Rebuilding data integrity, restoring bank trust and modernising systems across retail and wholesale divisions.
Regional Retail & Wholesale Fuel Distributor
Regional Australia
12+ months
1,500+ agricultural & commercial customers
Operational stability and compliance restored.
annual turnover stabilised across 2 divisions
payment methods daily reconciled into Xero
debt facilities restored with bank confidence
automated daily transaction journals replacing manual entries
Severe data disconnects between POS systems and core accounting software.
The business operates across two core divisions: Retail (service station bowsers and convenience store products) and Wholesale (fuel distribution and agricultural lubricants to over 1,500 farming customers). Turning over $35-40 million, the key risk was not profitability, but complete data unreliability.
The accounting platform and the operational point-of-sale system were completely disconnected, with non-existent API connections. Critical records failed to reflect daily operations, causing severe inaccuracies like an $80,000 fuel delivery missing entirely from a $500,000 customer statement. For a business supplying high-volume fuel accounts, this lack of integration exposed the business to immediate financial risk.
Breakdown of core operational and system inefficiencies.
Unresolved Tax & Compliance: Two years of financial statements and tax returns remained unfinalised, leaving the external accountant unable to rely on the underlying books.
Strained Banking Relationships: The business held over $5 million in debt facilities, but missing and inaccurate reporting made facility reviews difficult, forcing the company into penalty interest.
Extreme Working Capital Volatility: Fluctuating fuel prices (jumping from $1.65 to over $3.00 per litre) doubled working capital requirements overnight against rigid 14-21 day supplier terms.
Obscured Division Margins: Overall gross profit hovered around 7%, but management lacked granular reporting to evaluate retail versus wholesale performance.
Systemic rebuild of daily reporting, GL mapping, and bank communications.
Accessed the POS SQL database directly to audit raw entries and construct robust source-data controls.
Engineered a 5-minute daily reconciliation capturing 12–14 payment forms (cash, fuel cards, Motorpass, credit cards, cheques) via direct CSV journal imports into Xero.
Separated Retail and Wholesale revenue, COGS, and clearing accounts to measure true divisional performance.
Completed past financial catch-ups and re-engaged the external accountant and bank using verified, single-source financial statements.
Led the evaluation and replacement of the clunky POS setup with an integrated ERP, automating journal posting and eliminating manual workarounds.
Refined pricing models during market price surges, assisting the General Manager in executing dynamic margin adjustments to preserve profitability.
Full operational automation, bank alignment and proactive financial control.
Unified Stakeholder Trust: Re-aligned bank, accountant, and management around transparent, reconciled financial reports, clearing penalty interest issues.
Restored Regulatory Compliance: Brought two years of overdue financial reporting fully up to date without resorting to estimated figures.
Dynamic Price Protection: Maintained healthy gross profit margins throughout severe market volatility, yielding strong divisional performance.
Seamless Automation: Successfully deployed a fully integrated ERP connected directly to Xero, saving substantial administrative time daily.
Hands-On Regional Support: Delivered regular face-to-face site visits despite long travel distances, building lasting operational confidence.
What Our Clients Say Real results from real business owners across Australia.
What Our Clients Say Real results from real business owners across Australia.
