Automated Fuel Tickets |
The Automated Fuel Tickets screen enables you to import and process data from automated fuel systems. You can process transactions for fuel, fluid, miscellaneous costs (e.g., oil change, smog check, car wash), or any combination thereof.
When you load files from an external computer or system into the application, you must use a communications program that allows you to capture incoming data into a file. Examples include Crosstalk (MicroStuf), Smartcom (Hayes), ProComm (available as shareware on most bulletin boards), and ProCommPlus (Datastorm). When you use one of these programs, be sure to set them so that they do not filter out any control characters sent from the external system. For example, in Crosstalk, set the program defaults so that INFILTER is OFF.
The application bypasses any preliminary characters in the input file prior to the first fuel ticket. You do not need to edit the input file prior to the time you process it.
When the system uploads data from an automated fuel system, it skips transactions that contain one of the skip codes specified for the fuel system in the Skip transactions beginning with field on the Fuel System Description tab of the Data -> Equipment Activity -> Fueling -> Setup -> Automated Fuel Systems screen.
The system can process transactions generated by many different automated fuel dispensing systems without requiring you to re-key fuel ticket data. Operations departments usually use the fuel dispensing system and configure it to save a record of each fueling transaction that contains an equipment identifier, the current meter reading for the equipment unit, the fuel pump number or type of fuel dispensed, and the quantity of fuel the system dispensed.
Note: When fuel charges are posted to an equipment ID, the equipment ID of the top-level parent is written to ftk_main.eq_parent_equip_no. You can run standard cost reports in Web Modules to see the full operating costs of the equipment.
Note: If fuel rows are still being updated and have not been processed, an error will display when trying to rerun processing.
Tip: Whether the system checks for valid fuel and/or fluid transactions is specified on the Processing Rules - Fuel and Processing Rules - Fluids tabs on the Data -> Equipment Activity -> Fueling -> Setup -> Automated Fuel Systems screen. This screen is intended for use by managers only. Updates to the information it specifies can disable the processing of the fuel system interface.
Whenever appropriate, you can send the accumulated fuel transactions (by disk or telephone line) to the computer on which the system runs. Once the file resides on the computer, you can use this screen to process the fuel tickets without re-keying the data.
To learn more about each tab's functions and fields, click the applicable hyperlink.
Specifies the automated fuel system from which data for an upload originates
Defines and processes an upload from an automated fuel system and displays the number of transactions accepted and rejected during the processing
Displays data uploaded from an automated fuel system in raw format and any error messages the data generated