RMC-00-99 OUTSOURCING MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE PROFITS AND ENHANCE RELIABILITY

Description:

The last ten and possibly the next five years will be remembered as a watershed, or “shaking out” period within the refining industry. Changes in the global economy have resulted in dramatic swings in world wide energy demand. While the refining industry restructured to cope with negative crack spreads and faltering Asian economies, there has been a “changing of the guard” in the refining workplace. Older and more experienced operators, engineers, and maintenance workers are rapidly being replaced by younger, less experienced counterparts. This turnover in employees and experience has resulted in a renewed emphasis upon training and “outsourcing”, or going outside of the plant in search of qualified personnel to perform specialized tasks. In the meantime, the US economy is undergoing a gradual transformation from a manufacturingbased economy to a service economy.