectations mean digital solutions are here to stay. As these new technologies are implemented, retailers should ensure that they keep their technology stack as streamlined as possible by looking for software that integrates easily with their existing platforms or offers multiple solutions on one platform. Investing in these solutions upfront will help retailers avoid operational gaps and stay ahead in this highly competitive industry.  

Interested in saving time and money with Titan solutions?