The European Gateway to TANKSAT The Ultimate Service for LPG Tank Telemetry MCS Europe Group Solutions
The European Gateway to MCS Europe Group and DECISIONLink have joined their forces to market and operate TANKSAT, the ultimate LPG tank monitoring service, in Europe. DECISIONLink (ORBCOMM U.S.A. Value-Added Reseller) and CORNERSTONE Propane (one of the major operators for propane distribution in the U.S.) have created TANKSAT Solutions LLC, a joint-venture to market and operate LPG tank monitoring services in the U.S.A. MCS Europe Group strategic partnership
The European Gateway to Supply safe, accurate tank level measurement technology and Resource Management Software systems to the propane industry. Scope of TANKSAT service Create a paradigm shift within the industry that will provide a new level of efficiencies, cost savings, inventory management, competitive security and bottom line profits while increasing customer service levels.
The European Gateway to LPG Uses Liquified Petroleum Gases (LPG) include: Propane (C 3 H 8 ) Butane (C 4 H 10 ) LPG are used for: Residential (50% of market) Transportation Agriculture Industrial
The European Gateway to LPG Industry Issues No current end-to-end solution from route scheduling to driver delivery Manual process Route planning controlled by driver and not by company Delivery schedule not streamed lined Estimated customer usage of propane remains prerequisite to efficient route planning Heat degree days Elapsed days “Milk run” delivery process Subjective routing Lacks customer service levels Customer fear of maintained tank level Bulk delivery charging not usage billing Expensive emergency fills
The European Gateway to LPG Industry Needs To become “Express Couriers” in the LPG delivery Safe and accurate “Real Time” tank level management technology Low hardware cost and operating fees Easy installation procedures Non intrusive to customer premises Reliable data delivery medium State of the art Resource Management Software (RMS) Efficiency gains through use of new technology
The European Gateway to TANKSAT service description 1- At specific interval, TankSat unit wakes up and sends the tank level to the satellites 2- Satellites relay the information down to the ground 3- MCS Europe receives information from satellites and make it available to Propane Companies 4- Propane Company retrieves the information via Web Pages or Database Transfers to its RMS. Buyer Logistics Sales Top Mgmt. Network Gateway Tanksat Center
The European Gateway to TANKSAT at a glance Environmentally protected unit Adhesive safe mounting on tank or near the tank Electronic measurement of tank level Tank data transmission by LEO Satellites Network Tank data routed through Resource Management Software (RMS) application End solution delivered directly to propane retailer Propane retailer delivers more efficiently
The European Gateway to TANKSAT value-added benefits Ability to guarantee “Never out of gas” to customers Able to identify competitor tank fill or product theft Improved efficiencies and reduction in delivery cost Minimize dependencies on critical components of the delivery cycle Bulk storage inventory management Monthly usage billing capability provides balanced cash flow to customer Utilization of customer’s tank storage for inventory control
The European Gateway to TANKSAT unit description Operates on retail & bulk storage tanks (1-100 m 3 ) Small sealed device (~20x15x10 cm) Operating temp. range °C Non spark operating environment Fuel level measured by sonar technology Temperature adjusted readings - accuracy within ±1% Low voltage and battery power usage No moving parts to deteriorate Easy unit installation and replacement by delivery personnel Satellite communicator and LEO satellites data relay CE certification in progress
The European Gateway to TANKSAT data delivery Tank identifier Customer and location information Tank capacity Current tank level Current product temperature Temperature-normalized product quantity Event alarms Date and time of data transmission Additional customer requirements
The European Gateway to TANKSAT Resource Management Software Operational reporting tools basic data delivery device management reporting resource planning Management reporting tools driver optimization tank inventory optimization tank inventory security control customer identification and usage analysis application Internet delivery in a safe and secure environment (TankSat.com) user password protection Full turn-key mapping and scheduling applications route management mapping for most efficient delivery possible
The European Gateway to TANKSAT reporting: tank fill and usage
The European Gateway to TANKSAT reporting: field snapshot
The European Gateway to TANKSAT reporting: delivery planning
The European Gateway to TANKSAT accuracy: temperature compensation
The European Gateway to TANKSAT competitors Mechanical flotation device Reliance on mechanical operation Additional hardware & modem required to provide communication link Installation by skilled personnel Multiple points of maintenance device
The European Gateway to TANKSAT reference in the U.S CORNERSTONE PROPANE: NYSE Listed - CNO 460,000 Tanks Installation commencing 2001 with 6000 tanks Complete deployment over 4 years
The European Gateway to TANKSAT in the U.S.: operating environment
The European Gateway to
TANKSAT implementation in Europe Operational Tanksat Service Centre at MCS Europe Group Direct connections ORBCOMM GCC Additional networks Customer secure access Web pages Database interface MCS Europe Group support to Reseller Network Marketing Engineering & Operations European Regulatory Issues Training
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