FuelPlus Group
Robust Fuel Management Software to Increase Profitability

We are travelling by air more than ever–for business and for pleasure. As a result, the number of commercial airlines continues to grow and so competitiveness and profitability becomes a greater challenge. Slim profit margins, legislative and environmental demands all add to the pressure on airlines. Therefore, these businesses have to be more efficient at managing their fuel, since it accounts for around 30 percent of their operating expenses. On the other side of the fuel supply chain, aviation fuel suppliers and resellers are struggling to price competitively in the face of varying local taxes and the volatility of the energy market. “Both airlines and fuel suppliers/ resellers often lack the comprehensive and joined-up information that is required to handle the fuel management process smoothly,” explains Klaus-Peter Warnke, CEO, FuelPlus Group. IT systems used for basic fuel management activities like monitoring fuel price indexes, fuel demand planning, and contract management rarely integrate, increasing the reliance on manual processes.

In addition, complying with internal and external regulations such as Sarbanes- Oxley, EU ETS and Basel are notoriously time-consuming. FuelPlus provides a comprehensive aviation fuel management system that automates inefficient manual processes, integrates IT systems and generates an audit trail and reports that ensure compliance. “We enable airlines and fuel suppliers to reduce inaccuracies in fuel planning, tendering and invoicing, making them more efficient, profitable and compliant,” says Warnke.

To keep pace with the major technological trends, FuelPlus offers a cloud-based installation of its fuel management products, reducing the reliance on internal IT resources. Developers have also created a userfriendly interface that includes data analysis, dashboards and reporting on KPIs and are developing specific applications for mobile devices.

“airline.EFM is enterprise-level software for larger airlines,” says Warnke. It tracks fuel usage and expenditure across the airline, using data from sources like ACARS, technical logs, and accounting systems. This software also provides a fully auditable process for tendering, preparing tenders for each location by using volume forecasts. Fuel price data is downloaded from providers such as Platts and Argus ensuring up-to-date fuel contracts. In addition, airline.

EFM checks invoices against all available operational and commercial data and highlights any discrepancies. FuelPlus also offers airline. ONE, which like airline.EFM, optimizes fuel management processes but is aimed at smaller airlines.

We enable airlines and fuel suppliers to reduce inaccuracies in fuel planning, tendering and invoicing, making them more efficient, profitable and compliant

As well as its products for airlines, FuelPlus has recently launched supplier. ONE: software designed specifically for jet fuel suppliers and resellers. Amongst other features, it can monitor the credit limits of airline customers in real-time and capture important data such as fuel tickets, enabling resellers to see the exact amount of fuel uplifted almost immediately.

FuelPlus’ software solutions have been delivering real benefits to customers for 15 years. For instance, WestJet, a Canadian low-cost carrier, wanted to improve the efficiency of its business processes and operations. Using airline.EFM’s automation and analytic capabilities, WestJet gained greater financial control over its large fuel expense and “saw tremendous improvements in the areas of cost accounting, payment processing, fuel supply management, and fuel tender analysis–all achieved with fewer resources,” says Tim Day, WestJet’s Fuel Manager.

As well as providing solutions to the individual segments of the aviation industry, FuelPlus is also enabling collaboration between refuellers, suppliers and airlines. “Our new dataPORTAL product is aiming to ease the collection and distribution of fuel tickets and operational data between these different parties,” says Warnke. Moving forward, the FuelPlus Group has products in the pipeline which will automate the purchasing process by supporting the electronic exchange of tender documents between suppliers and airlines. The company also plans to open offices in different regions to improve customer support.