Falling oil prices and reductions in drilling activity have led to an uncertain path for exploration and production companies. Has the change in activity affected industry attitudes towards procurement?
According to a survey conducted on behalf of Trelleborg’s oil and marine operation, value, lifecycle and durability as a purchase priority, are the fundamentals oil and gas companies value most. The independent survey, made up of oil and gas professionals responsible for making procurement decisions, also revealed that the price of products and services trailed other significant factors.
Despite the previous economic downturn in the oil and gas industry, when asked to rank different factors affecting their decision to purchase an oil hose, respondents listed ‘durability and lifecycle’ as ‘vital’ more than 80% of the time. Sourcing cheap equipment and services was not an important factor.
The next most ‘vital’ factors were ‘aftersales support and service’, and ‘ease of installation’, whereas price was listed as ‘vital’ just 19% of the time. Oil and gas companies are willing to invest more money in products they can trust, if it means a reliable aftercare service that will minimise the business effect of any product malfunction.
If an asset fails to function on an oil and gas site, repairs can take a significant amount of time to carry out. Spare parts must be ordered, service engineers booked, safety permits granted and, should a plant need to be shut down, time consuming and expensive co-ordination ensues.
Individual responses in the survey also revealed the value that customers place on a fast and responsive service. We work with a network of partners, value added resellers, and dedicated offices around the world to ensure we can mobilise global support to resolve all customer requests quickly, efficiently, and effectively.
Fluenta understands that product or service issues can become a high-cost, time intensive problem. Our customers receive efficient and quick support when and where they need it. From first contact to implementation and maintenance, our service packages are tailored to the specific requirements of each customer and cover the entire life cycle of our products.
