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With the end of winter in sight, you’re likely in the midst of making plans for your spring shutdowns. Of course, minimizing your time offline is as important as always, but with the current state of the oil and gas market, many businesses are feeling extra pressure to cut costs and limit downtime.
Successfully doing so requires precise planning — and working closely with subcontractors you can trust to get the job done safely, correctly and quickly.
Brent Soper is very familiar with shutdown planning. As a 13-year veteran with Innovator and the company’s Rentals & Asset Manager, he oversees a lot of different aspects of the business, including making sure clients gain value with every job.
So, what are Innovator’s secrets for a successful shutdown? Soper shares four main areas that set their company apart:
Safety
With Innovator crews working all day every day, management takes its commitment to safety very seriously. “My largest concern every single day is the safety and wellbeing of my people in the field,” Soper says. “We try to do everything we can to ensure safety — from engineering controls to equipment and training — and we’ll do everything in our power to mitigate any hazards.”
We know this is a top priority for our clients as well. As Soper points out, “We can do a successful job, but if someone gets hurt it’s a failure.”
Transparency
“Having a transparent communication relationship is what sets us apart from our competition,” says Soper. “You can reduce cost uncertainty by eliminating surprises. Predictability is priceless!”
This means that from the planning stage through execution, you’ll have a clear picture of what’s happening and what it will cost. “We always provide clear expectations, reaffirm what they’re looking for from us, and reassure them about what we can do so they know exactly what to expect,” he says. “If it’s a win for them, it’s a win for us!”
Partnership
Honesty doesn’t just help your bottom line; it also provides a great foundation for a future working relationship. “We’re firm believers in trying to build trust with our clients,” Soper explains. “We want to be an ongoing and trusted partner.”
With this mindset, customers can trust Innovator with more than just basic repairs. In fact, the more specific the request, the better! “We can help, if not fully take on, the entire [shutdown] planning and execution process,” Soper says.
Cross-Training
One of the most notable differences between Innovator and other service providers is its cross-trained crews. “We’re able to create cost savings and better value with our cross-trained crews,” notes Soper. “We created a unique system to ensure more than training but competency, Integrated Competency Technicians”
Instead of relying on dozens of contractors with different specialties, which can be complex and costly, Innovator deploys a highly skilled, cross-trained crew members to maximize efficiency and minimize cost and time. “You can’t compare with the level of training and skill in our technicians. It’s flat-out impressive,” Soper says. “We can complete such a high-level of quality work so much more efficiently than anyone else out there.”
What are you waiting for? Bring Innovator into your shutdown planning and execution process early. We are ready to provide the expertise and professional work you require, at the cost-effective level you need.
Innovator Industrial Solutions teams can handle any type of industrial piping project. Contact us by email at info@innovatorind.com, by phone at (855) 436-4666, or on our website. You’ll never need to contact anyone else.
