Case study | Vehicle natural gas | Colombia
How Servipunto, now Zencillo, helped transform the vehicle natural gas market in Latin America
Station automation, electronic identification, maintenance control and conversion financing: a history of technology connecting an entire ecosystem.
Explore our current CNG technology →A market with potential. Three barriers to overcome.
In the late 1990s, Colombia's vehicle natural gas market needed to connect station operations with vehicle safety and affordable conversion. Zencillo's historical source describes the 1998 market as 13 stations and approximately 5,000 vehicles.
The challenge went beyond dispensing gas. Distributors, stations, workshops, certifiers and financial institutions needed coordinated information to support an expanding market.
Automate, verify and improve access.
Station operations
Communicate with different manufacturers' equipment, record fueling and transactions, and reduce manual shift and administrative tasks.
Maintenance and certification
Identify each vehicle and check its maintenance and certification status before supplying gas.
Conversion cost
Enable financing and collection mechanisms to help overcome the initial investment in conversion equipment.
Software, hardware and communications connecting the chain.
Servipunto developed a platform connecting station control with central vehicle information, certification processes and financing mechanisms. Administration and monitoring received operational data.
Conceptual diagram of the participants and flows described in the historical case.
From the dispenser to station administration.
Servipunto's developments integrated CNG dispenser communication protocols to capture transactions and connect them to operational processes. The documented timeline begins in 1999 with software for vehicle natural gas stations.
- Dispenser communication and transaction recording.
- Fueling automation and shift control.
- Operational reports and administrative integration.
Manufacturers referenced in the historical experience
References from the original case. Current compatibility must be reviewed by model, protocol and configuration; this historical list does not certify every manufacturer's equipment.
Check the vehicle before authorizing fueling.
An electronic chip or button identified the vehicle and allowed access to its centralized information. The station could then check recorded maintenance and certification conditions before enabling fueling.
- 01Conversion at an authorized workshop
- 02Electronic chip or button
- 03Certification registration
- 04Central vehicle record
- 05Reading at the station
- 06Condition validation
- 07Authorize or restrict fueling
Workshops and certifiers supplied information; stations and readers checked status. Operation records linked vehicles to events and provided traceability for the available information.
A contribution to ICONTEC's first NTC 4829.
According to Zencillo’s corporate history, Servipunto participated in developing the first version of Colombian Technical Standard NTC 4829, in the context of the information system used by the vehicle gas fuel sector. The historical experience also refers to the Sistema Unificado de Información Conjunta (SUIC).
Information system for vehicle gas fuel (GCV).
Edition identified in the official reference consulted. ICONTEC issues the standard; Servipunto is not presented as its sole author or as a certification body.
Servipunto de Software in the NTC 4829 documentation
The first revision of NTC 4829, ratified by ICONTEC on March 24, 2004, lists SERVIPUNTO DE SOFTWARE among the companies to which the draft was submitted for public consultation. The standard addresses electronic identification, central information, certification and CNG fueling checks.
The mention documents its connection with public consultation; it does not establish membership of the drafting committee or sole authorship. Technical contributions reported by Zencillo remain a separate part of its corporate history.
View the historical Servipunto reference in NTC 4829 ↗ICONTEC document · First revision, 2004 · Foreword, public consultation. Copy hosted on Scribd by a third party.
Collect loan repayments as the vehicle consumes gas.
The solution connected a workshop conversion with a registered loan. When a vehicle refueled at a participating station, the identified transaction could include a collection amount applied to the loan and update its balance.
- 01Conversion
- 02Financing
- 03Gas consumption
- 04Collection
- 05Loan repayment
- 06Balance update
Savings associated with using gas could contribute to paying for the conversion, depending on loan terms and each customer's consumption. The model does not imply guaranteed returns or savings.
Vehicle, station and transaction traceability supported tracking collections and balances for program participants.
A journey in a growing market.
stations in Colombia
Market context according to the historical case.
vehicles in Colombia
Initial context, not a current customer count.
vehicles with maintenance controlled
Result described in Zencillo's Spanish historical source.
CNG stations
Scope reported in the historical Colombia case.
These figures describe different historical moments; they do not represent the platform's current size. Technology was one development factor alongside investment, regulation, infrastructure and the work of other sector participants.
- Greater confidence through identification and maintenance tracking.
- Mechanisms to improve access to conversion financing.
- Automation and fewer manual station tasks.
- Coordination between workshops, certifiers, stations and financial institutions.
A history that crossed borders.
Explore the development and consulting milestones recorded in the original case. Each country had its own operational, institutional and regulatory context.
- 1999
Colombia
Development of CNG station automation software.
- 2001
Colombia
Technical consulting and participation in the first NTC 4829.
- 2004
Perú
Technical consulting for vehicle natural gas programs.
- 2005
Perú
Implementation of the technological model.
- 2006
Bolivia
Consulting for the development of vehicle natural gas.
- 2010
Bolivia
Participation in the vehicle conversion program in Tarija.
- 2013
Bolivia
The historical source reports 320,000 converted vehicles nationwide. This is not a count of vehicles served by Zencillo.
More information to manage vehicles, stations and credit.
- Mileage recorded on tickets and vehicle gas balance
- Fueling restrictions by time and day
- Loyalty and accounting interfaces
- Customer credit limits and consumption control
- Dispenser communication and operation
- Workshop and certification body management
- Vehicle maintenance and central records
- Conversion, transformation and requalification processes
Capabilities described in the historical case. The scope of a current implementation is defined with the operation and its integrations.
From Servipunto to Zencillo: experience that keeps evolving.
Servipunto's experience in automation and information systems is part of Zencillo's history. The knowledge gained from connecting equipment, transactions and participants now extends to a broader operational platform.
Today, that experience makes it possible to understand station operations as part of a connected network of vehicles, customers and services.
A university study documented Servipunto's international experience
A 2012 study in Universidad EAN's repository describes Servipunto de Software Ltda. as a specialist in service station, natural gas, LPG, bottling plant and administrative system automation. It records a presence in Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina and the Dominican Republic and mentions Zencillo products.
This is an academic reference from that period, whose bibliography cites Servipunto's corporate website. It is not an audit of current operations; the fourteen years of experience mentioned are a historical figure.
View the Universidad EAN study ↗2012 · Reference on printed page 30, continuing on page 31.
Discover Zencillo Gas Commander today.
A platform for gasoline, diesel, CNG and LPG stations connecting automation, administration, shifts, inventory, fleets, payments and electronic invoicing according to country and operational configuration.
Our technological history supported by historical sources
Standards, academic and institutional references to explore the evidence and understand what each document supports. Their dates and scope are historical; they do not certify current capabilities.
NTC 4829 — First revision
- Year / edition
- 2004 · 24-03-2004
- Location
- Foreword · Public consultation
Identifies SERVIPUNTO DE SOFTWARE among the companies consulted. It does not establish drafting committee membership.
Historical copy on Scribd; not hosted by ICONTEC.
View document ↗Propuesta de intervención cultura organizacional para posicionamiento de marca empresarial National Software
- Year / edition
- 2012
- Location
- Printed pages 30–31
Documents Servipunto's specialization and international reach during the study period, with references to Zencillo products.
Author: Luz Maricela Corredor Suesca. The description cites the corporate website.
View document ↗Organization and Functions Manual — Decentralized Unit, CNG Program
- Year / edition
- 2021
- Location
- Printed page 28 · PDF page 28
Includes administration of the VALEOGAS system and application, with another system as an alternative.
Administrative Resolution No. 40/2021. Does not identify the developer.
View document ↗Organization and Functions Manual — CNG Program
- Year / edition
- 2023
- Location
- Printed page 19 · PDF page 21
Again includes VALEOGAS in the program's Systems functions without requiring exclusivity.
Administrative Resolution No. 302/2023. Does not establish continuous operation.
View document ↗Technical, economic and environmental impacts of vehicle fleet dieselization
- Year / edition
- Publication year unconfirmed
- Location
- Printed page 73 · PDF page 74 · Entry 48
Servipunto de Software Ltda. appears in the business listing in table 2.8, concerning conversion equipment and accessories. It supports the company's identification within the sector.
Prepared by CORPODIB. Does not establish a government contract or direct supplier relationship with UPME.
View document ↗Understand the scope of this history.
What role did Servipunto play in vehicle CNG?
It developed technology connecting stations, dispensers, vehicles, workshops, certifiers and financial institutions. This experience is part of Zencillo's technological history.
What did the solution automate?
Dispenser communication, transaction and fueling records, shift control and reports connected to station administration.
How was each vehicle identified?
An electronic chip or button read at the station linked the vehicle to its central record, allowing its conditions to be checked before fueling.
Why connect maintenance and certification?
So workshops and certifiers could contribute verifiable information and stations could check vehicle status before authorizing fueling under the recorded conditions.
What is NTC 4829?
It is ICONTEC's Colombian technical standard for the vehicle gas fuel information system (GCV). The cited official reference identifies the February 15, 2023 edition.
Did Servipunto issue the standard?
No. According to Zencillo’s corporate history, Servipunto participated in developing the first version. ICONTEC issued the standard; technical participation does not mean exclusive authorship or software certification.
How did conversion financing work?
The loan was registered and payments could be collected through fueling transactions at participating stations, applying repayments and updating the vehicle or customer's balance.
Does technology alone explain CNG growth?
No. It was one element of an ecosystem also dependent on investment, infrastructure, regulation, gas availability, workshops, financial institutions and customer decisions.
Which countries were part of the historical experience?
The case documents development and consulting in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. Argentina appears as a regional reference, without attributing a specific project here. This does not imply another country legally adopted a Colombian standard.
What does Zencillo currently offer for CNG stations?
Gas Commander connects dispenser automation to station operations and administration, shifts, transactions, payments and electronic invoicing according to country and configuration. Current CNG operations cover Colombia and the Dominican Republic; historical figures are presented separately.
Does Servipunto de Software appear in NTC 4829?
Yes. The foreword of the 2004 first revision includes it in the public consultation list. View document record →
What does the mention in ICONTEC's 2004 document demonstrate?
That the draft was submitted to the company for consideration. It does not establish that it issued the standard, was its sole author or belonged to the drafting committee. View document record →
What international experience did Servipunto have according to Universidad EAN?
The 2012 study describes a presence in Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina and the Dominican Republic, automation specialization and Zencillo products. It is a record of that period, not a current inventory. View document record →
What is VALEOGAS and where is it officially mentioned?
It is the information system mentioned in Tarija's 2021 and 2023 CNG program manuals. Both include its administration or that of another system; neither identifies the developer. View document record →
What historical relationship exists between Servipunto and Latin American CNG programs?
Zencillo recounts Servipunto's regional development and consulting work. NTC and the EAN study provide specific references; Tarija's manuals document VALEOGAS. Establishing a corporate link between that system and Servipunto requires further evidence. View document record →
The history, with its references.
Historical illustration: Zencillo archive. Explanatory diagrams based on the case. Figures correspond to the stated years and scopes; they are not current metrics or a declaration of product certification.