Self-service gas station

• Project name: Self-service gas station
• Class: 4IT496 Simulation of Systems (WS 2013/2014)
• Author: Bohuslav Dvorský
• Model type: Descrete-event simulation
• Software used: SimProcess

Introduction

In Western countries becoming increasingly popular self-service gas stations - a station where is no staff, but only machine that after the payment distribute fuel or other goods like mix washed, distilled water etc… With my friend we were thinking about a similar concept in the Czech conditions and realistically began to explore the possibility of implementation of the business plan. We contacted fuel distributor, manufacturer that would provide us station infrastructure (fuel tank, tubes, software, fuel dispenser…), directorate for roads and highways, a construction company that would build asphalt road connector, many banks for best offer of cashless payment and business loan and more other institutes (detailed description in simulation documentation). So we got estimate price of everything we need for construction of self-service gas station including payment for permissions from different authorities. Thanks acquaintances of my friend, we also have actual data from the gas station standing on the same path where we would like to build our station. It is the Benzina gas station and we have data like average number of cars on the station, average liters of fuel tanked, ration of diesel, petrol and LPG.

Problem definition

Can be this project profitable? As we discovered, more than 50% of people use credit card to pay the fuel. Unfortunately banks for companies like ours charge a fee for their services in the amount of 1.48% of the total. This finding is very frustrating simply because the margin for fuel out of a large network of filling stations is about 2 CZK per liter. This finding is very frustrating simply because the margin for fuel out of a large network of filling stations is about 2 CZK per liter. So most of the revenue is likely to be cash payments or loyalty card payments. Thanks to the self-service station, we can eliminate the cost of human factor, main building or restrooms. But when considering starting a new business we muse take a loan in the amount of almost 100% of the capital. We must also include the cost of bank loan, electricity, internet and maintenance of the station.

I believe that in certain circumstances the project is profitable. My job is to find the conditions under which self-service station made ​​a profit and paid itself.