Issue 7: Apr 2011 a Texas Sized Event
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The Published By: www.pinncorp.com Issueerspective 7: Apr 2011 A Publication for the Convenience Store and Petroleum Marketing Industries A TEXAS SIZED Convenience EVENT: Pinnacle Summit 2011 is Key! PALM POS: Q & A with an Expert A NEED FOR SPEED: Average Time Spent by Your Customer SOCIAL MEDIA: A Must, Not a Maybe CARDLOCK: The History and Future PINNACLE ON THE FOREFRONT: Self Serve and Quick Serve Solutions Visit us in Booth #618 at the TM Pinnacle is the leading automation technology supplier for the retail convenience and petroleum industries. In business since 1990, Pinnacle offers the largest footprint of solutions available from any single supplier in the industry; enabling your organization to automate and streamline the retail c-store, point-of-sale, loyalty, food service, retail and wholesale fuel operations areas of the enterprise with a complete solution. Leveraging industry standards, best practices, experience, and best in class technology partners enables Pinnacle to provide highly customizable solutions designed to fit your operations. Visualize. Customize. Software solutions built to fit your needs. 201 E Abram St Arlington, TX 76010 1.800.366.1173 www.pinncorp.com [email protected] Pinnacle News FEATURES COMING UP... MAY 2011 JULY 2011 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 4 A MESSAGE FROM BOB CARPENTIER: 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Summit Invitation 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 10 PALM POS: 31 1 2 Q & A with an Expert JUNE 2011 SEPT 2011 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 14 A NEED FOR SPEED: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Average Time Spent by Your Customer 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18 SOCIAL MEDIA: 26 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 A Must, Not a Maybe 23 CARDLOCK EXPLAINED: Date Event Location The History and Future MAY 16-18 NACSTECH Las Vegas, NV 28 PINNACLE ON THE FOREFRONT: JUN 21 CeneX BUYERS FaiR Bloomington, MN Self Serve and Quick Serve Solutions JUL 31- AUG 2 TPCA TEXAS FOOD & FUEL EXPO San Antonio, TX Sept 20-22 pinnacle SUMMit Arlington, TX From Bob’s Perspective Normally this time of year, we’d be very busy preparing for Pinnacle Summit, It begins with highly automated business processes that increase the velocity of our annual client conference. However, Summit 2011 is being held in the fall on business. Automation of data entry into and system integration between business September 20-22, here in Arlington at the Sheraton Hotel right next to the (Texas) systems is critical. First, knowledge is key, and getting the best information into the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and (Dallas) Cowboys Stadium. I’m really pleased to hands of the people making decisions is imperative to maximize profitably. Second, introduce Bob Carpentier as our Master of Ceremonies for this year’s event. Bob is real-time delivery of information, or near real-time, provides our clients the ability a long time friend of Pinnacle and has used our technology solutions for nearly the to immediately make decisions to positively impact the business. Finally, flexible entire 20 years that we have been in business. Many of you know Bob, and you know delivery of information in various forms – charts and graphs, as well as tables – he can extract a considerable amount of ROI from his software investments! I look allows unique and exceptional situations to be identified more effectively. forward to seeing what insights he has to offer this year, and seeing you in Arlington, TX for Summit 2011! These three elements, when properly combined, can be leveraged to: I’ve recently had the opportunity to visit with several clients about the current state of fuel marketing. Certainly this is one of, if not the most complicated products to 1. lower overall labor costs sell profitably. A highly volatile and dangerous product, available from a plethora of 2. reduce inventory related costs, and competitors with locations on nearly every street corner, with retail prices posted so 3. support your site by site strategy, whether you can shop while driving at highway speeds; and with acquisition costs that vary it’s building volume or gross profit dollars wildly from day to day (increasingly even during the day). It’s hard to imagine a more risky profession than petroleum marketing. How can we help you achieve these outcomes? Why I’m so glad you asked! Give For many years now, I’ve heard retailers (frequently the best in the business) talk about us a call today or visit us in booth #618 in Las building their operations such that they can be profitable with zero gas margins. I’ve Vegas during the NACStech show. We’d be admired the retailing and merchandising strategies they have put in place inside happy to share some petroleum marketing their stores to achieve this goal. But, I’ve also wondered about more efficient business best practices with you! practices within the petroleum side of their business that would add considerable profits to the overall bottom line. What would the best practices be to maximize petroleum profits today? My recent client conversations gave me some great insight Bob Johnson into the answers to that question. President The Pinnacle Corporation THE PINNACLE CORPORATION Issue 7 THE PERSPECTIVE 1 FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ROSEMARY WALDRIP Convenience is Key. Editor in Chief Marketing Manager As human beings, it’s in our nature to want things; and we want them now, if not [email protected] yesterday. This is not necessarily a bad thing – it has certainly brought quite a few technological innovations over the years. We wake up to an alarm clock that plays DREW MIZE our favorite song. We brush our teeth with toothbrushes that move so we don’t have Managing Editor to. We drink coffee from a pot that’s been pre-programmed to brew 5 minutes before VP, Product Management & Marketing getting out of the shower. We drive better, faster cars down strategically designed [email protected] highway systems, all the while using our mobile devices to figure out just exactly how to get where we’re going. We pay our bills online while we catch up on our favorite TV shows (skipping the commercials, of course). We video chat in real-time with people DESIGN who are thousands of miles away, as we do our shopping instantaneously from the comfort of our home. The need for convenience is in our blood. BREANNE RAPKEN Perspective Designer It’s important to understand this inherent need for convenience in ourselves, as well as in our businesses, and most importantly, in our customers. While it may seem Graphic Designer / Web Admin like somewhat of an obvious statement, especially for our industry, the need for [email protected] convenience can easily be lost in the mix of all of the other things you have to take into consideration when running a business. When you read the articles in this issue of The Perspective – keep in mind this inherent characteristic we all possess. Whether you CONTRIBUTING WRITERS are seeking innovative new technology that will make your business’s operations more efficient, or new ways to stay connected to your customer; convenience is key. Brian Reynolds, Denise Lewis, Jennifer Trafelet, Drew Mize, Rosemary Waldrip, Bob Wilhelm, Bob Carpentier, Matt Milam FOLLOW US CONTACT PINNACLE Contact The Pinnacle Corporation Rosemary Waldrip Editor in Chief Phone............. 817-795-5555 Fax:................ 817-795-0005 Sales............... [email protected] Advertising.... [email protected] 2 THE PERSPECTIVE Issue 7 THE PINNACLE CORPORATION WHAT’S INSIDE. 4 A MESSAGE FROM BOB CARPENTIER: 14 A NEED FOR SPEED: 26 PCATS: Summit Invitation Average Time Spent by Your Customer The ‘So What’ 6 A TEXAS SIZED EVENT: 16 THE UNIVERSITY OF PINNACLE: 28 PINNACLE ON THE FOREFRONT: Pinnacle Summit 2011 Benefits of Online Training Self Serve and Quick Serve Solutions 8 DREAMS FROM MY FATHER’S 18 SOCIAL MEDIA: 30 PINNACLE LOTTERY MANAGEMENT: ACCOUNTANT A Must, Not a Maybe Taking Control of Instant Ticket Inventory 10 PALM POS: 20 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: 33 OMEGA ATC CASE STUDY: Q & A with an Expert Best Practices Analysis Plaid Pantries Convenience Stores Sought PCI Compliance that Could Do it All 13 TOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 23 CARDLOCK: Pinnacle Client Services Team The History and Future PCI compliance sound hard? Without Omega, it is. With a hosted OmegaSecureTM solution managed by us, or an installed OmegaManagerTM solution managed by you, Omega will ensure your business achieves and stays PCI compliant. Complete with File Integrity Monitoring and Wireless Intrusion Detection. • Address all critical areas detailed by PCI DSS • Get a Security Strategist’s professional service to guide you through the Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) Omega solutions for Data • Show proof of validation of compliance with the Omega sticker Security and PCI Compliance American Technology Corporation Celebrating 20 years For a free assessment call 636-557-7777, or email [email protected] omegasecure.com Fellow Pinnacle Clients, It is with excitement and a bit of trepidation that I announce that Pinnacle extended the offer for me to serve as this year’s Master of Ceremonies at Pinnacle Summit 2011 in Arlington, Texas.