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Marathon Runs in Tandem with TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch

Published Date

With TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch software, Marathon Petroleum Corporation is improving efficiency and productivity, and enhancing customer service and satisfaction across its nationwide operation.

MPC markets its products at Marathon and ARCO branded locations across the United States. The company also serves fuel retailers, including Speedway LLC facilities, as well as a number of third-party and independent customers.

The Challenges

Following the acquisition in 2019 of Andeavor Logistics LP and its western U.S. transportation assets, the MPC operation grew in the number of terminals, tractors and tankers, and delivery locations. Dispatch and operations for the fuel delivery fleet were centralized at the company’s Ohio headquarters and in San Antonio.

In place at Marathon’s eastern and western distribution operations was TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch software. In addition to being a number of versions behind on upgrades, the two geographic regions were using the systems in different ways, prohibiting MPC from leveraging its wide-ranging capabilities.

Among the issues identified by MPC were:

  • An inability to match deliveries to volumes. Instead of automatically processing an order for the number of gallons per product based on a location’s sales and tank sizes, the system had been configured to enter default volumes for every order. In turn, MPC operations personnel had to make manual adjustments to every order.
     
  • MPC determined that its TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch software had been set up using data fields that did not reflect the system’s ability to accurately configure orders and establish efficient delivery and dispatch processes. The customization ultimately brought the entire system to a halt and prevented the use of streamlined workflow processes.

The Solution

To address the challenges it was experiencing with its application of TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch, MPC launched Project Genesis, an initiative aimed at bringing the software up to date and creating a single system for its nationwide operations. The project, which has been completed in eastern locations and is now underway in the western region, is expected to be finished across the country by the end of 2022.
 
An initial step taken by MPC to bring TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch up to date and create a single platform across its operations was to install the latest version of the software before entering any new historical commodity or customer data.

By implementing TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch how it was designed to function, MPC would be able to use the built in forecaster inside Fuel Dispatch to create orders based on location data and sales trends driven by accurate tank levels. Included is the capability to establish parameters between volume minimums and the time when the tank is going to shut down.

Additionally, TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch could now be used to manage RVP (Rapid Vapor Pressure) conversions to address regulations governing seasonal fuel specifications designed to reduce emissions in warmer months.

The Results

MPC’s comprehensive approach to revamping how it is using TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch is already providing measurable benefits:

  • By using the system to predict upcoming deliveries based on tank size, configuration and sales volumes, the company is creating more accurate orders and significantly reducing the amount of adjustments that need to be made manually. Acceptable orders can now simply be dragged on a dispatcher’s screen to the right truck without having to add or remove products or change volumes.
     
  • By configuring the forecaster in TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch to accurately create loads based on desired tank levels by location and sales volumes, fewer deliveries are needed, enhancing fleet productivity and lowering distribution costs.
     
  • The process also promotes the delivery of full loads of a single product at one time, reducing the risk of costly inadvertent cross dump issues due to loading and unloading complexity.
     
  • There has been a significant reduction in dispatch time spent adjusting orders and a faster response time to filling new orders.

Looking ahead, MPC plans to use the software’s ability to automate the closing of completed carrier orders, and to ensure loading in tankers reflects product compatibility restrictions.

“TMW.Suite Fuel Dispatch has a large number of built-in capabilities that make managing our growing operation easier. It streamlines processes so we’re more efficient and zeroes in on the sweet spot that leads to higher levels of service and customer satisfaction.”

—Daniel Frey, Transport Technology Manager
Marathon Petroleum Corporation