Global resources for large new capital projects are scarce, especially in Asia and the Middle East, where more than half of the world’s capital investment is projected to take place.  Lack of business development and marketing skills can have a significant impact on the commercial success of any project but given the volatility of the energy and petrochemical industry this is especially critical.

Understanding the dynamics of the petrochemicals industry is vital across the total company whether you are in a sales or marketing function, production, operations and maintenance, or finance, to the overall profitability and sustainability of the investment.

We can provide you with the neccessary expertise to support and guide your business development and marketing teams whether they are undertaking general studies or specific projects.

In addition we can provide you with specific training modules developed to focus on improving companies understanding of the overall economics and dynamics of the industry to help manage your customers, whether internally or externally.

Typical programmes focus on understanding the industry background to help support and improve profitability:

 
Managing for Profitability
                  
Understanding petrochemical pricing dynamics

-       building up costs, the influence of raw materials

-       fixed, variable costs and overheads

-       regional factors

-       price and margin

-       realising competitiveness through understanding the use of cost curves

-       the influence of time

 
Price setting mechanisms

-       the marginal player

-       supply and demand dynamics

-       impact of new capacity

-       global reach

-       alternative value

-       value in use

-       experience curves


Value Chains

-       what are the key success factors?

-       where are the sources of competitive advantage? 

-       how do cost curves fit in?

-       understanding the total picture 

 
Customers for profit?

 Sales management and key account strategies

-       understanding your market

Product issues for today and tomorrow

Choosing the opportunities

Understanding your customer

-       developing strategic accounts that matter

-       understanding relationships

-       competitive positioning

-       assessing attractiveness

-       knowing yourself

-       developing strategic account plans

-       the role of the global customer

Managing global key customers

 
Negotiation - threat or opportunity?

 
-       different styles

-       factors determining the outcome

-       planning and the participants

-       situations

-       tasks

-       process

-       tactics and strategy

-       do’s and don’ts 


Topical Issues

 Achieving manufacturing success is imperative but recognizing just how the project will perform on commercialization is a function of many external factors.  Understanding the current dynamics of the industry is fundamental to the development of short and medium term strategies and how to manage your customers.  Topical updates and reviews can be provided to complement Training modules and provide an up-to-date perspective of the industry.  Topics can be industry and product specific but could include:

 
The Asian Challenge: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

China and India, market opportunity or threat?

Prospects for Asian growth

Middle East supply, issues and impact on Asia

Project review, who, what and when?

The outlook for syngas based petrochemicals

Product reviews and issues

Petrochemical Value Chains from C1 to C8: key product profiles and analysis