Quick Start: What Brought You to This Table Today?

• What immediate event or business pressure prompted this conversation? Options: New pipeline connection, Refinery turnaround/maintenance, Trading opportunity (basis dislocation), Regulatory change or audit, Modernizing legacy systems, Other
• Who on your team is most eager for change—and what outcome are they pushing for?
• What timeline do you feel would make this initiative urgent rather than optional? Options: Immediately (weeks), This quarter, Within 3–6 months, 6–12 months, No firm timeline
• Have you tried any fixes already (manual processes, scripts, interim vendors)? What worked and what didn’t?
• Which one measurable business result would make prioritizing this project an easy decision for your leadership? Options: Reduce demurrage $/month, Increase trade capture rate, Improve custody reconciliation accuracy, Increase effective throughput, Reduce operator time on scheduling, Other

If Tanks Could Talk, What Would They Admit?

• How often do tank availability or spec surprises silently cost you margin or cause missed trades? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Unsure
• Tell us about the most recent time a tank constraint prevented a shipment or trade—what happened and what were the financial or operational consequences?
• What are the main reasons tanks become unavailable in your operations? Options: Planned maintenance/turnaround, Contamination/quality hold, Measurement discrepancies, Capacity reserved for other customers, Access/transport corridor constraints, Other
• How do you currently record and share tank specs (capacity, heating, product compatibility) across teams? Options: Spreadsheet(s), ERP or terminal software, Paper logs, SCADA annotations, Combination, Other
• How confident are you in those published tank specs when it matters most (trade execution or loadout)? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident, We don’t publish specs reliably

When Scheduling Breaks, Who Pays the Tab?

• How often does informal scheduling or last-minute changes create demurrage or missed slot costs? Options: Very often, Often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Walk me through a typical scheduling request today—from the customer request to final load/receipt. Where are the handoffs?
• Where do delays or mismatches most commonly occur in that flow? Options: Slot allocation, Pump capacity, Lab verification, Transportation arrival windows, Manual coordination emails/calls, Other
• How do you currently calculate and bill demurrage, and who owns dispute resolution? Options: Ops bills and disputes, Commercial resolves disputes, Finance handles accounting disputes, Third-party mediator, No formal process
• How much scheduling flexibility (hours/days) would materially change your ability to capture market opportunities? Options: Same day, 24–48 hours, 3–7 days, Flexible within month, Timing doesn't matter

What Keeps Your Traders Up at Night?

• If a significant basis dislocation opened tomorrow, what's the single operational constraint most likely to stop you from capturing it? Options: Tank availability, Blending limitations, Inflexible scheduling, Measurement uncertainty, Transport bottlenecks, Other
• Share an example of a missed trading opportunity tied to terminal constraints—what value was at stake and what broke down operationally?
• How central is on-demand blending at our terminal to your trading strategy? Options: Mission critical, Important but not essential, Nice-to-have, Not required
• Which blend parameters (e.g., density, sulfur, Reid vapor pressure) and tolerances must be met for your trades to be acceptable?
• How fast does a trader expect a custom blend to be available from request to loadable product? Options: Same day, 24–48 hours, 3–5 days, Longer

Do You Trust the Numbers That Move Your Money?

• If a new custody measurement differed from your legacy records during cutover, how serious would the fallout be? Options: Minor reconciliation effort, Significant accounting dispute, Regulatory audit risk, Deal cancellation risk, Unsure
• Describe your current custody transfer methods and which standards you rely on (gauging, meters, lab protocols, ASTM methods).
• How often have custody reconciliations led to formal disputes in the last 12 months? Options: None, 1–2, 3–5, More than 5, Unsure
• What maximum variance (e.g., ppm, percentage) do Finance and Trading accept before an investigation is triggered? Options: <0.05%, <0.1%, <0.5%, <1%, No defined tolerance
• Who must sign off on any calibration, meter swap, or acceptance criteria during cutover?

Hidden Complexity: Who and What Will We Actually Have to Connect To?

• How many 'special' or proprietary integrations (PLCs, vendor gateways, lab systems) will we need to accommodate? Options: None, 1–2, 3–5, More than 5, Unsure
• List the systems and device classes we would need to integrate with (ERP, pipeline SCADA, specific PLC brands, lab LIMS, loading controllers).
• Which field instruments or vendors use proprietary protocols that typically require site adapters or vendor support?
• Which data feeds can you provide in near real time today? Options: Tank gauging, Flow meters, SCADA events/alarms, Lab results, Scheduling/EDI, Billing/ERP, None
• Who controls network and VPN access for integrations, and how quickly can access be provisioned? Options: Ops/OT team, IT team, Third-party integrator, Site owner (third party), Unsure
• How tolerant is your operations team for scheduled integration windows that require temporary process changes? Options: Very tolerant, Somewhat tolerant, Limited tolerance, Not tolerant

Who's At The Table and Who Signs?

• If we proved a clear ROI on demurrage reduction and trade capture, would your organization accelerate procurement and integration timelines? Options: Yes, immediately, Yes, within current cycle, Depends on budget window, No, timeline fixed
• Who are the decision-makers and their main priorities (e.g., Trader = margin; Ops = safety; Compliance = reporting)? Please list names/titles if possible.
• Do you have an executive sponsor and a day-to-day project owner identified? Options: Both identified, Executive sponsor only, Project owner only, Neither yet
• What procurement, legal, or budget cycles could delay signing a statement of work? Options: Quarterly procurement window, Annual budget cycle, Lengthy legal review, No formal cycles, Other
• What is your target go/no-go date to begin a pilot or parallel run, and why is that date important? Options: Within 30 days, 30–60 days, 60–90 days, After next budget cycle, Other

What Would Success Actually Feel Like For Your Team?

• If this platform became the record of truth, which single business metric must improve within 6 months for you to call it a success?
• Choose up to three KPIs that will define success for your organization. Options: Demurrage $/month, Trade capture rate, Custody reconciliation variance, Throughput utilization, Scheduling lead time, Operator time spent on coordination, Compliance report accuracy
• Describe the reconciliation and acceptance workflow Finance and Trading would require during cutover to be comfortable switching the ‘system of record’.
• What stakeholder testimonials, reports, or sign-offs will be necessary to finalize acceptance?
• Even if KPIs look good, what lingering concerns could stop you from declaring the project a success?

What Would Make You Pause — and How Do We Prevent It?

• What single issue is most likely to cause you to pause or cancel after a pilot (e.g., measurement variance, integration delays, operator resistance)? Options: Measurement discrepancies, Integration complexity, Operator adoption issues, Commercial terms, Regulatory non-compliance, Other
• Tell us about a past technology project that stalled here—what were the root causes and how long did recovery take?
• Which contractual protections or SLAs would make leadership comfortable signing (select all that apply)? Options: Measurement accuracy SLA, Integration delivery milestones, Financial penalties for missed deadlines, Support/incident SLA, Acceptance test criteria included, Other
• How do operators balance ease-of-use versus feature richness—what trade-offs are acceptable? Options: Prefer simplicity first, Need full features even if complex, Balanced approach, Depends on user role
• What remnants of legacy process are non-negotiable and must remain during transition?

Small Bets, Big Moves: What Should Our First Pilot Look Like?

• What minimal pilot would prove value quickly while minimizing accounting and operational exposure? Options: Parallel run on one product/tank, Meter and custody-only reconciliation, Scheduling workflow trial, Blending test on one manifold, Integration smoke test with SCADA, Other
• What data, systems access, and on-site participants would you commit to for that pilot?
• Who will be our single point of contact to coordinate operations, IT, and commercial stakeholders during a pilot? Options: Operations manager, IT/OT manager, Commercial lead (trading/shipper), Third-party integrator, Other
• When could we realistically begin that pilot, and are there blackout windows (turnarounds, audits) we must avoid? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, After scheduled turnaround, Other
• What specific acceptance criteria should we include in the pilot so your team can objectively evaluate success?
• Any final concerns or constraints we should address in our proposed pilot plan?

Quick Snapshot: The Small Set of Facts That Tell the Whole Story

• Which facilities or hubs are you currently using today for storage, blending, or custody handoffs? Options: Owned terminal(s), Third-party terminal(s), Pipeline hub(s), Rail yard(s), Marine dock(s)/barge, Aggregator/merchant storage, Other (describe below)
• Which commodity grades do you regularly move through those locations? Options: Crude (light sweet), Crude (heavy/sour), Gasoline, Diesel/ULSD, Jet/Kero, Naphtha, Feedstocks/chemicals, Other (specify)
• Typical combined monthly throughput (incoming + outgoing) at these sites? Options: < 10k bbl, 10k–50k bbl, 50k–200k bbl, 200k–1M bbl, > 1M bbl
• Who holds operational ownership of the tanks and gauge records at these locations? Options: We own & operate, Third-party operator manages operations, Leased tanks under our control, Split ownership across parties, Varies by site — explain below
• If there’s anything unusual about your footprint (shared tanks, hot-taps, cross-leased capacity, embargo windows), summarize it here.

If This Breaks, Where Will You Feel the Heat?

• How often does a custody or measurement issue turn into real financial loss (not just paperwork) for your team? Options: Multiple times a year, Once a year, Every few years, Rarely/Never, Unsure
• Think of the most recent custody dispute or measurement discrepancy — what was the primary cause? Options: Gauge error (manual), Instrumentation drift/prover issues, Sampling/split-sample disagreement, Documentation/EDI mismatch, Commingling or contamination, Other (describe)
• How long did the last major dispute take to resolve, and who bore the financial or contractual burden? Options: Resolved <1 week, 1–4 weeks, 1–3 months, >3 months, Still unresolved
• When measurement disagreements happen, who typically escalates (trader, terminal ops, quality lab, legal)? Options: Commodity trader, Supply chain/operations, Terminal operator, Quality/lab, Commercial/legal, Other
• How does a custody dispute feel for your team (time sink, reputational risk, lost margin, operational chaos)? Give an example of the impact.

Where The Pipes, Rails, and Barges Actually Meet — And Where They Jam

• If we asked your ops lead whether a sudden 30% volume spike could be handled across your corridors today, what's the honest answer? Options: Yes — confident, Probably, with overtime/contingency, Only on certain corridors, No — would create significant delays, Unsure
• Which transport corridors do you depend on most and in what priority order? Options: Pipeline (inbound/outbound), Coastal barges/short-sea, Deep-sea marine, Rail (unit trains), Truck (local/regional), Intermodal shuttle
• What are the top corridor constraints you face (choose up to three)? Options: Draft/berth limitations, Pipeline nomination windows, Railcar/locomotive availability, Truck driver scarcity, Port congestion/soak time, Customs/regulatory delays, Seasonal ice/weather
• How quickly can you switch receipt or delivery mode (e.g., pipeline → rail → marine) when markets force a reroute? Options: Same day, 48–72 hours, 1–2 weeks, >2 weeks, Not feasible
• Describe a time when a corridor change either saved you a trade or prevented revenue loss — what enabled it?

Under the Steel: Tanks, Manifolds, and Measurement That Make or Break Trust

• Which tank-level and custody-measurement technologies are installed today at your primary sites? Options: Manual sounding, Dipstick/manual gauge, Automatic level/radar, Temperature/stratification sensors, In-line flowmeters (turbine/ultrasonic), Master meter & prover, Laboratory sampling only, Other
• How frequently are custody transfer instruments calibrated or proved, and who owns that schedule? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-annually, Annually, Ad-hoc/after issues, No formal schedule
• What are your tank specs we must know: heated/insulated, internal coating, max working capacity, and any special product compatibility restrictions?
• Does your blending manifold (or equivalent) support simultaneous multi-grade operations? If yes, what’s the max concurrent grades? Options: No blending manifold, Yes — up to 4 grades, Yes — 5–8 grades, Yes — 9–12 grades, Yes — >12 grades, Unsure
• Where do you see the biggest blind spots in measurement today (sampling frequency, reconciliation lag, rounding practices, lost metadata)? Options: Sampling frequency, Reconciliation lag, Data lineage/metadata gaps, Manual transcription errors, Prover/calibration gaps, Other (describe)

Integration Nightmares We Need to Stop Pretending Are 'Just Part of the Job'

• Which past integration problem(s) caused timelines to slip or pilots to fail? Options: No access to PLC/SCADA, Proprietary field protocols, ERP data model mismatch, Security/IT blocked connectivity, Lab system differences, EDI/partner formatting issues, Other (explain)
• What systems must we integrate with to make this implementation useful (select all that apply)? Options: Site SCADA/PLC, ERP/financial system, Scheduler/TOS, Pipeline operator API, Lab information management (LIMS), Rail/ship loading control, Third-party custody systems, Custom in-house tools
• Which field protocols or middleware are in play (e.g., Modbus, HART, OPC UA, custom TCP, REST APIs, EDI)? Options: Modbus, HART, OPC-UA, Proprietary vendor protocol, REST/JSON API, SOAP/EDI, None / manual only, Unsure
• Who controls credentials, network zones, and firewall rules for field connectivity — and how long does access typically take to approve? Options: Site IT (internal) — days, Site IT — weeks, Corporate security — weeks, Terminal operator — days, Third-party vendor — variable, No formal owner / ad-hoc
• If we need to deploy an edge agent or remove manual CSV exchanges, what practical constraints should we know (certs, air-gapped networks, vendor approvals)?

Who Signs Off When Someone Needs to Move Fast (and Who Won’t)?

• When a market opportunity requires us to onboard a site quickly, who has final authority to approve go-live for custody and accounting? Options: Head of Trading, Supply Chain/Logistics Director, Terminal Ops Manager, Commercial/Legal, Finance/Accounting, Joint sign-off
• What are your internal governance checkpoints (procurement, safety, compliance, legal) and typical lead times for each? Options: Procurement (days), Procurement (weeks), Safety review required, Regulatory inspection required, Legal/commercial negotiation, No formal checkpoints
• At what tolerance of measurement variance would trading/finance refuse to accept new platform figures during parallel run? Options: < 0.05%, < 0.1%, < 0.25%, < 0.5%, > 0.5%
• Who will be the day-to-day owner for reconciliation during transition (ops, trading, finance, or shared)? Options: Operations, Trading desk, Finance/accounting, Shared rota, Third-party reconciler
• How do decision timelines vary under pressure — can approvals be expedited, and if so, how?

What 'Perfect' Would Actually Change in Your World (Numbers, Not Promises)

• If this program succeeded exactly as you needed, which three measurable outcomes would you point to first? Options: Reduced demurrage costs, Fewer custody disputes, Higher schedule adherence, Faster settlement cycles, Better blending margin capture, Lower operational headcount/time
• What specific demurrage or margin numbers would make you declare success (e.g., reduce demurrage by X%, capture Y bbl/week of spread opportunities)?
• What are acceptable operational tolerances for scheduling changes and late arrivals (in hours or % of loads)? Options: < 1 hour / <1%, 1–4 hours / 1–5%, 4–12 hours / 5–15%, >12 hours / >15%, Depends on corridor
• How perfect does custody measurement reconciliation need to be on day one of parallel ops before you’ll reduce contingency holds or payments? Options: Exact parity, Within agreed tolerance (specify), Clear trend of convergence, Not required to reduce holds
• Which audit or compliance reports must match first (regulatory, tax, customer invoices, internal accounting)? Options: Regulatory reporting, Customer invoicing, Internal accounting, Tax reporting, All of the above

Next Steps Without Surprises: What We Need From You (and What You'll Get Back)

• What barriers would cause you to pause or delay starting integration in the next 90 days? Options: Budget approval, Access to field systems, Safety/compliance hold, Labor/union issues, Internal resource bandwidth, Regulatory approvals, Other (explain)
• Which of the following pilot scopes would most convince you this solution works (pick one)? Options: Single tank + custody meter reconciliation, Full site: inventory + scheduling + billing, Blending manifold + sample reconciliation, Corridor reroute test (pipeline→rail), Parallel accounting for a single product stream
• What timeline do you realistically need for a pilot to run before you can assess go/no-go (days/weeks/months)? Options: 1–2 weeks, 3–4 weeks, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, Unsure
• What items do you need on a readiness checklist before committing to a pilot (data feeds, credentials, instrument access, safety permit)? List top three. Options: Data feeds (SCADA/PLC), Credentials/API access, On-site safety permit, Calibration/prover schedule, Operator training slots, Integration testing window
• Who should be in the room for a kickoff call (names & roles), and who will be our primary technical and commercial contacts?

Quick Snapshot: Who You are and what's top of mind

• What is your role and primary responsibility for terminal, storage, or scheduling decisions? Options: Logistics Director, Commodity Trader, Supply Chain Manager, Terminal Operations Manager, Commercial/Trading Ops, Procurement, Other
• Which best describes your organization? Options: Refinery, Fuel distributor/wholesaler, Crude oil producer, Petrochemical company, Third‑party logistics/terminals, Trading firm, Other
• Which commodities will you be moving or storing at this location? Options: Crude oil, Gasoline, Diesel, Jet fuel/kerosene, NGLs, Feedstocks, Blended products, Other
• What triggered this search for terminal capacity or a new operating model? Options: New pipeline connection, Refinery turnaround, Trading opportunity / basis dislocation, Seasonal peak shipping, Regulatory/compliance change, Chronic tank unavailability, Other
• How soon do you need usable capacity or a working solution? Options: Immediately (<1 month), 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, Flexible / exploratory
• Which outcomes would signal a successful engagement for you? (pick all that apply) Options: Guaranteed tank availability on key dates, Flexible scheduling windows, Measurement accuracy within tolerance, Blending capacity for custom grades, Seamless ERP/SCADA integrations, Minimal demurrage exposure, Clear ownership of integration tasks

Why this feels urgent — what happens if this fails?

• If you couldn’t secure reliable storage or throughput at this hub, which business outcome would be most at risk? Options: A critical spread trade, Scheduled refinery feedstock delivery, Avoiding demurrage costs, Customer deliveries / service levels, Regulatory compliance, Other
• How often in the last 12 months have storage constraints or terminal issues directly affected a trade or shipment? Options: Multiple times per month, Monthly, Quarterly, A few times a year, Never
• When those issues happen, how does it typically feel inside your team—annoying, costly, embarrassing, or something else? Options: Annoying but manageable, Costly and escalates to finance, Creates cross‑team finger‑pointing, Threatens customer relationships, Other
• Can you describe a recent incident where a terminal limitation or scheduling delay created measurable impact? Please include what went wrong and the financial or operational consequence.
• Who needs to be reassured internally for this project to move forward (roles and level of concern)? Options: Trading desk, Supply chain/ops leadership, Finance/accounting, Quality/compliance, Field operations, IT/OT, Other

Where capacity and timing really get tested

• What is the peak throughput rate you'd want this terminal to reliably support (bbl/day or MT/day)?
• How variable is your expected throughput—do you plan steady receipts/deliveries or big, infrequent moves? Options: Steady daily/weekly volumes, Periodic large receipts/deliveries, Highly variable depending on market, Seasonal peaks, Other
• How much scheduling flexibility do you need—same‑day, 24–48 hour, weekly windows, or fixed allocations? Options: Same‑day / immediate, 24–48 hours, Weekly windows, Fixed allocations with notice, A mix depending on product
• Do you require priority windows or guaranteed berth/slot allocations for time‑sensitive trades? If yes, explain the frequency and impact. Options: Yes, for critical trades, Occasionally, Rarely, No
• When you think about schedule failures (missed slots, late receipts), what downstream cost matters most—demurrage, lost margin, regulatory fines, or something else? Options: Demurrage, Lost trading margin, Customer service penalties, Operational rework/overtime, Regulatory or environmental fines, Other

Where measurement and custody keep you up at night

• When custody transfer measurement disagrees with your books, how large does the difference typically need to be before you escalate? Options: <$1,000, $1k–10k, $10k–100k, $100k–1M, >$1M
• Have you experienced custody disputes with terminals before—what was the root cause (instrumentation, procedures, timing, or reconciliation process)? Options: Instrumentation/calibration, Paper/manual data entry, Timing of measurements, Differing measurement standards, Integration/data mismatch, No disputes
• Who in your organization owns custody reconciliation and dispute resolution? Options: Trading desk, Finance/Accounting, Operations/Terminal team, Quality/Metrology, Legal/Commercial, Other
• How quickly do you need custody variances resolved to feel comfortable during a cutover period? Options: Same day, 48–72 hours, Within a week, Within a month, Longer
• Tell us about the last custody variance you considered material—what happened, who was involved, and how was it resolved?

What would a trusted scheduling and blending experience change for you?

• If schedules were visible and enforced across all parties, what would break less often, and why does that matter financially or operationally?
• How are blending decisions made today—centrally by trading, locally by operations, or a mix—and what frictions arise from that model? Options: Centralized trading, Operations/local teams, Shared governance, Third‑party blenders, Other
• How many distinct product grades or blend recipes do you need the terminal to produce simultaneously? Options: 1–2, 3–5, 6–9, 10–12, 12+
• What is your acceptable tolerance for blend spec variance (e.g., API gravity, sulfur ppm) before a shipment is rejected or reclassified? Options: Very tight (laboratory spec only), Moderate (small tolerance), Loose (operational tolerance), Depends on customer/product
• How would increased blending flexibility—more grades, faster turn times—translate into commercial opportunity for you?

Integration Reality Check: can the tech talk to yours?

• How confident are you that your systems (ERP, trading, accounting) can ingest live inventory and custody data from a terminal without extensive rework? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Unsure, Not confident
• Which of these systems will need to integrate with the terminal platform? Options: ERP (e.g., SAP/Oracle), Trading/blotter systems, Accounting/general ledger, Pipeline SCADA, Loading/rack control systems, Laboratory/QA systems, Other
• Which field/instrument protocols does your team commonly use or expect to receive (select all that apply)? Options: MODBUS, OPC-UA, PROFINET, Serial/legacy proprietary, REST/API, EBCDIC/flat files, Other
• Who will own integrations and instrument access on your side (IT, OT, third‑party integrator)? Options: IT, OT/Field Engineering, Third‑party systems integrator, Vendor/terminal integration team, Shared ownership
• Are there access or security constraints (network segmentation, no remote access, vendor approvals) we should know about up front? Options: Full access with standard IT controls, Restricted OT network - limited access, No remote access allowed, Requires special approvals, Unsure / need to confirm

Acceptance, risk and the human side of change

• What's the single most important acceptance criterion for you at cutover (e.g., custody reconciliation within X, throughput target, blend accuracy)? Options: Custody reconciliation tolerance, Sustained throughput target, Blend accuracy within spec, Seamless integration with ERP, Operator competency demonstrated, Other
• How long of a parallel run do you consider safe before making this platform the 'system of record'? Options: Hours to a day, 48–72 hours, 1–2 weeks, Several weeks, Depends on outcomes
• What rollback triggers would force you to halt a cutover and revert to legacy processes? Options: Custody variance exceeds tolerance, Throughput below target, Critical integration failures, Safety or compliance alarms, Operator inability to execute, Other
• Describe how your operators and trading desk typically respond to new structured scheduling or stricter operating guardrails—what resistance or adoption cues have you seen?
• What training or enablement would make your team confident on day one of parallel operations? Options: Hands‑on operator sessions, Simulation drills, SOP documentation and checklists, On‑call support during cutover, Recorded training + assessments, Other

Decision and next steps: what would make this an easy yes?

• Assuming we address measurement, scheduling, and integrations, what remaining objections would still prevent you from moving forward?
• Who are the internal decision‑makers and what approval gates must be cleared (names/functions and their primary concern)?
• What timeline and milestones would make a proposed solution compelling—fast ramp, staged pilot, or extended validation? Options: Fast ramp (1–3 months), Staged pilot then roll, Extended validation (3–6 months), Unsure / need to discuss
• What would you like us to demonstrate or produce in the next meeting to make progress (e.g., integration plan, custody tolerance table, pilot schedule)? Options: Integration/data map, Custody reconciliation plan, Pilot/test windows, Operator training plan, Commercial terms and responsibilities, Other
• Is there anything critical we haven't asked that would change how you evaluate terminal partners or platform vendors?

Quick Snapshot — Who Are We Helping Today?

• Which best describes your role and primary area of responsibility? Options: Commodity Trader, Supply Chain / Logistics Manager, Terminal Operations Manager, Measurement / Custody Engineer, Compliance / Regulatory Lead, IT / Integration Lead, Other
• What’s the immediate reason you’re exploring a terminal operations platform right now? Options: New pipeline connection / hub access, Refinery turnaround / pre-positioning, Need storage for trading strategy, Recurring demurrage or congestion, Regulatory reporting concerns, Modernization / replace manual processes, Other
• How soon do you need meaningful results (pilot or production) from this engagement? Options: Immediately / within 30 days, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, No firm timeline yet
• What two measurable outcomes will make you declare this project a success? Options: Reduced demurrage (hours/dollars), Improved custody measurement accuracy (%), Increased usable throughput (bbl/day), Faster scheduling turnarounds (hours), Fewer custody disputes, Successful ERP / SCADA integration, Reduced operator errors, Other
• Are there internal blackout dates, approval gates, or procurement windows we should honor?

If You Miss This Window, What Really Breaks?

• Imagine next peak season — what is the real business cost if you can’t access tank capacity or scheduling flexibility?
• Which of these consequences have you experienced or fear most when terminal access is constrained? Options: Demurrage charges, Missed trading opportunities, Forced product swaps / poor blends, Regulatory fines / reporting failures, Customer service failures, Operational overtime / rush costs, Other
• In the past 12 months, how many times did terminal capacity or scheduling issues force you to delay or cancel a trade or shipment? Options: 0, 1–2, 3–5, 6–10, More than 10
• Tell us about the most painful recent instance where capacity or scheduling issues hit your P&L or operations—what happened and what was the fallout?
• Which internal stakeholder groups feel this pressure most acutely? Options: Commodity Trading, Operations / Terminal, Commercial / Sales, Compliance / Legal, Finance / Accounting, Logistics / Transportation, Other

What’s Truly in Your Tanks and Pipes?

• When was the last time your reported inventory didn’t match physical or accounting records—and what did it reveal about your measurement chain?
• Which terminal types and transport corridors do you use for the work that matters to this project? Options: Pipeline hub, Refinery terminal, Marine dock / barge, Rail siding, Truck rack, Third-party storage, Other
• Describe the tanks that matter for your operations (select all that apply). Options: Heated tanks, Insulated tanks, Floating roof, Fixed roof, Blend manifold connected, Single-product tanks, Multi-grade tanks
• Which measurement practices do you currently rely on at custody points? Options: Manual tank gauging, Automatic level probes (radar/ultrasonic), Coriolis meters, Turbine / PD flowmeters, LACT units, Strapped tank tables, Sampling & lab analysis
• Have you had formal custody disputes in the past 5 years? If so, what were the usual causes? Options: Yes — measurement discrepancy, Yes — documentation timing, Yes — handshake/scheduling mismatch, No disputes, Prefer not to say
• Are there physical or contractual constraints (e.g., receiver certification, pipeline pressure limits, tank product compatibility) we should know about?

Where Handoffs Turn Into Headaches

• Which recurring handoff do you secretly expect to fail when volume or complexity ramps up—scheduling, custody, billing, or something else? Options: Scheduling / load planning, Custody measurement & transfer, Blending handoffs, Billing / invoicing, ERP reconciliation, Regulatory reporting, Other
• How do you currently coordinate receipts and deliveries (pick all that apply)? Options: Phone calls, Email threads, Shared spreadsheets, TMS / scheduling software, EDI / API exchanges, Informal operator coordination
• On average, how many schedule changes or late-notice requests occur monthly that require operator intervention? Options: 0–5, 6–15, 16–30, 31–60, More than 60
• Who typically authorizes last-minute schedule changes and how do operators feel about that process?
• Which communication breakdowns have led to financial or operational loss (examples: missed ship windows, double-booked racks, incorrect bills)?

If Measurements Aren’t Trusted, Nothing Else Matters

• If a counterparty challenged a custody transfer today, how confident are you that your evidence would hold up in arbitration? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Uncertain, Likely not confident
• What accuracy tolerances do your counterparties or contracts require for custody measurement? Options: ±0.1%, ±0.25%, ±0.5%, ±1.0%, No explicit tolerance
• How often are custody measurement devices calibrated and who owns that schedule? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually, On-demand / after incident, Don’t know
• Which types of custody transfer equipment are in scope for the project? Options: LACT / custody flowmeters, Coriolis meters, Strapped tanks & level sensors, Sampling systems / labs, Tank gauging via manual methods, Other
• Have past measurement differences required accounting adjustments? If yes, how large were they typically (a rough order of magnitude)? Options: Negligible (under 0.1% of volume), Small (0.1–0.5%), Moderate (0.5–1%), Material (over 1%), Not tracked

Imagine a Day When Everything Just Flows

• If scheduling, blending, and custody accuracy were flawless tomorrow, what would you do differently in trading or operations?
• How much additional throughput (bbl/day) or margin opportunity ($/month) would justify the investment for you? Options: Under 1,000 bbl/day or <$10k/month, 1,000–5,000 bbl/day or $10k–$50k/month, 5,000–20,000 bbl/day or $50k–$200k/month, More than 20,000 bbl/day or >$200k/month, Not sure / need analysis
• How many simultaneous blend recipes and product grades do you want the terminal to support? Options: 1–3 grades, 4–6 grades, 7–12 grades, More than 12 grades
• Which KPIs would you monitor daily after success (pick top 3)? Options: On-time load %, Demurrage $/day, Measurement variance %, Throughput utilization %, Number of scheduling exceptions, Customer satisfaction / SLA
• Emotionally, what would success feel like for you and your team? Options: Relief from firefighting, Greater confidence in trades, Pride in operational excellence, Reduced stress for operators, Other

Integrations Everyone Assumes Will Be Easy (But Aren’t)

• Which single integration historically causes the longest delays or surprises on projects like this? Options: SCADA / field instrumentation, ERP / accounting, Trading & scheduling systems, Third-party pipeline APIs, LACT / meter vendor systems, Lab / QA systems, Other
• Which systems must we integrate with for a successful deployment (select all that apply)? Options: Plant / Terminal SCADA, ERP (SAP, Oracle, etc.), Trading system / OMS, Scheduling / TMS, Metering / LACT vendor, Third-party terminal operators, Custom / legacy proprietary system
• Which field protocols are in use at the terminals we’ll touch (pick all that apply)? Options: Modbus RTU/TCP, OPC-UA, DNP3, Proprietary vendor API, REST / HTTPS, Serial / legacy protocols, Not sure
• Who owns each integration on your side (name, role, and availability for discovery calls)?
• What test windows or maintenance outages could we use for integration testing and parallel runs?

People: Allies, Skeptics, and Quiet Blockers

• Who in your organization would lose informal control if scheduling and custody were centralized—and how might they react?
• Who needs to be convinced for procurement and who will sign acceptance at cutover? Options: Trading desk head, Ops/Terminal manager, CFO / Finance, Compliance / Legal, Site safety manager, Other
• How do your operators typically respond to structured scheduling versus informal coordination? Options: Welcoming — it reduces chaos, Cautiously optimistic, Resistant — prefers familiar ways, Mixed across shifts
• What training cadence and format works best for your operations team? Options: Hands-on classroom + site labs, Remote video modules, Train-the-trainer, Shadowing during parallel ops, Combination
• Who could be an internal champion for this program and why would they care?

Acceptance — The Tests That Will Make or Break Go-Live

• What single acceptance-test failure would force you to delay cutover until corrected?
• Which formal acceptance tests do you require before sign-off (select all that apply)? Options: Custody transfer reconciliation within tolerance, Throughput stress tests at peak volumes, Blending accuracy / recipe validation, Compliance report parity with legacy, Parallel accounting reconciliation, Operator competency demonstration
• Who on your team must approve each acceptance test (role names), and who will perform reconciliation?
• Do you require a parallel accounting period? If so, how long? Options: No parallel accounting, 1–2 weeks, 3–4 weeks, 1–3 months, Other / TBD
• What rollback criteria or go/no-go gates do you want in the cutover playbook?

If We Leave Today, What’s The Next Step?

• If you decided to proceed with us, what would you insist on seeing delivered in the first 30 days?
• Which pilot scope would you prefer to validate value quickly? Options: Single tank & one LACT meter, Single terminal, multiple tanks, Single product across multi-modal corridors, Full site pilot with ERP integration, Other
• What budget or procurement constraints should we align to (purchase order, contract length, milestone payments)?
• What are the top three risks you want explicit mitigation plans for before contract execution?
• Who should we schedule the next alignment call with (name, role, best contact times)?