The power of people: Improving fuel pricing outcomes with data

In an era where data-driven decision-making is the gold standard, fuel pricing strategies have become increasingly sophisticated. Advanced analytics and automation tools, provide retailers with actionable insights and streamlined operations. See Kalibrate Fuel Pricing.

However, even the most powerful system is only as effective as the people who use it. At Kalibrate, our customer success managers (CSMs) bring a wealth of industry expertise, ensuring that our clients are not only leveraging technology but also applying strategic thinking to drive better outcomes.

The human element that drives technology

Fuel pricing is far from a one-size-fits-all process. Different retailers have different objectives, and their approach to pricing can vary significantly. Some focus on rapid response to competitor price changes, while others emphasize long-term margin optimization. This is where Kalibrate’s CSMs make a difference. Their role is to understand each client’s unique needs and help them maximize the value of the system.

According to Abdul El Barkouki, a Kalibrate CSM based in North America, success starts with understanding the client’s goals:

“Some clients just want to translate their existing strategy into Kalibrate and have prices pushed automatically to their sites. Others take a more strategic approach, looking at market trends, year-over-year performance, and competitive dynamics and adjusting their strategy in line with the insight they find. I take the time to understand their goals and make sure we’re providing the right support to help achieve them.”

This nuanced understanding enables Kalibrate’s CSMs to guide clients to leverage their tools effectively to extract the maximum value from the system.

Turning data into actionable insight

Kalibrate Fuel Pricing is rich with data, from derived process efficiency metrics to competitive positioning insights through to AI-informed elasticity scores. However, having access to data is only part of the equation — knowing how to interpret and act on it is where human expertise comes in.

For instance, one critical metric in Kalibrate Fuel Pricing is auto-implementation rate, which indicates how often a retailer allows the system to automatically implement price changes. Some clients embrace automation, while others prefer to manually approve every price adjustment.

“Clients can choose whichever method they prefer, but they still need to be strategic in their approach” Abdul explains, “I had a client that liked to manually price every site but neglected to align their internal processes to reflect that. Their pricing window was 2hrs after receiving their major competitor price feed and adding that to the time spent manually pricing over 100 sites — the delay meant they were reacting too slowly to market movements and losing revenue.”

Through in-depth analysis, CSMs can identify inefficiencies and help clients optimize their pricing workflows. Abdul shares an example:

“I showed a client how they were delaying system-generated price changes by three hours – essentially not implementing their strategy efficiently. This delay was affecting their market position and, ultimately, identifying and fixing this delay had a positive impact on their volume trends.”

By highlighting meaningful insights, CSMs empower retailers to refine their decision-making, reducing delays and improving responsiveness to market shifts.

Abdul’s clients reap the benefits of the insight he provides:

“The support provided by Abdul is great, helping us find solutions to our needs. It gives added value to our business”

— Ouassim Mhaya, Director of Business Systems, Group F Dufresne

Building stronger client partnerships

The relationship between Kalibrate’s CSMs and clients is more than just technical support — it’s an ongoing strategic partnership. Many clients rely on their CSMs not only to interpret data but also to implement processes to ensure that commercial opportunities are identified, and address challenges proactively.

As Abdul explains:

“My goal is to make clients as proactive as possible. I pinpoint trends and inefficiencies so they can take action before issues arise. Over time, they start seeing us as advisors, coming to us with questions like, ‘We see a volume drop — can you help us understand why?’”

This level of collaboration ensures that retailers aren’t just reacting to market conditions but are ahead of the curve, using insights to shape more effective pricing strategies.

“My ultimate goal is to make sure my clients can get what they need from the system and use the insight available to be proactive in their strategy adjustments. I want pricing analysts to spend less time on standard pricing decisions and more time analyzing, and when they achieve that the clients reap the biggest rewards.”

Kalibrate has CSMs across the globe, providing support to international fuel retail clients in local languages and time zones. Fuel retailers can see a tangible benefit from the strong, long lasting relationships they’ve built with Kalibrate’s team:

“I highly recommend Kalibrate not only for its powerful and user-friendly pricing tools but also for its professional and supportive team. Our company has maintained a long-standing collaboration with Kalibrate, and their team has consistently provided valuable consulting, helping us maximize market opportunities and enhance our pricing process.”

— Cristian Lungu, B2B Sales Optimization Manager of Rompetrol, Romania

 

“We are able to manage our retail pricing strategies and changes easily; monitor our sales and profit goals and make adjustments to all of this as needed; and the analytics are helpful. Another important factor is the support. My current (and previous) Client Success Manager is outstanding!”

— Kathy Carpenter, Retail Fuel Analyst, Wesco Inc, USA

The intersection of expertise and technology

Kalibrate Fuel Pricing is a powerful tool, but it shines brightest when paired with deep industry expertise. CSMs play a vital role in helping clients understand the nuances of fuel pricing, navigate system capabilities, and implement data-driven strategies that align with their business objectives.

Fuel retailers who embrace this blend of technology and human insight gain a significant competitive advantage. They are not only leveraging the latest in pricing intelligence but also ensuring that every decision is backed by strategic expertise, leading to better outcomes, improved efficiency, and stronger market positioning.

At Kalibrate, we believe that good systems work best when powered by good people. By combining advanced analytics with hands-on industry knowledge, our CSMs help fuel retailers unlock their full potential and drive success in an ever-evolving marketplace.