About PCATS

The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards, PCATS, is an organization devoted to the development, maintenance, and implementation of standards for the convenience store and petroleum industries.

Enabling Connections... Finding Solutions

 

Vision

The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards, PCATS, will continue the development and maintenance of standards work initiated under the NACS Technology Standards Project. The initial project focused its developmental efforts in the areas of network and system integration, business-to-business document exchange and payment systems. PCATS will seek implementation of these standards by the industry's retailers and suppliers.

 

  What we do? How we do it?
Address Industry Technological Challenges Look at Industry challenges that can be addressed using information & technology to gain efficiencies and reduce operating costs
  • Device integration roadmap
  • Data exchange standards
  • Fuel code alignment
  • Payment method advancements
  • PCI integration education
Industry Standards Develop & provide the standards (technical schema requirements) for the industry to follow
  • Collaborative industry input from retailers, suppliers & solution providers
  • Standards are prioritized and developed based on member/industry needs
Leadership, Expertise & Knowledge Work within the industry to provide leadership and direction, so members can concentrate on the value added processes of their business
  • Certify solution providers for interoperability
  • Provide lab for retailer testing
  • PCATS Gateway for data synchronization
Education Establish implementation guidelines & best practices
  • Get best practices from industry leaders
  • Document and publish guidelines
Connections Ensure members voices are heard. Provide networking forum for small and large business models, so all companies have a say in the standards development process
  • All members have an equal say, regardless of size
  • Networking events such as annual conference, committees, open planning & strategy sessions

 

History

The NACS Technology Standards Project began in late 1995 and has had a very successful seven years of developing or adopting technology standards in a number of important areas for both retailers and suppliers. From the beginning NACS has stated that it did not want to be a standards setting or maintenance organization and that at some point the work developed would be turned over to one or more organizations for on-going support. A number of alternative bodies were considered but it has been the overwhelming desire of both retailers and suppliers that the work remain within the petroleum convenience industry. In order to insure that the work continues at a high level the Executive Committee of the NACS Board of Directors directed the staff to develop a plan to create a separate entity that would be self-sustaining and would enjoy the support of both retailers and suppliers. PCATS is the result of that effort.

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PCATS Talking Points-1.ppt143 KB
PCATS Standards Background 2008-08-10.ppt376 KB