Rodney Bates

Bates Oil is a family-run fuel distribution business based in Wexford, serving customers across the Sunny Southeast of Ireland. Founded in 1988, the company has grown steadily over the years and now operates a fleet of delivery trucks, supplying home heating oil, fuels, and lubricants to domestic, commercial, and agricultural customers.

With a strong local presence and a focus on reliable service, Bates Oil manages a combination of delivery operations, yard sales, and customer accounts. As the business expanded, the need for more efficient systems and streamlined processes became increasingly important to support growth and maintain service quality.

Bates Oil initially operated using an accounts-based system, which required significant manual input and double entry of data across the business. As operations grew, the team sought a more integrated solution to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and better connect office and field activities.

By implementing Herbst Insight ERP, Bates Oil transformed its day-to-day operations with a fully integrated system connecting orders, deliveries, and back-office processes in real time. Orders now flow directly from the office to drivers via handheld devices, with delivery data automatically returned to the system — eliminating duplicate entry and significantly reducing the risk of errors.

The introduction of handheld technology has been central to this transformation, enabling drivers to manage deliveries, capture payments, generate tickets, and provide proof of delivery directly from the field. Integration with metering systems and GPS tracking provides accurate, time-stamped delivery records, improving transparency and customer trust.

Herbst Insight has also enhanced the customer experience through its web portal, allowing customers to place orders online, access invoices, and manage their accounts at any time. This has reduced inbound calls to the office while giving customers greater flexibility and control.

Within the depot, the implementation of the Herbst POS system has streamlined retail sales, account management, and payment processing, reducing paperwork and improving accuracy. Automated reporting has further delivered efficiencies, including simplifying driver commission calculations and providing real-time operational insights.

In addition, Herbst Insight has helped Bates Oil meet regulatory requirements such as ROM1 reporting, turning a complex, manual process into a simple monthly task completed at the click of a button.

Supported by responsive customer service and ongoing system development, Herbst Insight continues to help Bates Oil find more efficient ways of working, enabling the business to grow while maintaining high standards of service and operational control.

There is no entry again. It happens once and once only, so you don’t have the problem of mistakes along the way.
Rodney Bates