In any continuous process manufacturing, refinery, or chemical plant, "turnarounds" represent a major component of a process unit's downtime. Determining the appropriate turnaround strategy (frequency and scope of work) is a key factor in determining long-term reliability, cost competitiveness, and overall process safety. Plant staff frequently rely on prior practices and general industry guidelines to establish a turnaround strategy.

While maintaining the wisdom and benefits of these two traditional approaches, a Stratos, LLC consultant works with the turnaround team to develop a fact-based approach aligned to the specific needs of the business as well as the risk tolerance of plant management. A cross-functional team sets strategy through a structured thought process. This process initially focuses on a unit's long-term performance premises. Once these premises are clarified, threats and associated risks are identified, rigorously assessed, and mitigation steps proposed. These mitigation steps are the basis for development of a risk-based, long-term strategy and/or scope of work.

This process frequently provides a different perspective or rationale for turnarounds and has enabled fact-based versus emotional or power centered decision making on critical scope items. The use of this systematic process successfully achieves alignment among critical functions such as operations, maintenance, technical support, and head office/business clients on turnaround strategy. An additional long-term benefit is that the learnings experienced with this process can assist decision making on complex issues that go well beyond turnarounds.

This strategy development process is designed to improve the overall effectiveness of the planning and execution phase of a turnaround through a rigorous and fact-based focus on shutdown, decontamination, maintenance, and startup procedures.

A cross-functional turnaround team purposefully and rigorously challenges existing practices and develops an optimum approach through a structured thought process. This process achieves clarity on the procedure's objectives and desired ends. Based on those objectives, alternatives are generated and the final approach selected via a qualitative decision matrix. Downside risks to the new approach are then examined and a comprehensive forward action plan is developed.

This process results in new approaches which yield significant savings in time and cost without compromising existing safety and environmental standards. Traditionally, 70 percent of existing procedures are significantly modified when exposed to this process. A major additional benefit is the productive alignment achieved at the field level among operations, maintenance, safety, and related support staff during the planning and execution stage of a turnaround. These turnaround planning and execution sessions have produced savings from $500,000 to $1,500,000.