Matt Tormollen
Vice President and General Manager, Solutions
Dover Fueling Solutions (Sponsored)
Dover Fueling Solutions (DFS) has built a solid core of solutions through in-house development and acquisitions. How do you bring all these separate pieces together into unified solutions?
Unified solutions require the integration of people, process and technology to be successful. At DFS, our core values are built around collaboration and alignment between our global teams. Our platforms are built from the ground up to accommodate diversity at the site level between equipment and systems, while also supporting the different business models we see throughout the world regions. Flexibility and extensibility at the site level are critical as new solutions, partners and acquisitions enable our customers to capitalize on opportunities for margin expansion, monetize investments in site infrastructure or reduce operating costs over time.
How important is it to be a technology company vs. just an equipment company?
To enable the evolution of the consumer experience in fueling and convenience retail, we need to provide complete solutions that drive real, measurable value to our customers. These solutions are inherently based on technology innovations in both equipment and software. Our DFS Anthem UX™ user experience platform, currently available on the Wayne Ovation® fuel dispenser, and the recently announced DFS DX™ connected solutions platform are both great examples of our vision to enable digital transformation in the fuel and convenience retail industry coming to fruition. Both solutions share common platform elements, can operate independent of one another, and provide greater value when used together. We are truly leveraging the strength of our history of innovation in fueling equipment to spur evolution into a technology leader.
What commitments are required to provide solutions on the cutting edge today?
We strongly believe that creating an open ecosystem for partners and customers is critically important in delivering solutions to the market. As the pace of technological change quickens, it is simply not possible for one vendor to have all the pieces necessary to capitalize on our customers’ opportunities. This was one of the key reasons we chose the Microsoft Azure team as our key partner to deliver the DFS DX platform. The Azure ecosystem comprises numerous companies innovating in convenience retail, especially in the consumer experience. By sharing a common platform, we can solve customer challenges and open new opportunity areas more quickly and effectively than in a closed system.
You hear terms like “cloud computing” or “Internet of Things” so often. How do these impact retail operations beyond the buzzwords?
Modern technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and platform as a service (PaaS) are simply ingredients that enable solutions to drive customer value more effectively and quickly in terms of increased margins and lower costs. Through IoT and edge computing, we can more effectively monitor and manage site assets, taking action quickly to capitalize on opportunities or issues. We can also drive improved consumer experiences at the site by linking the forecourt and the inside of the store through promotion and loyalty programs.
What un- or under-explored capabilities should retailers be excited about as bleeding edge technology becomes more mainstream?
There is a strong desire among convenience retailers for a “single pane of glass” view of all the assets at a site above ground, below ground, outside and inside the store. Likewise, the consumer’s expectation of the fueling and purchase experience is evolving around mobility and loyalty, and they are demanding more. By leveraging IoT, cloud computing and an open ecosystem, addressing these needs becomes more and more achievable every day.
