- 15.08.2022
- iHUB

ATGs provide fuel retailers with the means to meet and monitor regulatory compliance and monitor fuel volumes.
They act like a ‘nervous system’, alerting site operators to a wide range of wetstock and equipment-related events – from a fuel leak to a high-water warning to the fact that the paper roll in an ATG needs replacing. But a proliferation of false alarms and faulty tank charts has turned this nervous system into a nervous wreck.
As our CEO Chris Cooper commented recently, “It is data which often differentiates good leaders from great leaders, no matter the industry.”
That being said, how can companies reduce the noise and make the most of their alarm data to make strategic, informed decisions?
When it comes to managing ATG alarms, one of the problems fuel retailers face – particularly those with a large network of sites – is the fact that not all alarms are equal, and yet they’re often treated as such.
Industry data suggests only 30 per cent of ATG alarms actually require action at site. The other 70 per cent can be resolved remotely – for example, monitoring a false alarm until it stops, or closing a low-level alarm with an email to instruct staff at a store to replace the ATG paper roll.
Recently, working with one of our customers – a C-store with +300 sites – we were able to identify that out of 3,147 Priority 1 alarms, 1,904 (60 per cent) were repeat or false alarms which required no action. As for the rest, while 1,243 alarms were investigated, less than half (546) had to be resolved by a service contractor.
As the example illustrates, one of the biggest challenges for fuel retail managers is filtering out false alarms while escalating critical alarms for action and resolution.
Smart alarm management software connected to ATGs use workflows to receive, verify, prioritise and remotely manage up to 80 per cent of alarms to closure.
Our research suggests that remote alarm management can reduce alarm-related maintenance costs by up to 50 per cent.
Here are examples of the top smart alarms that can minimize ATG-related maintenance costs while maintaining compliance and fuel quality:
ATGs are a valuable investment for any retail network. But without an intelligent logic overlay to filter, categorize and prioritize the information they provide, critical alarms can be lost in the noise.
Leveraging this investment requires integrating the ATGs with smart alarm software, enabling fuel networks to save millions of dollars annually and move further into forecourt automation.