Acquisition to integration: combining disparate fuel pricing systems

The competitive fuel retail landscape is ever changing. Acquisitions of all sizes are a common occurrence as major players in the industry look to expand into new locations and build market share quickly. With operations and real estate teams busy looking for new targets — fuel pricing managers need to be one step ahead to make sure that integration of fuel pricing software and processes are seamless and contribute towards the overall success of the acquisition.  

The role of pricing managers in fuel retail acquisitions

Forward thinking pricing managers, with solid plans in place for acquisitions, can capitalize by making quick market moves that positively impact new locations. Those that are kept out of the loop for too long and are not informed about potential acquisitions until too late in the process, can find themselves caught out and unable to implement price changes, or a desired pricing strategy, at new sites for days.  If your price position is wrong on day one, the cumulative efforts of the rest of the business can be lost. The work of operations, real estate, marketing and other teams comes griding to a halt. Customer perception is likely to take a hit — and your pricing team will immediately be playing catch up.  

“Success in fuel pricing integrations hinges on the pricing manager’s ability to stay ahead of the game. In the fast-paced and high stakes world of acquisitions, pricing managers need to be well informed and aligned with other departments, preventing the domino effect of missteps that can bring an entire operation to a standstill.”

Alexia Field – Senior Customer Success Manager  

Strategic planning for successful integration

With access to information often limited in the pre-acquisition phases, pricing managers need to be ready to act as soon as the transaction is finalised. In acquisitions of any scale there are multiple moving parts, and as a pricing manager it’s imperative to show that you’re ready for the transaction to happen, that you understand the process you’re about to start, and you’re set up for success from day one. 

Kalibrate’s Customer Success consultants have extensive experience assisting with acquisitions of all scales and can help prepare you for success. 

“My clients are making acquisitions regularly, so this is something I deal with on an ongoing basis. From adding just one or two sites into a network manually, to automating the integration of hundreds of sites at once. There are nuances to every acquisition, but when we follow the steps, gather the information we need, and are ready to act when the time comes — we can take the stress out of integrating new acquisitions.”

Marie-Michelle Barakat – Customer Success Manager 

Information is king — but it’s often a blind spot in acquisitions. Before the transaction has gone through, privacy is paramount, and information can be very limited. But pricing managers can prepare themselves by clarifying all the information that they require — and collecting it in stages.  

Basic, “big picture” information is usually available pre-acquisition, and more details may become available after NDAs are signed. Some vital information, like POS IP addresses, may not be available until acquisitions are finalized — so understanding what is available, and how you can act with the information you do have, is vital to make sure you can control the pricing process from day one.  

“Securing the right information at the right time is the linchpin of successful decision-making. It’s not just about what you know, it’s about understanding what you don’t know yet, how you can gather what you need, and how to wield that knowledge to pave the way for seamless transition — and be ready to adapt swiftly.”

Cardon Raquet – Senior Manager of Delivery 

How Kalibrate assists on the fuel retail acquisition journey

Your Customer Success consultant can provide you with a list of the information required to set new locations up in line with your existing pricing processes. They can get new sites set up in Kalibrate Fuel Pricing ahead of time, ready to go live when the transaction is finalized. If you can’t push prices to POS on day one, they’ll create price change messaging to go directly to your field team — if other information isn’t available, they’ll work with you to find workarounds that give you the control you need from the get-go.  

We work with fuel retailers of all sizes, across the globe, and support with acquisitions on a monthly basis. One of our larger international clients has made multiple acquisitions in the past 12 months alone and we’ve helped to integrate all of them —from single sites to hundreds of sites in a large network changing hands at once. We’re here to help guide you through the integration process, ensure you retain control of fuel pricing across your entire network, and ease the stress of a fuel retail acquisition.  

“Our commitment is not just to relieve some of the stress of acquisition where we can, but to grant pricing managers peace of mind, that they are able to have experienced guidance from our team, to support even the most complex of transactions, as they transition into the new structure.”

Beth Thompson – VP Global Customer Experience