From Gas Pump to Shop: Technology that Connects
Interview with Othmar Nussbaum, Managing Director of Ratio Elektronik GmbH
The gas station business has two sides: on the one hand the fuel business, on the other hand the shop business. This alone requires complex processing systems. With its cash registers, vending, and management systems, Ratio Elektronik GmbH from Ravensburg allows gas station operators to manage individual stations or whole networks of stations centrally - from chocolate bars to fuel. The takeover by the French MADIC Group now also opens up new possibilities for the SME.
At the end of the 1970s, Ratio Elektronik in Ravensburg began developing and building a self-service fuel dispenser. However, in 1986 the first chapter of the company’s history came to an abrupt end – the company went bankrupt. This was followed by a new foundation with two investors under its current name. Managing Director Othmar Nussbaum joined the company in 1996 and acquired a third of the shares from one of the two investors. Gradually, he purchased additional shares.
After one of the investors went bankrupt, he eventually took over the company completely in 2005. That same year, he became the Managing Director. Last year, he divested all of his shares. Since then, Ratio Elektronik is 100% owned by the French globally positioned MADIC Group. The company employs 21 staff members. "In Germany, we service 1,600 gas stations, and in Austria, it's about 600," reports Othmar Nussbaum, who plans to soon fully withdraw from the company and hand over management to a successor.
Ratio Elektronik Connected
From the early days, Ratio Elektronik developed a billing system that allowed issuing fuel cards with which customers could fill up on credit. In 2002, the company also developed its own cash register. "The original billing system was expanded more and more and has now developed into a management system. With it, entire networks of gas stations can be managed today.
"Our biggest client operates 250 gas stations managed by our system," explains Othmar Nussbaum. The cash registers have been using Microsoft software from the start, which enabled networking over the internet. "With the software, data from each individual gas station, whether it is a station with a shop or an unattended station, can be accessed from the head office. The operator can thus determine, for example, which cards were used for payment or what sales were made in the shop.
With the cash registers, the entire merchandise management can be managed and at the same time, the wet goods business, which is the business with fuels, can be processed," says the managing director. He also points out a special feature in the fuel business: "Here we deal with a multitude of credit cards, as many gas stations issue their own cards. With our system, we can handle 27 fleet cards at one machine." Ratio Elektronik's customers include medium-sized gas stations and company gas stations at AUDI, VW, and Mercedes plants, as well as with the Bundeswehr. "Thanks to our broad customer base, we are not dependent on individual dealers," emphasizes Othmar Nussbaum.
Always on hand with remote support
Ratio Elektronik has a variety of loyal customers. "Many of them have been relying on our systems for more than 30 years," the managing director explains. He particularly highlights the excellent technical support that convinces customers. If something does not work despite the stable systems, immediate remote assistance is available. Sales are made through a network of sales partners who each take care of customers in their region.
In addition, the company presents itself every two years at the Unity in Stuttgart, a trade fair of the association of the largest service station companies, and at the trade fair of the bft (Federal Association of Independent Service Stations) in Essen.
There is a flat hierarchy in the company. "I have a plant manager and a development manager who leads a team of five people. This team operates largely independently and also has contact with customers," reports Othmar Nussbaum. He describes the atmosphere as family-like, with communication in the company being direct and straightforward.
Gaining a foothold in the German market with charging stations
The goal – also of the new investor – is to attract more customers from the mid-sized business sector with current technical solutions. "We will develop more interfaces and functions," announces Othmar Nussbaum. The fact that MADIC also offers its own charging stations for direct and alternating current also opens up new opportunities: "We hope to gain a foothold in the German market with their direct current charging stations.
MADIC has also developed a hydrogen station. This is still in the pilot phase. However, this would move us into a completely different market," he explains. The card router Global Office should be offered throughout Europe. "Through the MADIC Group, we now have the opportunity to use the international network for this," says the managing director.