Data-Based Decisions Guide Turnaround Solution in Montana

Sodexo provided turnaround services to a client in the oil and gas industry in Billings, Montana.

From April to June 2022, our teams provided daytime and nighttime catering, coffee, and retail services.

Prior to the turnaround, Sodexo surveyed the employees at the refinery to understand their distinct needs and provide adapted services, ensuring resources and investment for the right solution were optimized.

From inception to completion, our team worked hand in hand with the client to deliver value-added services while modifying and eliminating wasteful activities.

Overview

Located in Billings, Montana, our client’s refinery has undergone a considerable number of turnarounds since its completion in the 1940s. This client’s major difficulty in their previous scheduled maintenance was being faced with an unreliable food services provider.

Sodexo’s team was engaged to provide reliable corporate catering services during the 67 days of a planned turnaround in the spring of 2022. In preparation, the Sodexo team — in partnership with the client —surveyed employees to gain insights and build food services and retail convenience services catered specifically for this team.

By the Numbers

• 67 days of service
• 2,430 acres refinery
• 430 refinery employees, including on-site contractors
• 320 meals per 24-hour cycles
• 21,400 meals served total
• 115 mobile orders per 24-hour cycles

Challenges

To provide optimal services, our team pulled from their own multifaceted experiences and leveraged resources from local Sodexo sites. In Billings, Sodexo’s Energy and Resources collaborated directly with colleagues from the Campus dining business segment to deliver results.

Ensuring the maximum productivity of employees and contractors is the key to meeting turnaround scopes and timelines. Our team had these factors to take into consideration:

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The Data

Sodexo Energy and Resources, in partnership with the client, surveyed 165 client employees via email from January 24, 2022, to February 11, 2022. The objective of this survey was to determine the optimal food services and retail convenience services for a turnaround at the refinery in Billings, Montana. With an 83% response rate, these insights were fundamental in building the catering solution for this client site and were used to guide our team of experts’ decision-making.

Key insights include:

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Solutions

Thanks to Sodexo's vast network throughout the US, our teams can pull resources from other locations, including people and suppliers. In this case, we worked with three team members from Sodexo’s Campus dining business segment, two of which served as on-site general managers completely dedicated to the turnaround. They oversaw service delivery for both day and night shifts and acted as points of contact for the client.

Sodexo's presence throughout the US:

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Over the course of 67 days, our team provided daytime and, crucially, nighttime catered meal services to employees and contractors. Services included a two-week rotating hot meal menu plan, pre-packaged cold meal options, coffee, as well as retail snacks and beverages.

Given the short allotted times for breaks and to maximize workforce efficiency, mobile ordering and delivery were introduced. One on-site team member per shift was dedicated to food mobile order delivery.

Key to Success

Providing workers with a turnkey solution for meals and a choice of mobile ordering — especially during a night shift — enhanced productivity and efficiency. In addition, the benefit of having a consistent and reliable food service solution built specifically around employee survey results boosted morale.

The procurement lead in Billings says: 

As a provider of food services, we aim to ease the headaches of accommodating an influx of service needs due to an increase in population and demands on-site.

We raise the bar on turnaround services. Ask us how.