Patent ID: 7783435

Claim:
In a liquid product facility that periodically performs a physical to book balance reconciliation process, a method of trending the variance between volume of liquid product as recorded in a book balance and a measured volume of physical liquid product in a tank, the method comprising: collecting three or more volume book balances of the liquid product in a manifold set of tanks at three or more physical to book balance reconciliation times, the three or more volume book balances generated using a reconciliation system capable of dynamically performing a physical product to book balance reconciliation process regardless of current delivery and dispensing of the liquid product into and out of the manifold set of tanks; collecting, by the reconciliation system, three or more physical volumes of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks, which correspond to an actual volume of liquid product within the manifold set of tanks, at three or more physical to book balance reconciliation times, wherein the at least three or more physical to book balance reconciliation times comprises a first time during a delivery of liquid product into the manifold set of tanks and a second time during a dispensing of liquid product from the manifold set of tanks, wherein the three or more physical volumes are determined by taking a tank manifold volume reading at one or more gauges within the manifold set of tanks at one or more tank reading times, taking one or more dispenser sales readings at one or more dispenser reading times, the one or more dispenser reading times differing from the one or more tank reading times, and automatically interpolating or extrapolating the one or more dispenser sales readings to determine one or more additional dispenser sales readings at a time equal to the one or more tank reading times; automatically calculating, by the reconciliation system, variance data indicative of a difference between each of the three or more physical volumes and the three or more volume book balances at the corresponding physical balance reconciliation times including the delivery time and dispensing time; and storing the variance data for showing a pattern-like relationship of a loss, gain, or both, of liquid product over a period of time.