Operations Turnaround Leadership and
Integrated Turnaround Planning
A. Bobby Singh, President
Project Assurance, Houston, Texas
Produced by:
Presentation Focus

Importance of Operations Turnaround Leadership

Recent Case Studies

Common Operations Pitfalls

Work Scope Development and Management

Integrated Turnaround Plans

Operations Turnaround Excellence - Solutions
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
What is World-Class?
Clues and Signs
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
10
Contractor Alignment and Team Building Sessions
are conducted after the turnaround completion.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
9
Turnaround scheduling staff are frustrated due to
the planning software’s limitation to schedule
only 1,000,000 activities.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
8
When operations adds more work scope in the first
week of the turnaround than what they identified
in 12 months before the turnaround.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
7
Expedited and long-lead materials are found
under contractors’ trailers after the
turnaround completion.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
6
Sole criteria for selecting qualified contractors is the
number of their memberships to golf clubs, burlesque
bars and invitations to hunting and fishing trips.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
5
Planning, Inspection and Safety staff are laid
off to save turnaround costs and improve
bottom-line profits.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
4
WBS, MOC, PSSR and HAZOP are perceived as the new
Cable TV Channels on the information super-highway.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
3
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
Company’s turnaround vision, goals and KPI’s are
written by professional speech writers.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
2
Progress status, schedule updates and cost
forecasts are performed by local psychics,
astrologers and tarot card readers.
Achieving World-Class Turnarounds
TOP TEN LIST
1
When a Company is NOT Managing
World-Class Turnarounds
When a Turnaround Manager says that he has not
read Bobby Singh’s latest book
World-Class Turnaround Management.
Recent Turnaround Results
Operations Performance

Units shutdown and turnover took 18 days vs a plan for 10 days

Shutdown Sequence of units changed during turnaround

Different groups had separate blind lists for same work

Inexperienced operators needed directions during shutdown

Two chemical cleaning contractors with conflicting plans

Operations shift schedule different than the maintenance
Turnaround Capability Assessment
Disturbing Results

35-40% work scope growth after freeze date

Budget and work scope conflicts

LOTO conflicts and excessive permit delays

Shutdown and start-up timelines not fully defined

Operations had limited resources to support planning

Departments working in silos with conflicting agendas
Operations Pitfalls

Poor communication between different departments

Operations inability to assign qualified staff

LOTO requirement are more complex during implementation

Constantly changing blind lists

Shortage of experienced operators

Operations not fully accountable for the turnaround budget
Operations Pitfalls

Working from different turnaround work lists

Operations planning group working in isolation

Operations execution group not familiar with shutdown plans

Shutdown sequence not synchronized with critical path

Operations activities not included in turnaround schedule

Operations shutdown plans not resource optimized

Operations plans are invariably optimistic
In 3 out of 4 turnarounds
the turnarounds teams did not
have sufficient operations staff
to plan the turnaround.
We have met the enemy
and the
Enemy is us.
Turnaround Work Scope

Establish a Work Scope Leadership Team to develop work
scope. Assign an Executive Sponsor

Each work scope request should be critically reviewed,
prioritized and work details fully defined

Turnaround work scope (80% +) should be identified at least 1518 months before the turnaround

Develop contingency plans for potential work scope additions
based on equipment history and inspections

Inspection recommendations and work scope growth should be
critically reviewed before approval for execution
Success of a turnaround is directly proportional
to the early and active participation by
operations’ dedicated and qualified staff to
support the turnaround planning process.
Operations Turnaround Excellence
Solutions
Turnaround Team Leadership should be shared
by a senior operations person from the plant
Operations Turnaround Excellence
Solutions
Get full time, dedicated, experienced and senior
operations staff to lead the operations’ turnaround
planning effort:

Get staffing commitment from plant management

Clearly establish the job responsibilities of all key
operations positions and ensure right staff is
assigned
Operations Turnaround Excellence
Solutions
Improve team communication by locating the
Area Turnaround Teams and all participating
departments and their staff in the same work area.
Operations Turnaround Excellence
Solutions
Training of operators in the operations
shutdown and start-up plans should be spread
over 2-3 months prior to the turnaround.
Operations Turnaround Excellence
Solutions
Facilitate several Turnaround Dry Runs so
that all participants can demonstrate their
full understanding of execution plans and
resource requirements for the safe and
planned shutdown and start-up of units.
Operations Turnaround Excellence
Solutions
Assign Operations Manager as an Executive
Sponsor to guide all activities related to
operations planning and execution
Integrated Turnaround Plans
Solutions
Establish shutdown and start-up sequence by
units, operating systems and sub systems which
fully supports the turnaround critical path.
Integrated Turnaround Plans
Solutions
Jointly develop integrated turnaround
schedule with all operations shutdown and
start-up activities:

Decide the level of activities and sequence early

Do not expect operations to be P-6 experts
Integrated Turnaround Plans
Solutions
Unit clearing / decontamination execution plans
and their field requirements are clearly established
at least 6-9 months before the turnaround.
Integrated Turnaround Plans
Solutions
Complete turnaround plans / schedules that
includes operations activities at least 3 months
prior to the start of the turnaround.
Share Optimize Rehearse and Implement
Question and Answers
A. Bobby Singh
Project Assurance, Houston, Texas
excel@projectassurance.com
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