Managing multiple service station sites across regional Australia comes with its fair share of logistical challenges. For Petro National, the 2022 purchase of Oils Plus and South West Fuel created a unique opportunity and a major systems challenge. With two businesses operating on different point-of-sale platforms, the team knew they had to act quickly to unify their operations.
Their solution? Transition all sites to Beacon POS.
We sat down with Tiernan Smith and Jayden Sutton to learn how they approached the change and why Beacon was the right fit for their growing retail network.
Why Standardisation Matters
“South West Fuel was already using Beacon, but the Oils Plus sites were on a different system,” explains Tiernan. “We knew having two different POS systems wasn’t sustainable. Reporting was inconsistent. Site managers were setting their own prices. Nothing was centralised.”
Jayden, a systems analyst at Petro National, agrees. “We had sites running with 10-year-old pricing. Managers weren’t passing on cost increases. It was clear we needed a single platform to get control.”
Beacon’s flexibility and multi-site capabilities made it the preferred choice. With both teams already familiar with the platform, rolling it out across the full network made sense.
Lessons from the Transition
The migration wasn’t without hiccups. The first site they transitioned, Wellington, highlighted the complexities of consolidating data.
“We tried using a price file from another site, but it didn’t match up. Nothing scanned,” Tiernan recalls. “We had to go back and rebuild the price file from scratch.”
Subsequent rollouts were smoother. By refining the process and learning from early mistakes, the team reduced discrepancies at each step.
One challenge was integrating a site that operated a mechanical workshop. The Beacon system includes a bolt-on module for workshop management, but since it hadn’t been used in other parts of the business, the learning curve was steep.
Still, the team persisted. “It took time, but now that it’s set up properly, we’re seeing the benefits,” says Tiernan. “We just had to put in the work upfront.”
Centralised Control and Smarter Pricing
One of the major wins from consolidating onto Beacon has been pricing control.
“Before, every store had different pricing even for the same products,” says Tiernan. “Now we can manage margins centrally and respond to supplier increases in real time.”
Jayden highlights how Beacon’s pricing tools improve visibility. “It flags any changes from suppliers. If a cost changes but doesn’t match the invoice, we get an alert. It keeps things tight and accurate.”
This level of control ensures profitability isn’t eroded over time a common issue when sites are left to manage pricing independently.
Smarter Reporting, Less Admin
For Jayden, one of the biggest benefits has been centralised reporting.
“I can access data from any site through the Beacon back office,” he says. “If I need to compare two stores or pull a network-wide report, I can do it in one place. No need to dig through each store’s individual system.”
This has reduced time spent on admin and increased responsiveness when decisions need to be made quickly.
Instant Invoice Integration
Petro National has also been rolling out Beacon’s Instant Invoice feature, which automatically processes supplier invoices into the system.
“Time savings have been huge,” says Tiernan. “What used to take hours now takes minutes. It’s streamlined the process and reduced errors.”
They’ve integrated Instant Invoice with most major suppliers and are now automating up to 80% of their invoice processing.
“It’s a game-changer,” Jayden adds. “It means our site teams can focus on customer service and merchandising instead of data entry.”
Adapting to Industry Shifts
With category shifts like the decline in tobacco sales, the team has leaned heavily on Beacon’s reporting tools to guide their strategy.
“Tobacco is down 50% across the board for us,” says Tiernan. “But despite that, we’re still 7% up year-on-year. That’s because we’ve invested in other parts of the business; slushie machines, food offers, things with better margins.”
He credits Beacon’s data insights for helping the team identify gaps and opportunities. “You can’t manage what you can’t see. Having real-time access to accurate numbers makes all the difference.”
Looking Ahead
Petro National continues to invest in its retail operations, with plans to grow through acquisition and optimise existing sites. Standardising on Beacon has given them the tools they need to manage their business at scale without losing control.
“Having all our sites on the same POS system gives us consistency, better visibility, and more efficiency,” Tiernan says. “It’s set us up for growth.”
For other multi-site operators navigating complex integrations or acquisitions, Petro National’s approach offers a strong example of how consolidating onto the right platform can drive both operational and commercial gains.
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