Site snapshot: what you manage day to day

• How often do you review lubricant performance and inventory at this site? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Annually, Ad hoc / as issues arise
• Which equipment families (engines, transmissions, hydraulics, metalworking machines) are highest priority here, and how many units of each? Options: Engines, Transmissions, Hydraulics, Gearboxes, Compressors, Metalworking machines, Other
• Describe your current storage and delivery formats for lubricants, including bulk, drum, pail, and any on-site blending.
• When was the last time OEM lubricant specifications were audited against your stock list? Options: Within 3 months, 3-12 months ago, 12-24 months ago, More than 24 months, Never
• Who on your team signs off on lubricant purchases and who performs daily sampling? Options: Maintenance manager, Plant engineer, Procurement, Third-party lab, Distributor representative, Other
• Roughly how many liters or gallons of lubricants does this location consume per month? Options: <100 L / <26 gal, 100-500 L / 26-132 gal, 500-2000 L / 132-528 gal, >2000 L / >528 gal, Unknown
• Are there site access, safety, or permit restrictions that would prevent bulk deliveries or onsite blending? Options: No restrictions, bulk deliveries allowed, Bulk allowed with permit, Only drums/pails allowed, No on-site blending permitted, Not sure, need to verify

Where the current lubricant program is costing you

• What single lubricant-related incident in the past 12 months would have justified switching suppliers immediately?
• Tell me about the most recent time oil performance shortened drain intervals or caused unplanned downtime, and the direct cost you logged.
• How many unscheduled stops or failures did you trace to lubrication issues in the last year? Options: None, 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, More than 10, Unknown
• Who typically detects oil-related problems, and how fast can they escalate to maintenance leadership? Options: Operator -> Technician -> Manager (<4 hours), Operator alerts maintenance (4-24 hours), Condition monitoring system alerts, Third-party lab alerts, Other
• When these problems continue, what maintenance spend or production loss do you forecast over the next 18 months? Options: Negligible, Moderate (budgeted), High (requires CAPEX), Critical risk to uptime, Unsure, need analysis

What other choices are actually on your table

• Tell me which suppliers, distributors, or internal projects you are seriously considering instead of changing to a new lubricant program. Options: Incumbent supplier, Regional distributor, National distributor, In-house blending or analysis, New specialist supplier, Still evaluating
• What would have to be true about your incumbent for you to keep them for another year? Options: Price reduction, Improved lead times, OEM approval coverage, Proven drain interval gains, Dedicated technical support, Other
• Has anyone proposed doing blending, sampling, or oil analysis internally rather than partnering with a supplier or lab? Options: Yes, blending, Yes, sampling/analysis, Yes, both, No, Under discussion
• Name the top criteria you're using to compare options, for example price per liter, OEM approval coverage, drain interval gains, or technical support. Options: Price per unit, OEM approvals coverage, Evidence of drain interval extension, Availability of grades, Oil-analysis program, Technical training, Other
• Suppose a competitor matched price but could not guarantee the OEM approvals you need, would you still switch? Options: Yes, price wins, No, approvals are mandatory, Depends on pilot results, Undecided

Compatibility and risk: what breaks when you swap fluids

• What compatibility concern would make you cancel a planned fluid change before the first delivery? Options: Seal or elastomer incompatibility, Additive incompatibility, Viscosity mismatch, Unknown contamination risk, No immediate concern
• Walk me through the last time you changed brand or grade, including compatibility checks you ran and any corrective actions.
• How do you validate compatibility today, by lab cross-checks, field sampling, or OEM cross-reference? Options: Lab cross-checks, Field trial sampling, OEM cross-reference only, Supplier technical validation, No formal validation
• List the oil-analysis parameters you currently monitor that influence acceptance, such as viscosity, TAN/TBN, ferrous wear, and particle counts. Options: Viscosity, TAN/TBN, Particle count, Ferrous wear (ICP), Contamination levels (water, fuel), Other
• What test failure or field signal would make you halt a pilot immediately? Options: Viscosity out of spec, Rapid TBN loss, Spike in ferrous wear, Particle count exceedance, OEM rejection, Other

Defining scope, responsibilities, and acceptance

• When a proposed scope increases on-site handling or changes responsibilities without clear owners, what would make you refuse it?
• List the lubricant grades, API/SAE or OEM approvals, and delivery modes (bulk, drum, pail) you require for each equipment class.
• Identify who will own delivery acceptance, inventory reconciliation, and oil-analysis sampling during the onboarding phase. Options: Maintenance, Operations, Procurement, Third-party lab, Distributor, Other
• What acceptance metrics will you require to sign off on the pilot, for example validated drain interval extension, particle-count reduction, or lifecycle cost per operating hour? Options: Drain interval extension (specify %), Particle-count improvement, Reduction in lubricant-related downtime, Lower lifecycle cost per hour, Achievement of OEM approval set, Other
• Which contractual commitments are non-negotiable for you, such as lead time guarantees, emergency fill availability, or SKU continuity? Options: Lead time guarantees, Emergency fill availability, SKU continuity, Volume discount tiers, SLA on technical support, Other

Operational readiness: the constraints that will gate delivery

• What single site-level readiness gap, if unresolved within 8 weeks, would stop an implementation in its tracks?
• Provide the delivery locations and receiving contacts we need on file, including storage capacities and available unloading equipment at each address.
• Are your onsite sampling points labeled and accessible, and do you have a documented sampling protocol? Options: Yes, labeled and protocol documented, Points labeled, protocol informal, Sampling points present but not labeled, No sampling points or protocol, Unsure
• How many personnel hours per week can your team realistically dedicate to training, sampling, and coordination during the initial 90 days? Options: <10 hours/week, 10-20 hours/week, 20-40 hours/week, >40 hours/week, Not yet allocated
• Tell us the internal systems that must integrate with ordering or inventory, such as your ERP, MES, or distributor portal, and name the owner for each.
• Would you pause rollout if a site cannot meet a physical requirement within 8 weeks, or would you accept a phased approach? Options: Pause rollout until requirement met, Accept phased rollout, Allow seller-provided interim services, Undecided

Delivery and integration details

• What delivery cadence or inventory model would create the least disruption to your operations? Options: Just-in-time deliveries, Fixed weekly/bi-weekly deliveries, On-demand emergency deliveries, Consigned inventory, Vendor-managed inventory
• Please provide the SKUs, blend specifications, or product identifiers that must be locked before orders can be placed.
• Do you require consolidated invoicing or site-level billing, and which accounts-payable endpoint should we use? Options: Consolidated invoicing, Site-level invoicing, Direct to central AP portal, Send invoices to distributor, Other
• What oil-analysis parameters and sampling frequency do you want included in the ongoing program? Options: Monthly standard panel, Quarterly standard panel, Custom panel with ICP and particle count, On-failure analysis only, Other
• Should invoicing or ordering require a procurement portal the seller cannot access, would you provide an alternate purchase order process we can use? Options: Yes, provide PO process, No, seller must access portal, We can create a workaround, Undecided

Implementation milestones and decision timeline

• Assuming the pilot demonstrates the agreed savings, what internal barrier could still prevent immediate rollout across other sites? Options: Procurement approval, Budget constraints, Operational readiness, Regulatory review, Leadership sign-off, Other
• What milestones do you need to see in the first 30, 60, and 90 days to consider the program a success? Options: Successful initial delivery, First oil-analysis pass, Validated drain interval extension, Inventory transition complete, Staff trained and certified, Other
• Name the stakeholders who must sign the final commercial agreement, and give the target approval timeline for each.
• What would speed your internal approval if the pilot hits targets, pre-filled contracts, a single-point technical contact, or an on-site trial extension? Options: Pre-filled legal/contract templates, Single-point technical contact, Extended on-site trial, Price guarantees, Other
• Realistically, when could you sign a commercial agreement after a successful pilot, within one week, 4 weeks, or longer? Options: Within 1 week, Within 4 weeks, Within 8 weeks, Longer than 8 weeks, Unsure

• Solution Walkthrough Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• You confirm the restated current state and agree on the primary cost drivers that need to be addressed.
• Provide three representative equipment examples, recent oil-analysis reports, and current SKU list for seller compatibility runs and consolidation modeling.
• Run compatibility checks and generate a grade recommendation and one consolidation scenario with projected SKU reduction and cost delta, deliver before the next session.
• Product fit walkthrough using your equipment examples
• You confirm that the demonstrated product fit and compatibility outcomes resolve the specific application risks shown in your operating examples.
• Compatibility checks and contamination risk review
• You accept the proposed oil-analysis cadence and a draft consolidation scenario as the basis for commercial scoping and operational readiness work.
• Produce a recommended oil-analysis parameter set and sampling cadence tied to expected drain-interval changes for the provided equipment examples.
• Oil-analysis recommendations and impact on drain intervals
• Consolidation scenario and projected SKU and cost impact
• Confirm this matches what you described needing

• Solution Walkthrough Session
• Solution Walkthrough Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Bulk lubricant delivery (tank or IBC transfer)
• Drum and pail lubricant delivery
• Grease supply (cartridges and bulk drums)
• Metalworking fluid supply (cutting, grinding, forming)
• Food‑grade lubricant supply (H1/NVF compliant)
• Heavy‑duty engine oil supply (bulk and drums)
• Transmission and hydraulic fluid supply
• Custom-blend formulation and pilot batch
• Custom-blend full production and supply
• Oil analysis sampling kits and laboratory testing
• Certificates of Analysis and batch traceability
• OEM and industry-approval documentation package
• On-site lubricant handling and technical training
• 24/7 technical support and application troubleshooting

Bulk lubricant delivery (tank or IBC transfer)

• Do you have existing bulk storage tanks or IBCs at the delivery site for direct transfer? Options: Yes - dedicated tank(s) per product, Yes - shared tank(s) across products, No - require new tank/IBC installation
• Which transfer method do you prefer for bulk deliveries to your site (over-the-top, bottom/suction, pumped IBC)? Options: Over-the-top fill, Bottom/suction fill, Pumped IBC transfer, Metered flow skid
• How many separate receiving points or tanks require bulk fills (count of tanks, IBC positions, or machine sumps)?
• What is the required SAE grade or ISO viscosity grade for the product being delivered in bulk (for example SAE 15W-40, ISO VG 46)?
• Where are the bulk filling locations on site (loading bay, outside yard, coordinates) and what access constraints apply (height, clearances, permit/escort)?

Drum and pail lubricant delivery

• Who will receive and sign for drum and pail deliveries at each receiving location (title or role and contact)?
• Confirm whether you need drum couplers, QD (quick disconnect) fittings, or drum pumps supplied with deliveries. Options: Provide couplers and pumps with each delivery, Provide couplers only, No couplers/pumps required
• Specify typical drum and pail sizes you use on site (for example 55-gallon drum, 5-gallon pail) and preferred palletization. Options: 55-gallon drum, 30-gallon drum, 5-gallon pail, Other
• List any dispensing cabinets, drum heaters, or secondary containment that will be used with delivered drums and pails.
• Estimate your monthly drum and pail consumption by SKU or product family (gallons or units), if available. Options: Less than 100 units/month, 100-500 units/month, More than 500 units/month, Provide estimated gallons in free response

Grease supply (cartridges and bulk drums)

• Identify the NLGI grade(s) and thickener type you require (for example NLGI 2, lithium complex, calcium sulfonate).
• Select the preferred delivery formats for grease on site. Options: 55 kg bulk drum, 20 kg pail, 400g cartridges, Kegs/containers for automated dispensers
• How many grease dispensing points or automatic greasing systems will be serviced and what connector types do they use?
• Are there compatibility constraints with existing greases on bearings or gearboxes (base oil type or thickener incompatibility)? Options: Yes - provide current grease spec, No - can standardize, Unknown - need compatibility check
• Approximate the monthly grease volume per NLGI grade (kilograms or cartridges) to size bulk vs cartridge supply.

Metalworking fluid supply (cutting, grinding, forming)

• Describe the metalworking operations in scope (for example high-speed CNC machining, grinding, stamping) and the fluids currently used (soluble, semi-synthetic, neat oil).
• Which coolant performance characteristics are critical for you (emulsion stability, tramp oil rejection, bacterial control, foam control)? Options: Emulsion stability, Tramp oil management, Biocide program compatibility, Low-foam
• How frequently do you change or refresh machining coolant (days of sump life or liters replaced per month)?
• Identify the target surface finish or component tolerance (Ra, µm or microns) that the metalworking fluid must support.
• Are there review or regulatory constraints on metalworking fluid disposal or recycling at your facility? Options: On-site recycling/centrifuge available, Off-site disposal only, Need supplier to manage disposal

Food‑grade lubricant supply (H1/NVF compliant)

• State the food-contact zones and the applicable standard you require (for example H1 USDA/NSF or non-volatile film NVF areas).
• Choose the product formats you need for food production areas (food-grade spray, pumpable bulk, cartridge, small pail). Options: Food-grade spray cans, Pumpable bulk tanks, 5-gallon food-grade pail, Cartridges
• Are there allergen, Kosher, Halal, or other certification requirements tied to food-grade lubricant selection? Options: Kosher required, Halal required, No additional certifications, Other
• Approximate the volumes of H1/NVF lubricants per month by product family (grease, oil, spray), to assess inventory and lead time needs.
• Is there an existing approved supplier list or supplier audit process for new food-grade lubricants? Options: Yes - need to meet audit, No - standard onboarding

Heavy‑duty engine oil supply (bulk and drums)

• Which OEM engine specifications and API categories must supplied engine oils meet (for example API CK-4, CJ-4, OEM X approval)?
• How many fleet units and engine types will be covered by the supply (diesel engines, model years, on-highway vs off-highway)?
• Do you require staged consolidation of SKUs (one-to-one replacement or phased consolidation across SAE grades)? Options: One-to-one replacement, Phased consolidation by fleet group, Aggressive SKU consolidation
• Provide your preferred delivery cadence and minimum bulk order quantities (for example weekly bulk fills, monthly drum restock).
• Are there cold-weather viscosity considerations or cold-start limits (target pour point, winter SAE grades) for your engine fleet? Options: Yes - need winter grades, No - standard ambient

Transmission and hydraulic fluid supply

• Identify the OEM specifications or ISO classes required for your transmission and hydraulic fluids (for example Allison TES, Dexron, ISO VG 46).
• Do you have mixed fleets with multiple OEM approvals that require cross-compatibility checks before consolidation? Options: Yes - multiple OEMs, No - single OEM family, Unknown - request audit
• How many reservoirs, circuits, or machine groups will receive hydraulic/transmission fluid and what are typical reservoir sizes (liters or gallons)?
• Indicate any contamination control requirements (filtration micron rating, breathers, desiccant breathers) tied to hydraulic system uptime targets.
• Are on-site compatibility or bench-mix tests required prior to full deployment in transmission or hydraulic systems? Options: Yes - bench tests required, No - compatible by spec, Conditional - only for non-matching fluids

Custom-blend formulation and pilot batch

• Specify the performance targets and test endpoints for the custom blend pilot (for example viscosity at 40C/100C, oxidation hours, wear scar).
• Choose the sample size and pilot batch quantity you require for field trials (for example 200 L pilot, 1 drum, or 1 IBC). Options: Small lab sample, 1 drum pilot, 1 IBC/pilot batch, Custom size
• Identify any OEM approval paths you plan to pursue for the custom blend during pilot testing.
• Outline any constrained raw materials or additive limitations (restricted chemistries, PFAS restrictions) that must be avoided in the formulation.
• Approximate the timeline you expect from formulation agreement to pilot delivery and in-field evaluation (weeks or months). Options: 2-4 weeks, 1-3 months, 3+ months

Custom-blend full production and supply

• State the annual or quarterly volumes you expect for full production of the custom blend (liters or gallons).
• Do you require private-label packaging, custom labeling, or unique SKUs for inventory management? Options: Private-label with unique SKU, Standard supplier SKU, Custom labeling only
• Will you require dedicated production runs with lot segregation or are blended-to-order batches acceptable? Options: Dedicated production runs, Blended-to-order, Either option
• Identify required shelf-life, storage temperature limits, and any accelerated aging test requirements for the produced blend.
• Are there forecast and minimum order commitments you can provide to lock production scheduling (monthly forecast, MOQ per SKU)? Options: Firm monthly forecast, Quarterly forecast with MOQ, No firm commitment yet

Oil analysis sampling kits and laboratory testing

• Who on your team will be responsible for taking oil samples at the scheduled sampling points (role or job title)?
• Which sampling points should be included in the program (engine drain plug, gearbox breather, hydraulic reservoir level port), and how many sampling points in total?
• What tests do you require in the oil-analysis panel to support acceptance and monitoring (for example elemental wear by ICP, viscosity at 40C, FTIR for oxidation, water content)? Options: Standard wear + viscosity panel, Full wear + contamination panel (ICP + FTIR), Custom panel - specify tests
• How frequently should samples be collected for each asset type (hours of operation, monthly, quarterly)? Options: Every service interval, Monthly, Quarterly, Condition-based
• Confirm whether the laboratory turnaround time must meet a specific threshold for alerts (for example <72 hours for priority samples). Options: Yes - <=72 hours, Yes - <=5 business days, No strict requirement

Certificates of Analysis and batch traceability

• Identify the certificate types you require on receipt (Certificate of Analysis COA, TDS technical data sheet, Safety Data Sheet SDS). Options: COA, TDS, SDS, All three
• Confirm whether batch-level traceability is mandatory for incoming shipments (batch ID on delivery ticket and COA). Options: Yes - batch ID required, No - lot-level acceptable, Conditional - for select SKUs
• Which acceptance thresholds will you use to accept an incoming batch based on COA and trace results (for example viscosity tolerance, acid number, additive levels)?
• Provide the required digital format for COAs and trace documents (PDF emailed, EDI, portal upload). Options: PDF via email, Portal upload, EDI integration, Other
• Is chain-of-custody or sealed container verification required for high-risk or specialty batches? Options: Yes - seal verification required, No

OEM and industry-approval documentation package

• Which OEM approvals or industry standards must be documented for each SKU (API category, OEM approval number, ISO spec)?
• Do you require copies of third-party approval letters or certificates for supplier qualification files? Options: Yes - include approval letters, No - summary acceptable
• Indicate whether digital verification links to approval databases are acceptable in place of signed letters. Options: Digital verification acceptable, Signed letters required
• Describe any internal procurement or quality gates that OEM documentation must pass (for example engineering sign-off, QA lab cross-check).
• Are there additional regulatory or export compliance documents needed for any receiving locations? Options: Yes - export/compliance docs required, No

• Purchase Agreement
• Order Confirmation
• Volume Pricing Exhibit
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Delivery & Logistics Addendum
• Acceptance & Procurement Sign-off
• Invoicing and Payment Terms
• Change Order Agreement
• Warranty & Returns Addendum
• Oil-Analysis Program Addendum

• Go-live Health Check (week 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (week 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (around day 90)
• Quarterly Performance & Support Review (ongoing)

• Confirm upcoming delivery windows and refill plans to maintain minimum agreed inventory levels.
• Re-confirm acceptance criteria and owners
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision (pass or conditional pass with remediation) for each criterion recorded in Service & Product Scope.
• Agree and record remediation items with deadlines for any criteria not met, including verification methods.
• Confirm the incumbent lubricant has been formally decommissioned or retained read-only and legacy data or contracts are handled.
• Publish the acceptance decision document with attached outcome data and distribute to stakeholders.
• Create remediation tasks for any failed criteria with clear verification steps and completion dates.
• Execute the incumbent wind-down checklist including contract disposition, inventory disposition, and archive of legacy records.
• Quarterly trend and variance analysis
• Ensure percent of oil-analysis samples within spec and mean time to resolution for support tickets remain within acceptable ranges compared to targets recorded in Service & Product Scope.
• Reduce the count of persistent issues and tickets older than 30 days with clear next steps and deadlines.
• Confirm inventory and supply posture supports the next quarter's operational windows without risk of stockouts.
• Publish the quarterly performance summary and circulate to operational stakeholders.
• Close or escalate support tickets older than 30 days and document escalation outcomes.
• Adjust sampling cadence or maintenance schedules for assets showing repeated out-of-spec results.
• Confirm sampling schedule and who will submit the first oil-analysis samples within the next 7 days.
• All acceptance criteria from Service & Product Scope have a confirmed owner for measurement and sign-off.
• Any critical deployment blockers are recorded with remediation actions and target close dates.
• Training, sampling points, and initial deliveries are validated as operational or have a remediation plan in place.
• Publish the deployment validation checklist and outstanding blocker list for async review.
• Schedule any corrective deliveries or on-site support visits required to remediate critical blockers.
• Present first-period outcome data
• Determine whether average oil drain interval and percent of samples within spec are trending toward the targets recorded in Service & Product Scope.
• Document root causes for any metric gaps and agree concrete corrective actions with target completion dates.
• Confirm readiness milestones and the timeline to the acceptance gate meeting.
• Distribute the detailed oil-analysis report and dataset used for metric calculations.
• Open targeted investigations for assets with out-of-spec results and list expected diagnostic steps and due dates.
• Adjust sampling cadence or sampling procedures where data quality issues were identified.
• Support ticket and issue burn-down
• Present consolidated results against each criterion
• Diagnose gaps and root causes
• Deployment and initial deliveries validation
• Document pass/fail per criterion and acceptance decision
• Persistent performance issues and technical clarifications
• Early adoption and usage signals
• Agree corrective actions and timelines
• Agree remediation plan for any failed criteria
• Open issues and blockers triage
• Supply and inventory health
• Confirm path to acceptance gate
• Agree immediate remediation actions
• Incumbent lubricant wind-down check
• Quarter-ahead action plan