Case Study: Sunoco finds Userdoc a game-changer for requirements

Sunoco LP is North America's largest independent fuel distributor and a leading operator of critical energy infrastructure, distributing approximately 9 billion gallons of branded and unbranded fuel annually across more than 40 states and the Caribbean. Sunoco LP also operates a network of over 14,000 miles of pipelines and more than 100 terminals throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Europe.

The problem: "just a lot of words"

"Generally, people struggle to write cohesive and well-structured requirements. It often resulted in poor-quality requirements that were difficult to follow… It was just a lot of words."
— Casey Gay, Director of IT at Sunoco

For their internal technical projects, Sunoco's .NET and Salesforce teams faced a familiar challenge: collecting comprehensive, useful user requirements that actually worked. Poor requirements led to friction between development teams and business users, with numerous mid-project redesigns and misunderstandings due to insufficient acceptance criteria.

Sunoco tried to standardise with a Word template, but this approach also fell short, often resulting in 30-page documents that were hard to read and even harder to follow.

Where other tools fell short

Sunoco started the search for a tool to help write better software requirements and after considering several common industry tools, found they didn't offer the AI features needed, or were too complex and had a steep learning curve for their users.

"Userdoc stood out. It doesn't attempt to be everything. Instead, it focuses specifically on building user requirements and software documentation, and it's great." — Casey Gay

How Userdoc changed the game

1. 15-minute onboarding
   Training Sunoco's team members on Userdoc didn't take days, it took minutes - a learning curve of about 15 minutes, it's something we can hand over to business users with minimal training, Casey notes.
2. Deeper requirements with AI guidance
   You always need a human in the loop, but by writing or pasting rough bullet notes, Userdoc's AI expands them into precise user stories, acceptance criteria and test cases. Breaking one 30-page spec into dozens of bite-sized stories pushes the team to think through each part, yielding more thorough, developer-ready requirements and cutting rework later on.
3. Higher quality requirements
   But it's not just about speed. We can confidently say that Userdoc has significantly improved the quality of our requirements says Casey, having used the platform on three medium-to-large-sized projects so far.
4. Just "Ask Userdoc"
   Traceability - across requirements, versions, decisions and owners - becomes simple. Just ask Userdoc. We no longer have debates over what the requirements were or what was meant, we simply use the built-in Userdoc AI to 'ask' the requirements [...]. For larger projects, this is a game-changer for the development team when they have questions about how something is supposed to work, Casey notes.
5. Focus on what matters the most
   The simplicity of Userdoc is its strength. Limited formatting keeps writers concentrating on the content itself. Userdoc's restraint is its superpower. It forces us to articulate what matters, Casey adds.

Measurable impact

Sunoco's streamlined workflow

Sunoco has developed a clear process using Userdoc:

1. Map out high-level user journeys to ensure mutual agreement on the software's purpose
2. Create an initial outline of high-level epics and user stories
3. Fill out detailed acceptance criteria with the business team using AI assistance
4. Develop with confidence using a live, shared source of truth via living software requirements

"It's all very straightforward and allows us to break the project down into logical, easily understandable pieces." — Casey Gay

The results

After using Userdoc on three medium-to-large-sized projects, Casey is clear about the impact:

"We can confidently say that Userdoc has significantly improved the quality of our requirements. Additionally, the AI integration has reduced the time it takes to create them.
Better quality. Less time. That's a win." — Casey Gay

The transformation wasn't just about speed - it was about fundamentally changing how Sunoco approaches requirements gathering, turning a source of friction into a streamlined, collaborative process.

Sunoco's advice to other teams

Sunoco's journey from 30-page Word documents to streamlined, AI-enhanced requirements demonstrates how the right tool can transform not just processes, but team dynamics and project outcomes.

"If you're not happy with the quality of your requirements documents, I highly recommend giving Userdoc a try. It's incredibly easy to get started and straightforward to learn, so there's no reason to keep struggling. I have over 20 years of experience in IT, building and using software. It's easy to distinguish good software from bad. Good software simplifies my life and is fun to use. Userdoc is excellent software." — Casey Gay

By leveraging Userdoc's AI to enhance human expertise and implementing a structured process, Sunoco has turned software requirements gathering from a source of friction into a competitive advantage.