If you're running FACTOR, DM2, FuelSmart, or FireStream — your petroleum ERP was acquired by PDI Technologies. You have options. BookWorks is the independent petroleum ERP built specifically for fuel jobbers, and we've migrated clients from every one of those platforms.
When a private equity-backed company acquires your software vendor, you're no longer a customer — you're part of a portfolio. The business model changes, and the consequences for customers often follow a predictable pattern.
Acquired platforms frequently increase annual fees as the acquirer seeks return on their investment. License costs, support fees, and module pricing are all subject to change after acquisition.
When a single company owns four petroleum ERP platforms, it doesn't make business sense to maintain all four indefinitely. Consolidation — migration to a "unified" platform — is often the eventual destination, whether customers want it or not.
The support team that knew your account and answered your calls is often restructured after acquisition. Helpdesk staffing, ticket systems, and offshore support are common post-acquisition changes that frustrate long-term customers.
Product roadmap decisions are made by the parent company's leadership team, not by people who know petroleum. Features that matter to fuel jobbers may not be priorities for a multi-vertical enterprise software company.
Key Information Technologies has been independently owned since 1994. There is no private equity investor, no parent company, and no acquisition exit strategy. The same people who built BookWorks are the people who support and develop it today.
The differences between BookWorks and a PDI-owned platform go beyond features. They're structural — how support is delivered, how pricing is set, who owns the roadmap, and what happens to your data.
| PDI / Acquired Platform | BookWorks / Key IT | |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Private equity-backed; subject to further acquisition | Independently owned since 1994; no acquisition plans |
| Industry focus | Multi-vertical enterprise ERP; petroleum is one of many verticals | Petroleum only — fuel wholesale, home heating, lubes |
| Support model | Tiered support plans; ticket-based; potential per-incident billing | Unlimited phone and email support included in monthly fee |
| Support staff background | General software support; petroleum knowledge varies | Many support staff have petroleum accounting or operations backgrounds |
| Pricing stability | Annual increases likely given investor return requirements | Stable monthly fee; not subject to investor pressure |
| Platform migration risk | Consolidation between acquired platforms is possible | BookWorks is one platform; no consolidation risk |
| Roadmap control | Determined by corporate product leadership across multiple verticals | Driven by petroleum operator customer feedback directly |
| Data ownership | Verify contractually; has been a point of contention post-acquisition | Explicitly stated: your data is yours, always |
| Software updates | May require paid upgrades for major versions | Updates included in monthly fee |
| Custom development | Subject to enterprise roadmap; may not be prioritized | Custom work embraced; SOW scoped and delivered in-house |
Migrating your petroleum ERP is a significant project — but it's one Key Information Technologies has done many times. Every migration is scoped around your specific data, your existing system, and your go-live goal. Here's what to expect.
Our team conducts a detailed discovery of your current platform configuration — your chart of accounts, customer structure, product list, taxing setup, DTN configuration, and billing workflows. This forms the basis of your BookWorks implementation plan.
Key provides the conversion templates. You export your data from your current platform — GL chart of accounts, vendors, customers, ship-to's, inventory, tanks, routes, terminal contracts. Key reviews each submission before conversion.
Key's team converts your data into BookWorks — mapping fields, setting up GL accounts, configuring tax structures, establishing DTN automation, and building out the BookWorks environment to mirror how your operation runs.
Key generates sample invoices, supplier bills, and ACH draft notices in BookWorks and compares them directly against your current system output. Every line item is validated. We don't go live until the numbers match.
Role-specific training sessions are built around your workflows — your customers, your pricing structures, your billing cycle. Delivered via Zoom and recorded. Your team learns how to run your operation in BookWorks, not how BookWorks works in theory.
Your first day in BookWorks, Key is available throughout — by phone and remote session. Issues are addressed in real time. After go-live, Key supports you through the first full billing cycle and first month-end close.
Yes. Key has performed data migrations from FACTOR, DM2, FuelSmart, FireStream and other platforms. The conversion process uses our standard template set — GL, vendors, customers, ship-to's, tanks, routes, inventory, terminal contracts — and Key does the conversion work, not you.
Typical timelines range from 9–12 months depending on data complexity, number of modules, states, and how many integrations (DTN, CardLock, ATG) need to be configured. Your specific timeline is established during the discovery phase and agreed in the project plan.
Yes. Many clients run a parallel period — operating both their existing system and BookWorks simultaneously — to build confidence before fully cutting over. Key supports this approach when it makes sense for your operation.
We'll discuss how much history to bring over versus archive. Most clients convert open balances (AR, AP) and a subset of transaction history, keeping older history accessible in the legacy system for a period. The right strategy depends on your regulatory and operational needs.
BookWorks covers the full scope of petroleum ERP — wholesale fuel, home heating, dispatching, accounting, CardLock, warehouse/lubes, and MobileConnect. Most FACTOR functionality maps directly to BookWorks. Where there are gaps, custom development is available under a Statement of Work.
Implementation is scoped based on your specific situation — modules, data complexity, number of states, and integrations. Training is included in the implementation fee. The monthly BookWorks fee covers unlimited support and software updates. Contact us for a specific conversation about your situation.
You call 888.539.4630 or email sales@keyinfotech.com. A person answers. Unlimited support is included in your monthly fee. The support team has petroleum operations knowledge and can often resolve your question on the first call without escalation.
BookWorks is priced for the petroleum mid-market — not enterprise pricing designed for very large operators. We don't publish pricing publicly because it's scoped per client, but we compete favorably on total cost of ownership when support costs, update fees, and implementation approach are all factored in. Let's have a direct conversation.
No pressure, no sales deck. A direct conversation about your operation, your current system, and whether BookWorks is the right fit. We'll tell you honestly what the migration would involve and what it would cost.
📞 888.539.4630