When we report on projects, the news is often about the ‘hardware’ e.g. the physical and technical aspects, such as plant capacity, technology deployed, product slates, start-up dates and we do not often hear much about the ‘software’, which relates to the people and transformation journey that accompanies such projects.
of discovery which he summarises, “I discovered a whole new language and nomenclature through the engagements with the additive companies, learning a lot about the product development process, the key performance attributes of base oils and how they influence lubricant formulations. I would also like to acknowledge the patience and professionalism of the people in the additive companies as we progressed through the work and I gained valuable knowledge.”
Another element to address the two key challenges was the development of transition plans with customers. Ahmed Albishri, who is responsible for Customer Service and Logistics, took on the role as focal point for transition planning, says, “Initially these plans started as basic high level long term forecasts, but over time progressed into more detailed forecasts, discussion and actions on logistics, internal changes to IT systems and documentation, so that our customers are ‘ready-to-receive’ our Group II products and we are ‘ready-to-serve’.”
As previously mentioned, the expansion creates approximately 200 new long term manufacturing jobs, which are a mixture of skilled operators and technicians, as well as professional engineers. To ensure that all these people are in place and fully trained ready for the new plant start-up has required an extensive recruitment and apprenticeship programme. The recruitment was split into two groups, with the first group of approx. 150 staff, commencing in 2013 and the remainder in a second group in 2014. The majority of these staff have undergone a structured two and half year apprenticeship programme, comprising of classroom learning and workplace experiences, which involved training with our technology providers. In addition to the new staff, training has also been required for current staff to up-skill them from extraction production technology to hydro-processing production technology.
The new Group II plant doubles the size of Luberef’s production, as well as introduces a new range of new Group II base oils, which created two key challenges for the Sales & Marketing team: • transitioning our existing customers to use of Group II within their product portfolio
• developing new customers, in both existing and new markets for the new Group II products
To address these challenges and aligned to its role as a change facilitator, Luberef decided to take a pro-active approach and one of the actions was to work in collaboration with additive companies and customers to develop a range of approved formulations in its new Group II base oils that serve to meet the evolving needs of the market. The formulation R&D work with the additive companies is now completed and some of these formulations will be supported by a range of approved OEM performance claims which should be completed in Q1 2016.
This work commenced in 2013 and was new ground for the Luberef team, requiring extensive discussion with both additive companies and customers about what future products the market would need and hence what products to develop formulations for and at what performance levels. Ahmed Massiri who leads the Export Sales team was assigned to this element of the project from the early phase and went through a journey
The Sales & Marketing team has also had to recruit new staff and up-skill people. A reflection from one of the new joiners, Mohammed Alhussaini who works in Customer Service and Logistics, “I wasn’t really aware about lubricants beyond it being needed for an engine and I have discovered that base oil and its by-products are used for more applications than I imagined, touching many of the things around us at home, in the office and on the road.”
Through the last 2-3 years the Sales & Marketing team has gained greater insight, knowledge and understanding of the lubricants industry, as well as its customers’ business to support Luberef’s forthcoming Expansion. “It has been a journey of doing and learning” says Gerard, “and of course there are still many challenges ahead, with the next major one being the successful start-up of the plant.”
To summarise, Luberef’s expansion in 2016 is a key facilitator of change within our Industry in the M. East region, supporting Lubricants blenders and marketers to enhance the quality of products that they offer to their customers and consumers, as well as providing the opportunity for investment and development of other downstream petrochemical market sectors.
Gerard Heaton Luberef’s Sales & Marketing Manager
LINK
www.luberef.com
VIDEO LINK
http://luberef.com/en/whatisnew.aspx
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.131 FEBRUARY 2016
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