By Special correspondent
A FUEL solutions technology company, Garage and Forecourt (Pvt) Ltd, is rolling out an ITC based fuel management system that it argues might be panacea to manual and less accurate fuel gauging and management currently dogging service stations.
According to managing director Omalli Jani, the new system replaces convectional dipsticks used to measure product levels at service stations and indications are fuel attendants will be unable to falsify fuel levels in tanks.
The system, Mr Jani said, has fuel attendant tagging that monitors sales done regardless of the pump used and has automatic tank gauging that monitors product level in the tank in the same fashion a fuel tank gauge works. It also gives alarm signal if the product is contaminated with water to prevent customers from using it.
Local fuel stations are still relying on outdated manual systems to gauge and manage their stock and in many occasions they stop operations to manually check on stock levels. It is against this background that the new system by Garage and Forecourt, comes in handy at a time when the world is embracing new information communication technologies.
The firm also specialises in services such as calibration of fuel storage vessels, supply and installation of fuel station pumps. Mr Jani said the system had so far received a buy-in from two fuel industry giants and it is looking forward to spreading other areas.
The facility has a head office reporting provision that enables it to send sales information and can also be used by commercial clients who have their own fuelling points such as trucking companies and corporates.
“The world is embracing ICTs and surely in this day and age you can’t have productive time being lost to manual gauging of fuel at a service station when people are queuing for the product, the end result is they will move to the next station in times of no shortage like we have at the moment,” said Mr Jani.
President Mnangagwa has already set the tone for ICT based solutions to challenges facing the economy when he launched the Innovation Drive and ICT policy in March last year.
Speaking at the launch, the President said the new dispensation will foster investment in ICT innovations and research.
“Government is making great strides in the use of ICTs through efforts and investments in ICT backbone infrastructure, ICT education, research and development, the expansion of Community Information Centres, as well as ICT governance and the training of Government officials in ICT usage,” said the President.
“The launch of this policy will indeed open more doors for business, not only for international partners, but also for Zimbabweans who are endowed with the talent of innovation and those who have contemporary business models centred on ICTs,” he said.
