A major Canadian organization operates a fleet program responsible for obtaining and distributing fuel to approximately 2,100 vehicles, in addition to hydro and police fleets. The program relies on 21 bulk fuel sites distributed across facilities to meet most of the fleet’s fueling requirements. This infrastructure had last been comprehensively reviewed through a post-amalgamation Fuel Standardization Study in 2003, with subsequent audit reports from the Office of the Auditor General in 2006 and 2007 contributing additional recommendations. While those earlier reviews confirmed the overall value of the bulk fueling model relative to retail alternatives, the program had not been assessed at the individual site level to confirm that each component was optimized within the current environment.

Bronson had completed a preliminary scoping study in May 2017 to assess how well the program had responded to prior recommendations and to determine whether further analysis was warranted. That study confirmed all material recommendations from preceding reviews had been addressed and that the program as a whole continued to provide a substantial net benefit. However, it identified specific gaps: the cost-benefit profile of individual sites had not been rigorously quantified, capacity shortfalls had been observed at select locations during high-demand operations such as snow clearing, and anticipated changes to the fleet through an active right-sizing initiative introduced additional uncertainty about future fueling requirements.

Bronson was subsequently engaged to conduct a full-scope Bulk Fuel Sites and Infrastructure Optimization Study to address these gaps. The engagement covered all 21 sites and the full supplied fleet, and was structured to deliver both near-term optimization recommendations and a forward-looking planning framework.

The Challenge

Optimizing a distributed fuel infrastructure across a large, multi-department fleet required reconciling detailed operational data with the priorities and plans of a diverse stakeholder community, against a backdrop of anticipated program change.

• Data complexity across 21 sites and 2,100+ vehicles. The analysis required a three-year extraction from the city’s M5 fleet management database, covering fuel supply by site, consumption by vehicle, home base locations, and seasonal demand patterns, all of which required validation before modelling could begin.
• Heterogeneous fleet composition. Vehicle types ranged from light-duty patrol units to heavy snow clearing equipment, each with materially different fueling profiles, seasonal demands, and proximity sensitivities that required distinct modelling assumptions rather than a single generalized treatment.
• Quantifying risk alongside cost. The study needed to go beyond standard cost-benefit analysis to explicitly quantify contingent costs: the risk of insufficient inventory during peak demand periods, and the downstream operational and reputational impact of infrastructure failure or inadequate capacity at specific sites.
• Site-specific constraints and history. Several locations presented unique complicating factors, including a facility under consideration for divestment, a yard without space for bulk fueling infrastructure, documented tank capacity shortfalls at multiple locations, and congestion concerns at another high-traffic yard.
• Fleet right-sizing underway in parallel. A right-sizing initiative targeted for completion in Q3 2018 was expected to alter fleet composition and demand patterns, making it necessary to frame recommendations in terms of current state while acknowledging the near-term implications of these changes.
• Multi-department stakeholder alignment. The fuel program touches Road Services, Corporate Real Estate, transit, police, hydro, and other client groups, each with distinct operational needs and planning horizons. Building shared understanding of findings and securing stakeholder confidence in the analysis was essential for recommendations to translate into action.
• Short- and long-term planning on separate timelines. The engagement required producing two coordinated but distinct outputs: near-term tactical recommendations actionable within three years, and a longer-horizon strategic forecast tied to capital lifecycle, policy change, and fleet evolution.

The client needed a structured, evidence-based review that could support defensible decisions about which sites to retain, modify, close, or expand, while also positioning the program for the changes ahead.

Our Solution

Bronson structured the engagement as five sequential workstreams, moving from data acquisition and modelling through stakeholder consultation to integrated reporting.

1. Project Kickoff and Scope Confirmation

Bronson convened an initial meeting with representatives to confirm the project scope, schedule, and data requirements, and to establish reporting cadence and key contacts. This session also prioritized the timing of stakeholder consultations relative to other departmental commitments.

2. Data Gathering and Verification

Bronson extracted a three-year data set from the city’s M5 fleet management database covering all 21 bulk fuel sites and the full supplied vehicle population. Data fields were reviewed in detail with Fleet Services representatives to confirm field definitions, flag known limitations, and identify any anomalies or inconsistencies before analysis began.

3. Preliminary and Detailed Data Analysis

Bronson conducted a layered analysis of fuel supply and consumption patterns, examining demand by site, by vehicle type, and by home base location. For vehicles not co-located with a compatible bulk fueling facility, operational fueling costs were quantified explicitly. The analysis also identified the appropriate level of modelling granularity for different vehicle categories, distinguishing types with similar fueling profiles from those with materially distinct requirements.

4. Cost-Benefit Model Development

Bronson developed a quantitative model translating fuel consumption data into a structured representation of the costs and benefits associated with each of the 21 bulk fuel sites. The model incorporated direct program costs and savings alongside contingent risk exposure, including the financial and operational consequences of tank capacity shortfalls during high-demand periods such as snow clearing operations. All inputs, variables, and assumptions were documented and reviewed with the project authority to ensure transparency and ongoing usability.

5. Stakeholder Consultations

Bronson conducted site visits alongside fuel infrastructure inspectors to directly observe site conditions, capacity, maintenance requirements, and risk factors. Interview guides were developed and reviewed with the project authority in advance, then administered with stakeholder groups including Road Services area managers, Corporate Real Estate representatives, transit fleet staff, Hydro Ottawa, and Ottawa Police Services. Notes from each consultation were reviewed and confirmed with participants before being incorporated into the analysis.

6. Cross-Referenced Analysis and Findings Synthesis

Quantitative model outputs were cross-referenced against qualitative stakeholder inputs to identify areas of alignment and discrepancy. Where the data and stakeholder observations were mutually reinforcing, findings were prioritized for recommendation. Where divergences emerged, Bronson worked with the project authority to determine whether the underlying data required recontextualization or whether stakeholder observations reflected incomplete information.

7. Integrated Reporting: Short-Term and Long-Term Deliverables

Bronson produced two coordinated draft reports and a consolidated final report. The short-term report documented the current state of all 21 sites with site-by-site rankings, cost-benefit outcomes, and actionable recommendations for the three-year planning horizon. The long-term report built on current-state observations while incorporating anticipated changes to fleet composition, capital asset lifecycles, client department plans, and alternative fuel considerations. The final report merged both deliverables and reflected feedback received on the draft materials.

Key Deliverables

Three-Year Fuel Site Optimization Action Plan – A site-ranked short-term report documenting the current operational and financial status of all 21 bulk fuel sites and setting out specific recommendations for optimization, modification, or closure within a three-year planning window.

Long-Term Fuel Infrastructure Forecast – A forward-looking report outlining anticipated pressures on the fuel program over a longer horizon, including impacts from fleet right-sizing, capital asset replacement cycles, alternative fuel policy, and evolving client department requirements.

Three-Year M5 Fuel Consumption Dataset and Verification Log – A validated, structured extract of fuel supply and consumption data from the city’s M5 database covering all 21 sites and 2,100+ vehicles, with documented field definitions, limitations, and anomaly resolutions.

Quantitative Cost-Benefit Model – A configurable model translating raw fuel consumption data into costs and benefits by site, incorporating direct program economics and contingent risk exposure from capacity shortfalls and infrastructure failure scenarios.

The Impact

Bronson’s engagement delivered a consolidated, evidence-based platform for near- and long-term decision-making across the fuel program.

• The cost-benefit model produced clear, site-level economic profiles for all 21 bulk fuel facilities, for the first time enabling direct comparison and prioritization across the full portfolio.
• Short-term recommendations provided a structured 3-year action plan covering infrastructure modifications, right-sizing of tank capacity at constrained sites, and an assessment of facilities under consideration for divestment or repurposing.
• Contingent risk quantification gave program managers an explicit basis for decisions about inventory buffers and capacity investments at sites most exposed to peak-demand shortfalls during snow clearing operations.
• Stakeholder consultations surfaced forward-looking intelligence on client department plans that would not have been captured through data analysis alone, ensuring long-term recommendations reflected real operational trajectories.
• The long-term forecast provided a planning reference tied to capital asset lifecycle milestones, allowing replacement and investment decisions to be sequenced against program benefit thresholds rather than driven solely by asset condition.

The engagement built directly on Bronson’s earlier scoping work and demonstrated the value of sustained analytical engagement with a complex public-sector program. By integrating quantitative modelling with structured stakeholder consultation, Bronson provided the organization with a durable decision-making tool and a clear path forward for a fuel program serving thousands of vehicles across a major urban operation.