From Understaffed to Turnaround-Ready: Mentorship in Action
A refinery in Northwest Europe was facing several challenges leading up to an upcoming turnaround. The previous turnaround had underperformed, creating pressure to deliver better results this time. Compounding the situation, the turnaround manager had recently resigned, and his replacement was new to both the site and the industry. The team was also understaffed, with a particular gap in scheduling expertise. Adding to the urgency, the refinery had recently been sold and the new owners were expecting noticeable improvements in performance.
Objective
Site leadership aimed to ensure a safe, predictable turnaround while strengthening the organization’s understanding of industry best practices during the preparation phase.
Becht Approach
Becht provided targeted support to help the refinery build capability and meet turnaround objectives:
- Challenged and helped control turnaround scope
- Mentored and supported the new turnaround manager on-site
- Led the scheduling function, including hands-on mentorship of planners and schedulers in work package development, scheduling, and progress tracking
- Augmented the team with experienced turnaround professionals, including a turnaround preparation engineer and field supervisor
- Delivered Readiness Assurance Reviews at key milestones to keep preparation efforts aligned and on track
Solution
Three Becht team members were embedded on-site throughout the turnaround planning phase:
- A mentor for the turnaround manager
- A lead scheduler who developed the schedule, progress reports, and training materials
- A turnaround preparation engineer who provided day-to-day planning support and helped drive readiness
Becht also deployed a separate team to perform periodic Readiness Assurance Reviews.
Client Value
Becht’s embedded support significantly improved the site’s preparation for the upcoming turnaround, with the client turnaround manager noting, “Thanks for your support on this turnaround. I think the team all contributed with learnings for us here.”
At the final readiness assurance review, the client also shared that—thanks to the advice Becht had provided during the reviews coupled with the team’s on-site support—the site felt far better prepared than for any previous turnaround. Following the event, the client re-engaged Becht’s scheduler to continue providing training and mentorship to internal staff.
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