How Has Technology in the Propane Industry Changed the Way You Do Your Job?

Technology in the propane industry has reshaped nearly every aspect of the business, often in subtle ways. The day to day of many careers looks nothing like it did years ago. In this column, adopted from the familiar “Heard on the Street” format, we offer our responders a chance to answer the question posed in the title. These are their replies, reported verbatim.

Propane in the Digital Age

I have been doing this for a long time. I am not a person who likes change. The answer to this question is simple for me. Technology has not changed the way I do my job today from when I started, for the most part. I understand many depend on the latest and greatest to manage many aspects of their company. I still use pen and paper to do a lot of my daily tasks, for example. I will say that tank monitors have been a great tool.

Richard Strycharz Jr.
Walter’s Propane
Sunderland, Massachusetts

When I started at NPGA in Lisle, Illinois, in December 1993, we used a mainframe computer with a screen that had no graphics and only orange-colored font, which was not adjustable in any way. The communication protocol was very rudimentary. I had an admin assistant that would type up correspondence and send out “letter ballots” that truly were mailed out. The phone was my primary means of communication with the members. The digital era was introduced to NPGA staff by CEO Dan Myers, who brought in PCs and urged us all to use Outlook as the best way to conduct business. Emails soon became the primary means of corresponding with members because of its broadcasting ability, and phone conversations became more infrequent. Now, of course, AI is a tool that I use constantly in my work and everyday life. AI doesn’t stop me from thinking, because now I can explore even more ideas in much less time.

Bruce Swiecicki
Consulting Engineer
Tinley Park, Illinois

I could answer your question with an in-depth explanation of how technology has improved time management, production efficiencies, sales reporting, customer management, order processing, accounting, warehouse management — the list goes on and on. But the biggest change that I really appreciate since I started my working career is the paper. There used to be so much paper. And then you had to file the papers, store the papers, cull the papers — just paper, paper, paper. And now, hardly any paper. It’s wonderful.

Leslie Woodward
Fairview Inc.
Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Technology has changed every part of my job over the last 13 years, but the biggest game changer for me has been DocuSign. Before, we often relied on an outside salesperson to meet with customers and complete paperwork. Now, with DocuSign and Google Maps, I can walk a customer through the entire sign-up process over the phone, send the documents electronically, and get everything signed and scheduled the same day. It’s faster, more convenient for our customers and it’s helped us to convert more leads. If there were one piece of technology I wouldn’t want to lose, it would be DocuSign.

Staci Rammel
Woodruff Energy
Bridgeton, New Jersey

Technology has transformed the way I do my job throughout my career. In the early 1980s, one of my first responsibilities after being hired was to move our back-office and accounting operations from a system of pens, pencils, typewriters and stacks of paper to a computerized system. Our first software was Fuel Pak by DeYoung & Associates, which was a major step forward in improving efficiency and accuracy. The next phase of our technological evolution was installing electronic meters in our delivery trucks, allowing us to automate fuel delivery records and improve billing and inventory management. In 2010, I invited my daughter to join the business with the task of scanning all of our customer files so we could finally become completely paperless. Not only did we achieve that goal, but the project had an unexpected benefit: She decided to stay and become part of the business. Looking back, technology has not only made our operations more efficient but has also helped shape the future of our family business. (I also recall a BPN cover of me and a computer!)

Julie Johnson
Ted Johnson Propane
Baldwin Park, California

Growing up in the 2000s, technology was definitely on the rise. (I had a cell phone by age 12!) I’ve always been used to constant change and embraced it from day one, especially since my first job in the industry at 16 years old was cleaning up data in Salesforce. Now, I’m all about finding cool new tech to make our work more efficient, but I always make sure it’s used ethically and to not let it replace actual human connection. At the end of the day, you still need to build real relationships with the people in your community and industry.

Steph Hennen
Lakes Gas Co.
Wyoming, Minnesota

As a company, we have made massive efficiency gains with technology, especially in dispatching and routing. I was dispatching trucks early in my career, and at the time, we used paper tickets. I had to sort through hundreds of tickets and make piles on my desk for each driver. In the winter of 2014, we were so busy, I had to move to the conference room table to sort the delivery tickets. We literally had a driver shuttling the delivery tickets to a remote bulk plant for drivers to pick up. There was even a time when a batch of tickets got lost and we had a few customers run out of propane! Technology has allowed us to remote dispatch deliveries and has made communication much easier. We went from Nextel two-way radios to now sending messages to drivers’ tablets. We have come a long way in the last 10-plus years, and I am excited to see what the next 10 years brings.

Trevor Beaudry
Beaudry Oil & Propane
Elk River, Minnesota

I would not describe myself as an early adopter. I prefer to check and double-check everything I do and put in many checkpoints to ensure accuracy. Unfortunately, that level of detail and perfectionism is time absorbing and takes away from more value-added activities. I have recently spent some free time learning how to use AI tools such as Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT and applying them in my more repetitive tasks. What I have found is that this automation allows me to spend more time reviewing and editing the precision of the information, while allowing for the AI to better communicate my message. We also use AI programming tools to facilitate back-office processes, data analysis and workflow programming. We are in our infancy stages but definitely embracing it.

Robert Kenney
Metsa
McCallum, Texas

Technology has made my job both easier and more challenging. New tools and analytics give marketers incredible insight into consumer behavior, helping us make better decisions and measure results more effectively. At the same time, every new technology brings new skills to learn and new opportunities to explore, so staying adaptable and prioritizing continuing education is more important than ever.

Lucy Shaffer
Shaffer’s Bottled Gas Inc.
Hooversville, Pennsylvania

What Tech Doesn’t Change

Technology hasn’t just changed the tasks we do; it’s changed how we connect, communicate and grow. But one thing remains constant across every generation represented here: The relationships and people behind the work still come first.