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Downstream & Refining
Lubricants & Specialty Products
Capital-intensive extraction and processing programs where safety, regulation, and supply chain complexity define execution.
ExxonMobil
Shell
Chevron
TotalEnergies
Inside this journey
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Pre-Discovery
Align key stakeholders, timelines, and success criteria before deeper technical discovery.
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Stakeholder Alignment
Confirm decision roles, timeline, purchasing constraints, and success criteria across maintenance, operations, and procurement.
Alignment Questions
Quick Grounding: Who Are You and What Brought Us Here?
- Tell me your name, role, and the single site or fleet this conversation should focus on for decision-making.
- Which of these best describes the primary business unit we’re discussing?
- How do you usually interact with lubricant suppliers today—direct account, through distributor, or mixed?
- Has your team explored changing or consolidating lubricant suppliers in the past 24 months?
- What’s the single most important reason you engaged with us now (select one)?
Who's Really Calling the Shots — and Why?
- If this change fails, whose name will be on the problem—and who could quietly block it?
- Which functions must sign off for a lubricant program change to proceed?
- Who would you point to as the internal champion for this work—someone who’ll push it across the line?
- Are there external stakeholders (OEM reps, unions, major customers) whose buy-in is required?
- For each key stakeholder you named, how influential are they on a scale from 1 (informal) to 5 (final approver)? List stakeholder and number.
Timeline Pressure: Are We Racing the Clock or Building Consensus?
- What’s the real deadline driving this evaluation—budget window, upcoming outage, warranty expiration, or something else?
- If you had to pick, are you trying to move fast to secure a short-term win or do you need time to build consensus for long-term change?
- What happens if this decision slips past your target date? Who or what will feel the consequences most?
- How flexible is your timeline if technical validation uncovers compatibility or OEM concerns?
- Are there scheduled maintenance windows or seasonal peaks we must coordinate around? Please list the next two critical dates.
Money Talks: What Budget Rules Are Non‑Negotiable?
- When finance looks at this decision, what metric matters most—purchase price, total cost of ownership (TCO), or short-term budget impact?
- Do you have a target or range for annual cost savings, or a threshold ROI we should aim to exceed?
- Which procurement methods are acceptable for execution (select all that apply)?
- Are there payment, credit, or logistics constraints we should know about (net terms, invoicing cadence, EDI, local warehousing)?
- To what extent is consolidation of SKUs important to procurement: critical, nice-to-have, or low priority?
Operational Voices: What Must the Field Insist On?
- If maintenance could write a requirement list without procurement input, what three items would be non-negotiable?
- Which product attributes are deal-breakers for your equipment (select all that apply)?
- List the top OEM specs, part numbers, or equipment models we must be explicitly compatible with (free text).
- How disruptive is a product changeover on your shop floor—rate the expected difficulty: trivial, manageable with training, or high risk requiring full outage?
- Who on the maintenance team will own trials, sampling, and technician enablement? Provide role and name if available.
Success Signals: How Will Everyone Know This Worked?
- What are the top 3 measurable outcomes that would make stakeholders call this a success (e.g., X% fewer failures, Y% longer drain intervals, $ saved)?
- Which single KPI will Finance hang its hat on when deciding to renew or expand the program?
- What minimum lab or trial results would satisfy operations and OEM compliance (e.g., specific oil analysis thresholds, number of successful unit-hours)?
- Who will sign the final acceptance—name and function—and what form of evidence do they require (report, field inspection, lab certificate)?
- How long should we wait after deployment before we evaluate success—30, 90, 180 days, or a year?
Barriers & Hidden Risks: What's Stopping Change?
- What's the one reason this initiative could quietly die inside your organization?
- Are there contractual commitments with current suppliers that would limit our ability to switch or consolidate now?
- Have you experienced warranty pushback or OEM concern when changing fluids previously? Tell us what happened.
- Which operational groups are most likely to resist change and why (e.g., technicians worried about extra work, procurement worried about price)?
- What mitigation or assurances would reduce the perceived risk (e.g., trial scope, failback plan, third-party lab validation)?
Aligning on Next Moves: Who Does What and When?
- Given what we've surfaced, what are the top three immediate next steps you want us to take?
- Who will be responsible on your side for coordinating the pilot and communications (name, role, and best contact method)?
- Which of these pilot scopes makes sense to prove value quickly?
- What decision checkpoints do you want on the calendar (dates or cadence) before committing to broader rollout?
- How would you prefer we document and share progress so all stakeholders stay confident (choose up to two)?
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Current State Mapping
Document fleet composition, OEM specs, current lubricants, failure modes, inventory practices, and supply constraints.
Current State
Start Here — Tell Us About Your Fleet
- Approximately how many vehicles / machines are in scope for this lubricants program?
- Which types of equipment make up the majority of your fleet?
- How would you describe your operating environment (choose all that apply)?
- Can you summarize the geographic footprint and number of sites this scope covers?
- Who on your team is the day-to-day owner for lubricant decisions and who signs off on changes?
Are We Ignoring Manufacturer Requirements?
- How confident are you that every unit is currently running a lubricant that fully meets the OEM’s written specification?
- Which OEMs and model families are most important for performance or warranty risk in your operation?
- Have you had any formal OEM rejections, warranty flags, or non-compliance notes tied to lubricant choice in the last 24 months? Describe what happened.
- Do any contracts, customers, or regulatory bodies require specific OEM approvals or documented spec compliance?
- What process or checklist do you use to verify a product matches an OEM spec before it is used on a unit?
What's Really in Your Oils?
- Which lubricant brands and product families are you using today across engine, transmission, hydraulic, gear, and metalworking fluids?
- Do you maintain a centralized bill-of-materials (BOM) for lubricants or is purchasing decentralized across sites?
- How often are different brands or product grades mixed, topped up, or otherwise cross-contaminated in the field?
- Where do you store MSDS/TDS and changeover compatibility information—can technicians access it at the point of work?
- Have you documented any compatibility incidents (e.g., seal swell, additive drop, lab flags) and what was the operational impact?
Why Do Equipment Failures Repeat?
- Which failure modes occur most often that you suspect are lubricant-related?
- How often do lubricant-related failures cause unplanned downtime or safety events?
- When a lubricant-linked failure happens, what steps do you take to investigate root cause and who owns that process?
- Do your oil analysis results typically point to a preventable trend before failure occurs, or do they usually show issues only after the fact?
- Can you share a recent example where lubricant choice or contamination directly impacted an asset’s life or maintenance cost?
Where Is Cost Hiding in Plain Sight?
- What are your current target drain intervals (by asset class) and how often do you actually achieve them?
- How many unique lubricant SKUs do you stock across your facilities today?
- What percentage of lubricant purchases are emergency buys versus planned replenishment?
- How do you currently measure total cost of ownership (TCO) for lubricants—do you include downtime, maintenance labor, disposal, and energy?
- Where do you feel most frustrated about ordering, storing, or tracking lubricant inventory?
How Well Do You See Into Oil Health?
- Do you have an active oil analysis / condition-monitoring program today?
- If yes, what is your typical sample cadence by asset type (engines, gearboxes, hydraulics, metalworking fluids)?
- Who performs the lab analysis and what is your typical turnaround time for results?
- Do you have defined thresholds and automated alerts for contaminants, wear metals, or additive depletion?
- How do you use oil analysis data—reactive repair, predictive planning, warranty defense, or supplier performance tracking?
What Would Staying the Same Really Cost You?
- How reliable is your current lubricant supply chain—have you experienced stockouts or extended lead times in the last 12 months?
- Do you rely on single-source suppliers or distributors for any critical grades?
- Are there site-specific storage, handling, or regulatory restrictions that limit the products you can receive or store?
- How do supply interruptions affect your ability to meet production commitments or SLAs with customers?
- What contingency plans do you keep for lubricant shortages (e.g., cross-site transfers, alternative products, emergency procurement)?
Switching: What Keeps You Up at Night?
- If you were to change lubricant brands or consolidate SKUs, what is your biggest fear?
- Have you previously attempted a brand switch or consolidation—what worked and what failed?
- How important is chemical compatibility testing, OEM back-to-back approvals, or site trials for you to consider a new supplier?
- Who are the internal stakeholders that must be convinced before a switch can happen (roles, not names)?
- What internal approval steps have caused delays in the past when implementing new lubricants?
If We Could Run a Low-Risk Trial, What Would Win You Over?
- Would you be open to a controlled pilot focused on a small asset class to validate drain extension and compatibility?
- What specific acceptance criteria would the pilot need to meet for you to consider broader rollout (select all that apply)?
- What minimum pilot duration and sample size would you require to feel confident in results?
- Are there laboratory tests, field compatibility checks, or OEM approvals we must include in the pilot?
- Do you have any constraints around data sharing, privacy, or third-party access that would affect a joint trial?
Where Do We Go From Here — Practical Next Steps
- Who should be part of a short working session to map assets, specs, and inventory (roles and ideal participants)?
- What timeline feels realistic for completing a current-state audit and proposing a pilot plan?
- Which formats of support would be most useful from us at this stage (select up to three)?
- What concerns should we be aware of so we can design the discovery and pilot to minimize disruption?
- Would you like us to prepare a concise summary of gaps we found after this form and a recommended first pilot scope?
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Outcome Discovery
Define target outcomes (e.g., extended drain intervals, consolidation goals, TCO targets) and measurable acceptance signals.
Discovery Questions
What's the One Change That Would Make Your Week Easier?
- If you could change one lubricant-related outcome this quarter, what would it be?
- Which of the following outcomes feels most urgent for your operation right now?
- Who on your team is most impacted day-to-day by the current lubricant program?
- How would finally achieving that priority change how your team feels about maintenance work?
- How confident are you that your current supplier understands and prioritizes that outcome?
What If You Could Double Time Between Oil Changes?
- What if you could safely double drain intervals—how would that reshape your maintenance schedule, costs, and planning?
- Which measurements would you use to prove interval extension is real and safe?
- Which of those metrics do you already capture on a regular basis?
- How consistent and timely is your current oil-analysis process (sampling, labeling, lab turnaround)?
- If lab results were late or variable, how would that affect your willingness to extend drains?
- Tell us about a past time you extended an interval successfully or unsuccessfully—what happened and what did you learn?
What Would SKU Consolidation Actually Free Up for You?
- If you consolidated to fewer lubricant SKUs or a single supplier, what real benefits would you expect beyond lower unit price?
- Which consolidation benefits matter most to you?
- How many distinct lubricant SKUs do you currently stock across your facility or fleet?
- How often do compatibility or cross-fill questions cause delays, rework, or uncertainty?
- What organizational barriers would most slow a consolidation effort (e.g., procurement rules, OEM requirements, internal resistance)?
- Does your procurement policy include supplier diversity, regional sourcing, or mandated local vendors that affect consolidation?
What’s the Real Cost of Doing Nothing?
- If you kept the current program unchanged for the next 12 months, what hard and soft costs would you expect to see?
- Which cost categories create the most pressure on your budget today?
- Do you maintain an internal TCO or lifecycle cost target for lubricant-related expenses?
- Have you previously run an ROI or TCO analysis for a lubricant change or trial? If so, what was the outcome?
- Which stakeholders need to see TCO/ROI evidence before they’ll approve changes?
- How soon would a convincing TCO case need to show benefits to influence your decision-making cycle?
Where Are You Comfortable Taking Risk to Win Improvement?
- How much operational risk are you willing to accept in exchange for cost or performance gains?
- Which failure modes are absolute show-stoppers (events that would stop a pilot immediately)?
- For a pilot program, what maximum scope would you accept before requiring broader sign-off?
- What safety, environmental, or compliance constraints must any test or change observe?
- Who is authorized to stop a trial if an adverse issue arises?
How Will You Know We’ve Delivered—Exactly?
- What exact signals would make you say explicitly 'this supplier delivered' rather than 'this is acceptable for now'?
- Which of these would you use as pass/fail acceptance criteria for a pilot?
- For the most important acceptance criteria, what numeric targets would you set (provide ranges or exact values)?
- Who must sign off on pilot acceptance results before full rollout?
- How would you prefer acceptance data to be delivered for review?
Are Your Samples, Data, and People Ready to Prove It?
- If we started an oil analysis and pilot tomorrow, could you reliably produce representative samples and records?
- Which sampling points are documented and accessible today?
- How frequently are samples currently collected for the systems you want to optimize?
- Do you have historical lab data we can review for baseline comparison?
- Do you use an in-house lab, a preferred external lab, or multiple labs? Please name them if possible.
- Would you accept remote monitoring/dashboard delivery of oil-analysis data or prefer periodic written reports?
Timing, Decision Rhythm, and What Moves the Needle
- If we presented a clear path to your desired outcomes, what timeline would you expect before making a final commitment?
- What internal procurement or budget windows will influence when you can sign a contract?
- Which stakeholders, committees, or external approvers are typically involved in lubricant procurement decisions?
- Do you have preferred commercial terms or logistics constraints we should design around (e.g., lead times, consignment, bilateral stock, monthly billing)?
- How would you prefer to structure a pilot agreement administratively?
- Short of full pilot success, what evidence or early wins would accelerate your willingness to proceed?
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Solution Experience
Translate the customer’s constraints into a shared path showing how specific products, analysis programs, and services deliver the desired outcomes.
Experience Meetings
- Solution Experience Kickoff
- Product-Program Mapping Workshop
- Compatibility & Risk Review
- Pilot Design Session
- Solution Validation & Executive Preview
- Customer to provide sample past oil-analysis reports and access to one field asset for baseline sampling.
- Assign operational owners and confirm logistics to ensure pilot execution on schedule.
- Define escalation rules and contingency plans for adverse results.
- Seller to produce a formal Pilot Statement of Work (protocol, responsibilities, timeline) for sign-off.
- Customer to approve selected assets/sites and assign field leads.
- Operations to schedule deliveries and provide required changeover equipment or training dates.
- Lab to provision analysis packages and establish online reporting for the pilot.
- Introductions & Purpose
- Produce one validated current-state sentence agreed by stakeholders.
- Quantify the consequence in operational and financial terms sufficient to create urgency.
- Agree a one-line future-state (measurable outcome) that directs the solution path.
- Identify required pre-work (data, samples, contacts) and assign owners.
- Customer to deliver fleet inventory, recent failure/incidence logs, and current drain intervals.
- Seller technical lead to draft one-sentence current and future state based on discussion and circulate for confirmation.
- Finance/maintenance to provide a short consequence estimate (cost/hour, parts, downtime) within 3 business days.
- Schedule Product-Program Mapping Workshop and attach required pre-read materials.
- Recap Preconditions
- Produce a draft product-program mapping for prioritized segments that ties each item to the future-state.
- Confirm oil-analysis cadence and the specific acceptance thresholds to validate outcomes.
- Identify proof points and existing lab/case evidence for each mapped element.
- List outstanding gaps (samples, OEM approvals, supply windows) that must be closed before pilot design.
- Seller to deliver a draft product-program mapping document with SKU-level recommendations and rationale.
- Context Recap & Mappings Summary
- Technical team to assemble relevant lab reports, OEM approval matrices, and case-study slides.
- Agree owners to resolve each identified gap and estimate timelines.
- Executive Summary of Problem & Proposed Future State
- Secure executive authorization to proceed with the proposed pilot.
- Ensure executives understand expected ROI and the commercial implications of scaling the solution.
- Confirm who will sign the pilot SOW and the timeline to initiation.
- Align on governance and reporting frequency during the pilot.
- Seller to deliver a one-page executive summary with ROI, risks, pilot SOW, and proposed start date.
- Customer executive to provide formal authorization (email/signature) to begin the pilot.
- Commercial team to prepare preliminary pricing and consolidation proposal tied to pilot outcomes.
- Operations & lab leads to confirm pilot start logistics and first sample shipment schedule.
- Confirm OEM compliance for each recommended product or identify approvals required.
- Document mixing risks with clear mitigation steps to prevent cross-contamination.
- Validate that supply and logistics are capable of supporting pilots and scale.
- Define any additional lab tests or OEM engagements needed before pilot start.
- Technical team to produce a compatibility matrix showing approvals, contraindications, and required tests.
- Customer to nominate sites/assets for lab sampling and approve sample shipment.
- Operations to provide current inventory levels and distributor lead times for priority SKUs.
- Schedule any required OEM engagement or written approval requests.
- Recap Goals & Success Signals
- Finalize a pilot protocol that directly proves (or disproves) the stated future-state.
- Agree unambiguous acceptance criteria and reporting cadence that validate results.
- Pilot Objectives & Success Criteria
- Mapped Solution Path
- OEM Spec & Approval Cross-check
- One-sentence Current State
- Segment Prioritization
- Consequence Quantification
- Mixing & Contamination Scenarios
- Site & Asset Selection
- Expected Outcomes & ROI
- Product Mapping Exercise
- Trial Protocol & Changeover Procedure
- Pilot Ask & Decision Points
- Failure Mode Analysis & Lab Evidence
- Oil Analysis & Program Mapping
- One-sentence Future State
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Solution Scope
Define product selections, delivery formats, oil-analysis cadence, trial scope, responsibilities, and acceptance criteria.
Scope Configuration
- Tanker bulk lubricant delivery
- Drum and pail delivery with transfer pumps
- Custom-blend lubricant production and packaging
- Onsite lubricant drain, flush, and refill
- Oil condition monitoring laboratory testing
- Onsite oil sampling and shipment to lab
- Install and service bulk dispensing systems
- Supply OEM-approved engine and transmission oils
- Supply industrial gear, hydraulic, and compressor oils
- Supply NLGI-grade greases and cartridges
- Provide NSF H1 food-grade lubricants and documentation
- Kitted, labeled lubricant packs by equipment point
- Returnable drum management and recycling service
- Onsite technical lubrication training for teams
Scope Questions
Tanker bulk lubricant delivery
- Do you require tanker bulk deliveries at this site?
- Estimated average monthly bulk volume (gallons or liters)?
- Preferred delivery frequency for tanker bulk (select one)?
- Does your site have tanker unloading infrastructure (dedicated fill points, bunded area, hoses)?
- Preferred delivery windows / shift constraints (e.g., daytime, nights, weekends)?
- Who will be responsible for receiving and offloading tanker deliveries?
Drum and pail delivery with transfer pumps
- Do you want drums and pails delivered with transfer pumps included?
- What packaging sizes do you commonly use or prefer?
- How many SKUs (different lubricants) do you expect to receive as drums/pails?
- Do you have adequate storage and secondary containment for drums/pails?
- Do you require supplier-installed transfer pumps and training on use?
- Do you prefer single-use drums or a returnable drum program (if available)?
Custom-blend lubricant production and packaging
- Do you require a custom-blend lubricant (unique formulation) rather than off-the-shelf products?
- Estimated annual volume for the custom blend (gallons or liters)?
- Are there regulatory, food-contact, or OEM constraints on the formulation (e.g., NSF H1, OEM approvals)?
- What packaging formats will you need for the custom blend?
- Do you require laboratory validation, shelf-life testing, or OEM co-formulation documentation?
- Who will hold formulation/IP and approval responsibility for custom blends?
Onsite lubricant drain, flush, and refill
- Do you want supplier-performed onsite drain, flush, and refill services?
- Scope of service required?
- Are planned downtime windows available for performing drain/flush/refill work?
- Do you require hazardous waste handling and disposal for removed fluids?
- What acceptance criteria must be met after service (e.g., visual checks, oil-analysis pass, operational test, sign-off)?
- Are there OEM-mandated changeover procedures or compatibility checks needed?
Oil condition monitoring laboratory testing
- Will you enroll in an oil condition monitoring (oil analysis) program?
- Which test package level do you require?
- Desired sample cadence for lab testing?
- How many samples per month do you anticipate?
- Do you require expedited turnaround SLAs for critical assets?
- Do you want analysis results integrated into your CMMS/ERP or dashboard?
Onsite oil sampling and shipment to lab
- Do you want supplier personnel to perform onsite oil sampling?
- How many sampling points and what frequency (list points and frequency)?
- Do you require pre-built sampling kits and labeled containers?
- Is chain-of-custody documentation and sample tracking required?
- Do you need supplier-arranged pickup and shipment to the analysis lab?
- Are there any hazardous shipping or storage restrictions we should be aware of?
Install and service bulk dispensing systems
- Do you want supplier-installed bulk dispensing tanks and pumps?
- Do you currently have bulk tanks or primary containment compatible with new dispensing systems?
- Is flow measurement, metering, or automated dispensing accuracy required?
- Do you want routine maintenance and calibration service contracts for the dispensing equipment?
- Do you require telemetry/IoT integration for inventory monitoring and reorder triggers?
- Is site mechanical/permit access available for installation work (crane, confined space, hot work)?
Supply OEM-approved engine and transmission oils
- Do you require oils with specific OEM approvals or certifications?
- Please list OEMs and models (or upload specs) that require approved fluids.
- Are you seeking single-source consolidation for engine and transmission oils across your sites?
- Estimated monthly volumes by product family (engine oils, transmission fluids)?
- Do you require formal approval letters, technical data sheets, or OEM cross-reference documentation?
- Are there current contract or supplier restrictions affecting which brands you can use?
Supply industrial gear, hydraulic, and compressor oils
- Which industrial product families do you need supplied?
- What viscosity grades or ISO VG ranges are required?
- Are there cleanliness, ISO particle count, or filtration specs to meet?
- Do you require guarantees related to energy efficiency, anti-wear, or drain-interval performance?
- Would you like onsite top-up or automatic replenishment services for these fluids?
- Preferred delivery cadence for industrial oils (bulk vs drum/just-in-time)?
Supply NLGI-grade greases and cartridges
- Which NLGI grades do you require?
- Do you prefer cartridges, kegs, or bulk grease delivery?
- Are there special performance needs (food-grade, high-temp, EP, low-temp flow)?
- What is the expected number of lubrication points to be serviced?
- Do you need help defining re-lubrication intervals and applying greasing best practices?
- Are centralized lubrication systems in use that require compatible grease formulations?
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Pilot & Technical Validation
Plan and execute compatibility checks, small-scale trials, and lab analysis to validate OEM compliance and drain-interval gains.
Validation Meetings
- Pilot Planning & Protocol Alignment
- Compatibility & OEM Compliance Technical Review
- Site Readiness & Sample Point Workshop
- Pilot Kickoff & First-Run Execution Check-in
- Lab Analysis Review & Pilot Validation Decision
- Confirm timing and ownership for first lab result review.
- Schedule any bench compatibility tests and reserve lab capacity.
- Design and share a lab data dashboard template for live tracking of key indicators.
- Prepare and distribute sample kits and chain-of-custody forms to site technicians.
- Confirm One-sentence Current State at Site
- Create a verified site map with explicit sample points and signed site SOPs for changeover and sampling.
- Ensure technicians are trained and certified on the pilot collection and changeover checklist.
- Eliminate sampling variability by documenting chain-of-custody and storage procedures.
- Label and photograph all sample points and upload to the shared pilot folder.
- Conduct and document a quick on-site training for all technicians involved in the pilot.
- Confirm waste oil pickup and disposal arrangements with site EHS and logistics.
- Readiness Confirmation
- Execute the first changeover per protocol and ensure baseline samples are shipped to the lab with correct labeling.
- Document any deviations and agree on immediate mitigations to preserve pilot integrity.
- One-sentence Current State
- Site to dispatch baseline samples to the agreed lab within the defined chain-of-custody window.
- Log any deviations in the pilot deviation register and notify stakeholders.
- Schedule the first lab-results review meeting aligned with lab ETA.
- One-sentence Recap of Pilot Objective & Acceptance Criteria
- Validate whether the trial product met OEM compliance and the measurable drain-interval targets.
- Make a documented mutual decision (scale/iterate/stop) with assigned owners and timelines.
- Capture lessons learned and any protocol changes required before scaling.
- Prepare a formal pilot validation report including raw lab data, interpreted results, TCO model, and recommended decision.
- If approved to scale, draft supply commitments, consolidation list, and proposed contract modules for Mutual Commit.
- If iteration is required, define the revised protocol and the additional tests or mitigations to be executed.
- Archive all chain-of-custody, photos, and deviation logs for audit and OEM traceability.
- Achieve a signed, unambiguous pilot protocol with measurable acceptance criteria.
- Assign clear owners for execution, sampling, lab submission, and decision-making.
- Schedule the pilot start date and first data checkpoint.
- Distribute finalized pilot protocol and acceptance criteria to all stakeholders.
- Site to provide baseline asset list, current oil drain intervals, and recent oil analysis results.
- Supplier/distributor to reserve and label trial product, sample kits, and shipping for lab.
- Logistics lead to confirm delivery window and on-site storage plan.
- Inventory of OEM Specifications & Gaps
- Set a definitive lab and bench test plan with numeric pass/fail thresholds tied to OEM limits.
- Confirm whether existing OEM approvals cover the trial assets or if equivalence mapping and documented justification are required.
- Define the stop/mitigation criteria and decision authority in case of adverse lab findings.
- Submit baseline and first-run samples to the agreed lab with chain-of-custody labels.
- Supplier to assemble OEM approval documentation and equivalence notes for each asset model.
- Walkthrough of Asset Map & Sample Points
- Recap Critical Steps of the Protocol
- Consequence Statement & Urgency
- Presentation of Lab Results vs Baseline
- Define Lab Test Panel & Acceptance Criteria
- Operational Observations & Site Feedback
- Define Pilot Objective & Future State
- Collect Baseline Samples & Record Conditions
- Changeover & Flushing Procedure
- Compatibility Test Plan (Bench/Component)
- Scope, Sample Size & Duration
- Chain-of-Custody and Data Integrity
- Sample Collection Protocol & Chain-of-Custody
- Quantify Drain-Interval Gains & TCO Impact
- Immediate Post-run Observations
- Detailed Trial Protocol
- Technician Training Plan & Checklist
- Consequence Scenarios
- Plan for First Lab Results & Checkpoint
- Decision Framework & Recommendation
- Next Steps, Documentation & Contract Implications
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Mutual Commit
Finalize pricing, supply commitments, consolidation terms, service levels, and contract modules required to proceed.
Agreement Modules
- Master Supply Agreement (MSA)
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Pricing & Volume Commitment Schedule
- Supply & Delivery Commitment (Logistics Addendum)
- Consolidation & SKU Rationalization Agreement
- Service Level Agreement (SLA)
- Trial Acceptance & Pilot Closure Criteria
- Warranty & Product Liability Addendum
- Oil Analysis & Reporting Agreement
- Inventory & Consignment/Managed Inventory Agreement
- Payment & Credit Terms
- Change Order & Scope Modification Procedure
- Contract Term, Renewal & Termination Clause
- Compliance & OEM Approval Appendix
- Training & Deployment Support Statement
- Insurance & Indemnity Schedule
- KPI & Continuous Improvement Dashboard Agreement
- Distribution & Channel Addendum
- Proof of Delivery & Acceptance Record
- Confidentiality & Data Sharing Appendix
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Deployment
Operationalize rollout with readiness checks, sequencing, and validation steps.
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Pre-Deployment Readiness
Confirm inventory, delivery schedules, changeover procedures, sample points, training, and risk controls for rollout.
Readiness Questions
Start Here: Snapshot of Your Site
- Which best describes your operation?
- Roughly how many powered assets or pieces of equipment are we talking about for this program?
- Who on your team manages day-to-day lubricant selection or hands-on oil changes? (role/title)
- Who formally signs off on supplier pilots, product changes, or new inventory lines?
- What timeframe feels realistic for you to evaluate and decide on a new lubricant program?
Why Keep Doing It This Way?
- If nothing about your lubricant program changed this year, what negative consequences would you expect to see?
- How did your current supplier mix and purchasing habits come to be—habit, price, approvals, or something else?
- Which part of your current procurement or stocking process causes the most friction?
- When suppliers don’t meet expectations, what usually breaks first—downtime, inventory gaps, quality issues, or relationship trust?
- How does the current program make you feel at month-end: confident, worried, stretched, or resigned?
Small Problems That Turn into Big Breakdowns
- Which recurring lubrication-related failure keeps you awake at night and why?
- Which failure modes do you see most often in your equipment?
- How often do lubrication-related failures occur across your fleet/site?
- Tell us about a recent incident where lubricant choice or handling contributed to downtime—what happened and who was impacted?
- Quantify the typical impact when a lubrication failure happens: average hours lost, parts cost, or percentage of planned output affected.
What If Drains Were Twice as Long?
- If drain intervals could realistically double in your most critical assets, what would change operationally and financially?
- Which of these outcome targets would be most valuable to you?
- What measurable acceptance signals would prove a new lubricant program succeeded for you?
- Do you currently track any KPIs that we should align to during trials? If so, list them and how you measure them.
- How willing are you to trade a small increase in unit price for larger gains in drain intervals or reliability?
Who’s Holding the Keys (and What They Won’t Compromise On)
- Which single non-negotiable would stop this change cold if it isn’t satisfied?
- Which OEM approvals or industry specs are mandatory for your equipment (API categories, OEM part approvals, ISO grades, food-grade, etc.)?
- Do insurance, warranty, or contractual obligations require specific documentation or product approvals before you can accept a new lubricant?
- What internal procurement thresholds must be met for supplier selection (e.g., RFP required above $X, multi-year contracts only, preferred vendor lists)?
- How do you prefer approvals be documented—test reports, OEM letters, lab certificates, or in-field pilot data?
Mixing Is Risky — Or Is It?
- How comfortable are you with changing fluids and the risk of residual mixing in tanks or gearboxes?
- Which brands and product families are currently dominant in your operation?
- Have you previously switched brands or grades? If yes, what steps did you take and what issues (if any) occurred?
- How many distinct sampling points / oil labs do you currently use per site (bearing sump, gearbox, engine, hydraulic, coolant, etc.)?
- What oil-analysis cadence do you use on critical assets today?
Show Me the Proof — Trials, Tests, and Metrics
- What single piece of evidence would convince you beyond doubt that a product delivers its promised drain-interval or reliability gains?
- Which lab or field tests do you require during validation?
- What pilot size and duration would you consider sufficient to validate performance (e.g., X machines for Y months)?
- Who on your side will own pilot execution, sample collection, data review, and sign-off?
- What success criteria should be written into the pilot agreement (lab thresholds, uptime target, drain interval extension, cost metric)?
Rollout Reality Check: Logistics, Storage, and Training
- If we rolled out a consolidated lubricant program tomorrow, what operational friction would surface first?
- What delivery formats do you need (bulk tanker, IBC, drum, pail, kegs) and which are preferred at this site?
- Describe your current on-site storage: dedicated tanks, mixed-use tanks, climate-controlled, drum racking, or limited space.
- What training or technician enablement would be required before first changeover?
- Do you require written changeover procedures, labeled sample points, or QR-traced inventory for audits?
Supply & Risk Controls: Can We Keep the Line Moving?
- What minimum inventory buffer do you require to accept a new supplier (days of supply or # of shipments)?
- How do you evaluate supplier risk—lead time variability, single-source exposure, credit terms, or geographic supply continuity?
- Would you accept staged supply (pilot volumes locally, scaled after validation) or require full-scale readiness before deploying?
- Which logistics or distribution constraints should we know about (dock hours, hazardous-material rules, multiple delivery sites, limited forklift access)?
- Do you require safety data sheets, transportation paperwork, and special labeling to be in a particular format for site acceptance?
What Would Make You Say Yes?
- What is the single most important commercial or technical condition that would move you from evaluation to commitment?
- Are you open to consolidating multiple product SKUs under one supplier if it demonstrably reduces complexity and TCO?
- What contract term and pricing model do you prefer (annual fixed, consumption-based, tiered pricing, consignment/bulk)?
- Realistically, what is your internal decision timeline once a satisfactory pilot is complete?
- What reporting cadence and format would make you comfortable to move from pilot to scale (weekly dashboard, monthly review, raw lab data access)?
Open Floor: Stories, Exceptions, and Final Notes
- What overlooked constraint, exception, or local rule should we not ignore when designing your program?
- Do you have any site-specific stories, past supplier experiences, or technician feedback that could help us avoid predictable issues?
- Would you like to attach or reference any documents (asset lists, OEM specs, current inventory manifest, prior lab reports)?
- Who should be our single point of contact to run a pilot and coordinate logistics (name, role, email, phone)?
- How would you like us to follow up—proposal, technical workshop, on-site visit, or pilot plan?
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Deployment Enablement
Coordinate deliveries, site changeovers, technician enablement, and sequencing to implement the lubricant program.
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Validation Checklist
Verify installation, sample collection, initial analysis results, and acceptance criteria to confirm successful rollout.
Validation Questions
Quick Introduction — Help Us Understand Your World
- Which facilities, fleets, or equipment classes should this evaluation cover?
- Which title best describes your role in lubricant decisions?
- Approximately how many machines or vehicles are in the scope for this program?
- Which purchasing model do you primarily use for lubricants today?
- Who else on your team should be included in technical conversations (names/titles or roles)?
Are We Just Living With It?
- What maintenance headaches do you find yourselves tolerating because fixing them feels too big, risky, or expensive?
- Which recurring lubrication-related issues cost you the most time or money?
- How often do lubrication-related problems impact critical assets?
- Tell the story of the last lubrication-related failure—what happened and what was the downstream impact beyond repair cost?
- When these issues recur, how does it affect the team's morale and the conversation with operations or procurement?
Where It Actually Hurts — Cost, Time, and Risk
- If lubricants were causing the single largest controllable cost or reliability problem, where would you point first?
- Which line item represents the biggest ongoing expense tied to lubricants for you?
- Do you currently track lubricant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by category or asset?
- What are your typical drain intervals today for engines, gearboxes, and hydraulics (give ranges or examples)?
- When supply issues occur, which fallback actions do you usually take?
Are You Sure the Specs Tell the Whole Story?
- How often do OEM specs feel like a necessary constraint rather than a helpful guide when choosing lubricants?
- Which OEM approvals or specifications are absolute requirements for your assets?
- Have you ever been blocked from adopting a better product due to compatibility or warranty concerns? Describe the situation.
- What non‑spec evidence do you trust most when deciding to switch (select up to three)?
- How comfortable would your team be running a controlled flush or phased cross‑over to validate compatibility?
What Would Winning Actually Look Like?
- If lubrication problems were solved, how would daily operations and KPIs feel different?
- Which outcomes would you prioritize from a new lubricant program?
- What specific numeric targets would make you call a new program successful (e.g., % drain interval increase, $ saved, MTBF improvement)?
- Which stakeholders would notice the biggest improvement and how do you think they'd describe the change?
- How quickly would you expect to see measurable benefits in a successful pilot?
What’s Keeping You From Changing Course?
- What’s the single biggest reason your team hesitates to consolidate or switch lubricant suppliers?
- Which internal barriers are most likely to stall a decision?
- Have you attempted supplier consolidation before? If yes, what specifically caused it to fail or stall?
- How much does price negotiation vs. technical validation influence the final decision here?
- What contractual or commercial terms would most reduce your perceived risk (select up to three)?
Are You Ready to Validate at Scale?
- Would you prefer validation through lab‑controlled testing, live fleet trials, or a blend of both?
- Which pilot formats would you consider for initial validation?
- Do you have in-house oil analysis capability or do you rely on third‑party labs?
- What sample cadence is realistic during a pilot to prove results?
- What acceptance criteria would a pilot need to meet for you to greenlight a wider rollout?
Who Must Be Convinced — and Who Holds the Signatures?
- Who would push back if we proposed a consolidated lubricant program, and what would their main concern be?
- List the decision-makers who must approve a new supplier or program (names/titles) and the one thing each cares about most.
- Which stakeholders require quantitative technical evidence versus commercial terms to sign off?
- What is your realistic internal timeline for vendor evaluation, pilot, and contracting?
- Are there procurement windows, budget freezes, or audit events we should align with?
Let's Make This Easy to Decide
- What single piece of evidence would remove the last bit of doubt and make you comfortable moving forward?
- Would a tailored proposal that includes pilot design, acceptance criteria, sample cadence, pricing, and supply timeline help accelerate approval?
- Which proposal elements are non‑negotiable for your team?
- How do you prefer to receive technical evidence and updates during evaluation—detailed lab reports, executive summaries, onsite demos, or live dashboards?
- If we prepared a 90‑day pilot plan tailored to your assets, who would need to review it and who would operate it day‑to‑day?
- What would be a comfortable next step right now?
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Success
Review outcomes against success signals, capture learnings, and maintain a shared channel for ongoing issues and enhancements.
Success Reviews
- Success Review & Outcomes Validation
- Technical Lessons Learned & Root‑Cause Workshop
- Operations, Support & Shared Channel Setup
- Consolidation, Renewal & Scale Planning
Issues & Enhancements
- Opening & One‑Sentence Current State
- Create a prioritized, owner‑assigned technical action list with target dates.
- Define and commit to required SOP and sampling changes to be implemented at site level.
- Document root-cause findings and required verification tests; assign owners and dates.
- Update SOPs for changeover and sampling; circulate to site teams and technical sales.
- Schedule targeted re-tests or follow-up lab analyses to confirm remedial actions are effective.
- Define Shared Communication Channel & Access
- Put a shared, accessible channel and document location into production with clear access rules.
- Agree SLAs and escalation paths so operational issues are triaged and resolved predictably.
- Confirm inventory and delivery processes that prevent stockouts and support consolidation goals.
- Establish monitoring/reporting cadence that surfaces regressions before they become business-impacting.
- Provision the agreed shared channel and grant access to named participants; post an onboarding message with SOPs.
- Publish SLA table and escalation contacts in the channel and in the contract annex.
- Set up automated dashboard reports and scheduled distribution for oil-analysis trends and KPIs.
- Schedule the first operational training session and circulate the agenda and attendees.
- Review Consolidation Opportunities & SKU Rationalization
- Reach a commercial decision to renew and/or scale, or list conditions required to do so.
- Agree an actionable rollout timeline and responsible owners for scaling to additional sites.
- Finalize the required contract modules and prepare a draft proposal for sign-off.
- Produce a commercial proposal with SKU consolidation plan, pricing, and supply commitments for executive review.
- Draft required contract modules and circulate for legal and procurement review.
- Create a phased rollout project plan with milestones, resources, and risk mitigations.
- Confirm which success signals were met, which were not, and obtain customer acceptance or remediation decisions.
- Produce one concise statement of current state, one concise statement of consequence, and one concise future-state statement agreed by both parties.
- Establish a concrete list of remediation tasks (if any), owners, and dates to close remaining gaps.
- Agree on formal sign-off criteria or next review cadence if additional validation is required.
- Prepare a formal Outcomes Validation Report with data annexes and a one-paragraph current/future-state summary.
- Assign remediation owners for any failed acceptance criteria and schedule required technical follow-up activities.
- If accepted, issue a signed acceptance/transition memo and propose timeline to move to operational support.
- Set Workshop Objectives & Pre‑Work Review
- Agree on validated root causes for each exception and the tests required to confirm hypotheses.
- Recap Success Signals & Acceptance Criteria
- Commercial Terms & Pricing Review
- Set Issue Triage & Escalation SLAs
- Review Pilot Configuration vs. Protocol
- Inventory, Reordering & Delivery Cadence
- Quantified Consequences & Context
- Detailed Failure Mode / Exception Review
- Scale & Rollout Plan
- Root‑Cause Analysis & Hypothesis Testing
- Monitoring, Reporting & Alerting Cadence
- Contract Modules & Acceptance Criteria
- Data Walkthrough — Oil Analysis & Operational Metrics
- TCO / ROI Comparison
- Training & Technician Enablement Plan
- Decision & Executive Next Steps
- Process & SOP Changes
- Prioritize Technical Action Backlog
- Confirm Contact Roster & Ownership
- Exception Review & Root Causes
- Validation Questions & Customer Confirmation
- Decisions, Next Steps & Timeline