PDI
Leading the Pack

To say PDI has grown would be an understatement. In 2016, the company had fewer than 200 employees and a strong North American customer base comprised primarily of convenience retailers. Two years and 10 acquisitions later, PDI has not only grown, it has thrived. As one of the leading providers of enterprise management software and services to the convenience retail, petroleum wholesale and logistics industries, its team of more than 850 employees now serves over 1200 customers operating more than 100,000 locations around the globe.

“For much of PDI’s 35-year history, our strength and focus has been in retail,” says Jimmy Frangis, CEO, PDI. “Two years ago, we saw an opportunity to serve the needs of the entire fuel supply chain more holistically, and we developed a growth strategy—through R&D and acquisition—that helped us fill the gaps we were seeing. As a result of our efforts, PDI is now uniquely positioned in the market to help petroleum wholesale and logistics companies optimize their operations, in addition to retailers.”

In the ever-evolving global oil and gas industry, retail, wholesale and logistics companies alike face a multitude of challenges, including fierce competition, complex compliance requirements, delayed time-to-cash, lack of real-time data visibility and thin margins, to name a few. While much of the oil and gas industry still operates using error-prone manual processes, there is a growing demand for robust software solutions that can help enterprises run their businesses more efficiently. That’s precisely where PDI comes into the picture.

“We’ve been delivering transformational products for more than three decades, and our end-to-end solution portfolio is designed help customers overcome the industry-specific challenges they face,” Frangis says. “For petroleum wholesalers, we’re helping them drive operational efficiency from order generation to delivery. For logistics companies, our connected truck solution, which includes everything from dispatch to in-truck software, increases operational visibility and control. For retailers, we automate their operation and improve productivity, so they can keep their stores running at peak performance.”

Our unique ability to effectively serve customers in multiple parts of the petroleum supply chain with varying business models sets us apart from the competition

Consistently delivering on that brand promise for every customer is a big part of PDI’s success formula. For Frangis, it’s the most important part. “When we initially engage with a customer, our goal is to understand their pain points and business objectives, then deliver a solution, combined with excellent customer service, that exceeds their expectations,” he says. “We strive to make every customer a reference. When we do that, that’s the true definition of success.”

Further elaborating on the value the company delivers to customers, Frangis cites a scenario where PDI worked with Flyers Energy, a wholesale and retail fuel company. Flyers was on a quest for a centralized, enterprise-wide software solution to manage its sophisticated petroleum marketing business, increase visibility and streamline business operations. “By using our petroleum wholesale solutions, Flyers was able to streamline their commercial fueling accounts, automate the process for reconciling and paying invoices, match daily data to bank information with an automated cash management system, eliminate manual processes, and create operational efficiencies that saved time and money.”

In the years ahead, PDI will continue to solidify its position as a leading global provider of enterprise-class software solutions to the wholesale petroleum industries. “Our ultimate aim is to help customers, regardless of their place in the petroleum supply chain, run their business better. If we are successful in that, I’m confident we’ll continue to be the partner of choice for retail, petroleum wholesale, and logistics companies around the world,” ends Frangis.